You've heard and know the term "bucket list," and maybe you even have an unofficial set of things that you would like to experience before you die on your own bucket list. Well, this video relates to one of my bucket list things to do. And, yes, even at my age, I would still like to experience sitting in one of these jets and the thrill of taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier. It has been on my bucket list for a long time, even if the possibility of it actually happening is, in reality, impossible.

This short, visually stunning, and very interesting video gives us a great insight into the life of a U.S. Navy pilot. You will hear the voice of a Navy pilot explaining his love of the job, what kinds of planes he has flown and is flying, and about the training regime that one goes through to become a U.S. Navy pilot.

Photo: YouTube/America's Navy

Two of the Navy jets that are commonly flown off of aircraft carrier decks today are the F-18 Super Hornet and the F-35C Lightning II. The pilot narrator gives some details about both planes and what their unique capabilities are. The F-18 Super Hornet is a versatile, fast, and multi-role fighter aircraft. It is fast and agile and capable of carrying bombs and fighting in an aerial dogfight. It is a McDonnell Douglas design and is an all-weather, twin-engine, carrier-capable, tactical aircraft capable of many combat roles.

Listen to the pilot as he explains what it's like to land and take off from a carrier and how the F-18 handles when it pushes you back in your seat at 7 Gs. He describes what the aircraft carrier looks like from 20,000 feet and what it's like in the last 15-18 seconds of total focus leading up to landing on that flight deck for the first time. Now that's what I'm talking about. That's what I'd like to experience. One time would do it! Then he mentions what it is like to do that at night. That might be a step too far for me, but then...

Photo: YouTube/America's Navy

The pilot also mentions the F-35C Lightning II, a single-engine stealth-designed fighter with all the latest high-tech, touchscreen gizmos. It is the first and only long-range, stealth strike fighter designed by Lockheed Martin exclusively for the United States Navy. It is a highly agile, supersonic fighter that is designed to give the pilot unprecedented situational awareness and unmatched lethality. It has radar-evading stealth capabilities. It is a single-engine aircraft, and, as the pilot narrator explains, pilots are trained and capable of dead-stick landing this aircraft if it loses the engine. There are only 30 Navy pilots flying these incredible planes at this time.

Like I said above, the experience of taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier would be a thrill for me. But that is not going to happen. What I am even more thrilled about is that our U.S. Navy pilots are among the best in the world, and you can hear the pride of being a Navy pilot in the narrator's voice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVPmy00md1s