US Naval Aviation should adopt this French tradition. Too cool!

A long-standing tradition aboard the 🇫🇷 Charles de Gaulle: for a naval aviator’s final catapult launch, fellow pilots form a guard of honor along the catapult. The carrier’s commander signals the launch with a saber as the pilots salute their departing comrade.
📸 by Marie Bailly pic.twitter.com/kkbp9Z5KvU

— Tom Antonov (@Tom_Antonov) July 31, 2026