Editing Nimitz-class aircraft carrier (section)

===Flight deck and aircraft facilities===
[[File:US Navy 090529-N-1062H-042 Supply and deck department Sailors transfer cargo in the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) during a replenishment-at-sea.jpg|thumb|The hangar of ''George Washington'' during a replenishment at sea, 2009]]

The [[flight deck]] is angled at nine degrees, which allows for aircraft to be launched and recovered simultaneously. This angle of the flight deck was reduced slightly compared to previous carriers, as the current design improves the airflow around the carrier.<ref name="Friedman p316"/> Four steam [[Aircraft catapult|catapults]] are used to launch fixed-wing aircraft, and four [[arrestor wire]]s are used for recovery. The two newest carriers, ''Ronald Reagan'' and ''George H.W. Bush'', have only three arrestor wires each, as the fourth was used infrequently on earlier ships and was therefore deemed unnecessary.<ref>Polmar 2004, p. 111</ref>

This [[CATOBAR]] arrangement allows for faster launching and recovery as well as a much wider range of aircraft that can be used on board compared with smaller aircraft carriers, most of which use a simpler [[STOVL]] arrangement without catapults or arrestor wires. The ship's aircraft operations are controlled by the air boss from Primary Flight Control or Pri-Fly. Four large elevators transport aircraft between the flight deck and the hangars below. These hangars are divided into three bays by thick steel doors that are designed to restrict the spread of fire.<ref name="Fire Protection"/>