Once upon a time, back in the original Top Gun days when Goose was still Maverick’s RIO, Navy tactical jet pilots had to prove they could actually land on the floating postage stamp known as an aircraft carrier before strutting around with their “wings of gold.” Now? Not anymore. The Navy has decided that the final exam of naval aviation—the deck landing—is optional. Think of it as graduating from medical school without ever holding a scalpel.

A Splash Course in Lower Standards

Carrier qualifications weren’t some quaint tradition. They were the crucible that separated the sky gods from the “maybe you should’ve joined the Air Force” crowd. Without it, pilots can still graduate, but somehow it just doesn’t seem the same. As today’s cartoon teasingly points out, the Navy has essentially t

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