In Pictures
Squadron Commander E H Dunning attempting to land his Sopwith Pup on the flying-off deck of HMS FURIOUS, Scapa Flow, 7 August 1917. He was killed when his aircraft veered off the flight deck and into the sea [Picture: Imperial War Museum / Gordon McLeod]
Second world war carrier-borne aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm - a Fairey Firefly fighter (1941-1955) and a Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber (1934-1945) (closest to camera) [Picture: LA(Phot) Handy]
A Harrier GR9 from the Naval Strike Wing gets serviced at sea in HMS Illustrious's hangar [Picture: SAC Oldfield]
Two Royal Navy Sea Kings land at Forward Operating Base Sangin in Helmand province, Afghanistan [Picture: LA (Phot) Nick Tryon]
Sea King Airborne Surveillance and Control Aircraft and Ground Reconnaissance Harriers of the Naval Strike Wing on the flight deck of HMS Illutrious [Picture: PO(Phot) Christine Wood]
Merlin helicopters from 814 Naval Air Squadron line the deck of HMS ILLUSTRIOUS during a multi-national exercise in the Indian Ocean [Picture: LA(Phot) Darby Allen]
Royal Navy Search and Rescue Sea King helicopter from HMS Gannet. Some rescues involve crewmen being winch lowered to assist stricken victims on a 250 foot (76m) cable [Picture: Royal Navy]
A Wessex Mk 5 of 845 Naval Air Squadron operating from HMS Hermes disembarking Royal Marines Commandos [Picture: Crown Copyright]
HMS Invincible returning to massive celebrations following the Falkland’s War. Lined up on deck are Sea King Helicopters from 820 Naval Air Squadron and Sea Harrier FRS 1s from 800 Naval Air Squadron [Picture: Crown Copyright]
Buccaneer S Mk2 of 800 Naval Air Squadron taking off from HMS Eagle using steam catapult [Picture: Crown Copyright]
A Fairey Swordfish Mk I from the Torpedo Training Unit at Gosport drops a practice torpedo during training [Picture: Imperial War Museum / Ted Dearberg]
Harrier GR9 from Naval Strike Wing releasing flares whilst on operations in Afghanistan [Picture: Crown Copyright]
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