[HighWheeler]

Here is a great description of the aircraft recovery.

The number 1 wire is the first approached, the 3 wire is the target, and the 4 wire is the last chance. Bush's plane caught the 4 wire.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/aircraft-carrier5.htm

[longtermmemmory]

interesting article but it did not explain how they are numbered. It makes a difference, the media has not been able to consistently state whether its the fourth or number four. The wires, I believe are numbered in decending order as the aircraft approaches the carrier. Thus catching the number four wire is actually the first wire. The article said that pilots need to consistently catch the number three wire or the second one encountered. This kind of makes sense since missing the prefered wire leave two chances to catch.

I am merely curious about this. Its like the democrats complaining the presidents flight suit was the wrong shade of green. Any landing you walk away from is a good landing.