Royal Navy officer Lieutenant Fraser Nadine, currently on an exchange program with the US Navy, has shared insights into his experiences flying F/A-18 Super Hornets from the deck of the USS Carl Vinson.

As part of the US Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 192, known as “The Golden Dragons”, Nadine is gaining valuable experience that will benefit future collaborations between the Royal Navy and the US Navy. His reflections, shared in a recent press release, paint a picture of a challenging but rewarding role that is contrary to popular perception.

Nadine, who completed her basic aviation training in the UK before volunteering for this exchange, now flies missions over vast and varied terrain, including the challenging environment of Death Valley. “Flying is fantastic,” Nadine noted. “You’re over Death Valley and huge swathes of the country in airspace reserved just for your training, it’s incredible.”

Based on the USS Carl Vinson, Nadine flies the F/A-18E Super Hornet, a powerful single-seat fighter capable of speeds of up to one and a half times the speed of sound. Its missions include bombing, naval attack, defensive air patrol and aerial refueling exercises. Nadine highlighted the unique experience of catapult launches – a technique that has not been used by the Royal Navy for almost 50 years. “You tell the gunner – the catapult officer – how heavy your jet is and he sets the correct power setting. Then you accelerate from a standstill on the catapult to 200 miles per hour in less than two seconds. From then on, you’re immediately in the mission mentality.” he explained.

Although flying such sophisticated aircraft is exciting, Nadine also pointed out the more difficult aspects of the job, especially night takeoffs. “It’s pitch black, you can’t see anything except checking all the switches with a tiny finger lamp and trying to find your way around,” he said. “You dim everything and then you’re catapulted into deep darkness. Imagine there’s no moon, just emptiness, and you trust your instruments because all you see is the waterline symbol, the velocity vector and the horizon line.”

Nadine’s training also included participation in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024, the largest naval exercise in the Indo-Pacific region. Looking back on this experience, he noted: “RIMPAC was amazing. We did a variety of air combat training with Typhoons, Hawker Hunters and A-10s (the American ground attack aircraft ‘Warthog’), which was quite interesting, as was the number of missions. We did some attack missions, including dive drills. We also did a ten-day shore leave in Hawaii.”

As the only British officer in the squadron, Nadine admitted that he “stands out like a sore thumb”, but he said the US Navy has been very welcoming. His experience is not just limited to flying; he is also interested in building closer relations between the Royal Navy and its American counterparts. “Those coming to the US bring a wide range of experience and aim to bring that knowledge back to the UK for the benefit of our own aviation companies,” explained Nadine.

“The wide-body experience is impossible to replicate with our airlines – the way they operate is completely different. But when I return to the UK, any integration with the US will be much easier.”

While the public often glorifies the life of a jet pilot, especially through influences from Hollywood films such as Super shooterNadine quickly made it clear that the reality was quite different. “Life on a season is very busy during the day, and then everyone goes back, watches a movie, goes to bed, does the dishes and repeats the whole thing for nine months.” he said, adding that despite the intense routine, the enthusiasm and passion for the job remains high.

Read the press release here.