What’s the F-105 tail hook for?

That’s odd, the F-105 has a tail hook. It’s not for carrier operations though.

Many Air Force planes have a tail hook for safety. Most Air Force bases are equipped with cables that can be deployed to snag a damaged plane. No brakes or braking parachute? The pilot tells the tower, “Cable, cable, cable” to get the safety feature quickly raised into position.

Unlike Navy planes, the hook on an Air Force aircraft can only be deployed while the plane is on the ground. It simply drags … then it snags.

Cory Graff is the military aviation curator at the Flying Heritage Collection.