San Diego in San Diego County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Bridle-Arrest "Horns"
Photographed By Denise Boose, December 13, 2015
1. Bridle-Arrest "Horns" Marker
Inscription.
Bridle-Arrest "Horns". . Until the 1980's, carriers launched aircraft with a wire cable, or bridle, which pulled the aircraft down the catapult track. At the end of the track the aircraft detached from the bridle as it flew off the bow. After the aircraft separated, the bridle would swing down and bounce off the flight deck. To prevent the bridle from bouncing back up and striking the aircraft, a bridle-arrest sponson was placed at the end of each catapult track, angled downward to provide a surface below the plane of the flight deck for the bridle to strike. Today, carrier catapults pull the aircraft by its nose gear and bridle arresting sponsons are not necessary. However, the Midway still retains her "horns" as vestige of an earlier era in carrier aviation.
Until the 1980's, carriers launched aircraft with a wire cable, or bridle, which pulled the aircraft down the catapult track. At the end of the track the aircraft detached from the bridle as it flew off the bow. After the aircraft separated, the bridle would swing down and bounce off the flight deck. To prevent the bridle from bouncing back up and striking the aircraft, a bridle-arrest sponson was placed at the end of each catapult track, angled downward to provide a surface below the plane of the flight deck for the bridle to strike. Today, carrier catapults pull the aircraft by its nose gear and bridle arresting sponsons are not necessary. However, the Midway still retains her "horns" as vestige of an earlier era in carrier aviation.
Location. 32° 42.826′ N, 117° 10.592′ W. Marker is in San Diego, California, in San Diego County. Marker is on North Harbor Drive, on the left when traveling north. Located on the USS Midway flight deck, stern. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 910 North Harbor Drive, San Diego CA 92101, United States of America. Touch for directions.
There are two of the same plaques located by each "horn".
Credits. This page was last revised on March 6, 2019. It was originally submitted on August 31, 2018, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. This page has been viewed 710 times since then and 48 times this year. Last updated on March 2, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 31, 2018, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
