Signal for takeoffLt. Nicholas Woodworth and Robert Wilkerson prepare to shoot their boots off the flight deck of USS Carl Vinson using the ship's catapult. Beyond conducting an aircraft launch through a series of hand gestures and poses, shooters have a number of other responsibilities to ensure a safe takeoff. "The catapult officer is responsible to ensure the catapult is prepared and ready to launch aircraft, the aircraft is properly configured to launch, all personnel are in their proper position, and any observers are behind the foul lines," Lt. Cmdr. Robert Neff, a shooter aboard George Washington, told DoD News. "We inspect the entire catapult system, the jet-blast deflector, and input our calculations for wind to determine how much steam is needed to launch aircraft," Neff added.

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Persons: Nicholas Woodworth, Robert Wilkerson, Carl Vinson, Adrian White, Cmdr, Robert Neff, George Washington, Neff Organizations: US Navy, DoD