F/A-18 Afterburner Catapult Night Launch on the USS Nimitz

YouTube / Jason Blessing
Awesome Stuff!
Jason Blessing had the best position to capture this F/A-18 doing a night launch at the USS Nimitz. You can see just how hot and powerful that engine can get at the 0:08 mark! A few seconds later, we can also see this Hornet take off with full afterburners!

Night launches are one of the most enjoyable videos to watch since they allow you to see the warbird’s engines at their full potential.
Interestingly enough, this F/A-18 can be seen carrying so many fuel tanks that night. You can even see the air-to-air refueling pod at its belly, which it uses to refuel other planes.

It looks like this aircraft was just doing a routine training flight at night. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!