Avenger 1-18 (A-18), BuNo 91686, is pushed overboard after a landing mishap on the carrier Karel Doorman. Overhead, it looks like a Sea Fury is waiting for the deck to be cleared. The plane guard Sikorsky HO4S-3, 8-3 (H-3), is named Cleopatra. Photo from: Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie

Delivering the mail to the cruiser USS Salem. Note the enormous North American AJ-2 Savage of VAH-7 on the deck of the carrier USS Lake Champlain. Photo from: Naval History and Heritage Command

PLM1004 flying 1000ft below us, over the Atlantic.

Two Dutch Vipers during a mission in support of Operation Unified Protection, the fight agains the Khadaffi regime in Libya. The aircraft were pictured high above the Mediterranean Sea just outside Libyan airspace.

Aboard Foch.

Aboard Foch aircraft carrier

During Operation Atalanta - the United Nations anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia, this Spanish Air Force CN235 was seen buzzing the HNLMS Johan de Witt (L-801).

An Avenger of VSQ 2 (ex US Navy 69392) landing on the carrier Karel Doorman during a cruise around the world in 1960. The date suggests the location should be off the South African coast. The Crazy Horse badge is a personal marking. The aircraft was scrapped in January 1961, soon after this journey. Photo from: Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie

A landing incident in the Mediterranean, when Firebrand EK782 struck HMS Implacable's island. Photo 3 of 3. Photograph by Tony Saunders, with thanks to his Grandson Guy Dumbell.

A landing incident in the Mediterranean, when Firebrand EK782 struck HMS Implacable's island. Photo 2 of 3. Photograph by Tony Saunders, with thanks to Grandson Guy Dumbell.

A landing incident in the Mediterranean, when Firebrand EK782 struck HMS Implacable's island. Photo 1 of 3. Photograph by Tony Saunders, with thanks to his Grandson Guy Dumbell.

Dassault has completed delivery of the last of 4 Falcon 50SURMAR (marine surveillance) aircraft to the French Navy in 2016. All 4 aircraft are assigned to 24 Flotille at Lann-Bihoué. The quartet have been transferred from the French Air Force VIP transport fleet and were upgraded by Dassault at Bordeaux with a Thales Ocean Master 100 search radar, as well as a new cockpit and observation windows. This SURMAR flew out of Djibouti along the Somalia coastline somewhere in between Mogadishu and the Seychelles. Behind the large window you can see an observer taking photographs of the Johan de Witt.

Intercepted by A-7Es of VA-27 near their carrier USS Coral Sea over the Arabian Sea. The Soviet equivalent of the P-3 Orion, derived from the Il-18, the Il-38 was only built in modest numbers. Photo from: US Navy - National Naval Aviation Museum

A fine landing on the carrier Karel Doorman (II), cathing the third cable. Photo from: Jaap de Moor collection

Something that would never happen in the 21st century. Two light aircraft flying in formation are joined by an airliner heading the same way. The light aircraft are VH-REL and another 310, VH-REK, the airliner TEAL DC-6 ZK-BGA. It is over the Tasman Sea between Auckland and Sydney, the final leg of the Cessnas' delivery flight from the US. The DC-6 is on a regular passenger service. Phil Lightband photo.

Swordfish torpedo-bombers of No 820 Sqn over the carrier Ark Royal. Aircraft 649 is K8449. Photo from: Royal Navy

VH-REK photographed from sister ship VH-REL on the last leg of their delivery flight from the US to Australia. It is over the Tasman Sea between Auckland and Sydney. The scientific organisation CSIRO used the two 310s for research work. Photo from Phil Lightband.

This 777 overtakes our slower 757 in mid-Atlantic. It was en route from Paris to Toronto.

During deck landing practice at sea the pilot overshot the arrester cables on HMS Illustrious and his Sea Fury of 1831 Squadron based at RNAS Stretton hit the arrester gear and tipped up. It was later sold to Cuba. Obtained from the pilot over 50 years ago.