Yes, that’s exactly what happens. The ‘pulley thing’ as you call it is known as the catapult or “cat.” It’s steam driven and hooked on the front of the plane. Think rubber band, just literally shoots them off the front. Same thing on the inbound when they land, there’s NO way planes can stop quick enough on their own,…

It’s a steam-powered catapult that launches them. The nose gear is attached to the catapult by what looks like a barbell, which is designed to break under a certain amount of tension. The power of the catapult is also adjusted for the aircraft’s weight. Once the catapult officer gets the signal from the deck to…

F-18’s are awesome birds, but it just doesn’t compare to being in the catwalk under an F-14 at full afterburner.