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I heard this line in Top Gun (1986) film:

Airboss: Ready Willard and Simkin off CATs three and four.

What does "CATs three and four" mean?

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2 Answers 2

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CATs three and four refer to an aircraft carrier's Catapults (number 3 and 4 in your question) used for launching/catapulting aircraft off the flight deck (in addition to the aircraft's own engine thrust/power).

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Like the other poster suggested, ‘CAT’ being short for aircraft catapult. This is a reference to catapults number three and four, sometimes called the ‘waist’ catapults or waist cats marked in red below.

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