To anyone who can help.

I am not a military  pilot, but I love to read alot of aviation books. I was recently reading a naval Aviation Book about life on a Carrier during Dessert Storm and some terminology was used many times which I don't understand. It's called "Entering the Break" and "Breaking the Deck". These terms are used alot....Any I don't quite get what they are talking about during the landing sequence. This may be a really stupid question..... but if someone could help this old guy (43) understand these terms, It would help me appreciate the book which i am reading. Thank You in advance

Hello Dear

I found a good online resources which gives all the information relation to aviation terms. This Glossary of Aviation jargon contains a good number of entries, including many acronyms and aeronautical terms.

Entering the break means you are commencing the overhead break maneuver......basically flying down the right side of the ship, executing a sharp break turn, slowing to landing speed and dirtying up into landing configuration. The idea is to go from over the ship (overhead) to being downwind, abeam the LSO platform, in landing configuration and "on-speed" ready to start your approach turn.

"Breaking the deck" refers to being the lowest guy (or flight of jets) in the low holding stack overhead the ship. As soon as the launch is complete, you are timing to depart holding, circle around for the overhead (see above), and be on the ball very shortly after the ship creates a post-launch ready deck. You break the deck because you are at the bottom of the stack, and thus will be the first aircraft to trap at the very beginning of the next recovery. Hope that makes sense.