It’s always a cool sight to see fighter jets take off, even if they’re going through the full take off roll down the runway and then lifting off towards the skies. However there’s more than one way to take off a jet and since these machines are meant for operation in various different situations, they have to adapt to different environments. Ski jumps are commonly used in aircraft carrier operations and watch a jet use one to take off is equally cool, look no further than this video of the F-35B using a ski jump to see what I’m on about.
Fighter jets are extremely versatile and capable of performing maneuvers you wouldn’t expect from a conventional airplane, nevertheless sometimes conventional airplanes can shock you with rather scary maneuvers as well.
This video shows a F-35B use a ski jump to take off, as previously mentioned not only does it look cool but it also serves a purpose too, ski jumps are installed on aircraft carriers to launch jets with more of an upward flight path to reduce the risk of the jet diving into the ocean if the pilot makes a rare miscalculation.
Ski jumps are regularly used around the world for fixed wing and STOVL (Harrier) carrier aircraft, allowing for use of less thrust or high operating weights as opposed to a traditional flat deck.