---
product_id: 40169257
title: "Wave-Off!: A History of LSOs and Ship-Board Landings"
price: "$563.27"
currency: USD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 12
url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/40169257-wave-off-a-history-of-lsos-and-ship-board-landings
store_origin: US
region: United States of America
---

# Wave-Off!: A History of LSOs and Ship-Board Landings

**Price:** $563.27
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## Description

From the beginning, landing airplanes on ships at sea has been considered the ultimate challenge in aviation. The success of generations of aircraft carrier operations would never have been possible without the Landing Signal Officer, or LSO. A full history of the LSO has never been published before now. The major changes brought about by visual landing aids and angled decks are nothing less than revolutionary, and these features are explained by a seasoned Naval Aviator who flew attack jets from carriers. This book tells the story of LSOs from the first carrier operations in 1922 through World War II, the early jet era, Korea, Vietnam, and up to today's nuclear-powered leviathans. Also explained are naval aircraft and equipment development through the years; it covers both the faster and heavier aircraft and the changes in shipboard flight-deck systems. Diagrams showing the evolution of aircraft carrier deck design from World War I to the present are also included. Historical fact and detailed information is interspersed with colorful anecdotes that add the feeling of being on the fantail of a carrier as jets scream past at 200 mph and land right next to you. There's a good reason the LSO platform is called "the best seat in the house." From primitive biplanes to the latest supersonic jets, aircraft could not have been brought aboard ship without the Landing Signal Officer. This book explains the exciting world of the LSO.

Review: A Fascinating History of a Neglected Subject - Boom Powell is a familiar name to aficionados of naval aviation history and operations, and anything he writes is always worth reading. Specialty Press has established itself as a major international publisher of path-breaking books in military affairs. Landing aboard ship, in variable weather, day and night, is arguably the ultimate test of pilot skill and judgment. This synergistic fusion of Boom Powell, Specialty Press, and a subject as fascinating as "Just how DO they bring those airplanes aboard?" had generated one of the finest books on naval aviation history ever published. Wave-Off is more than a collection of great tales and evocative photographs. Instead, Powell has drawn on his own extensive background as a naval pilot (A-4 Skyhawk and RA-5C Vigilante) and as a Landing Signal Officer (LSO) on the Intrepid and Kitty Hawk (the former one of the classic Essex class and the latter one of the formidable Forrestal brood) to examine the evolution of the LSO and deck-landing generally. As a Scooter and Vigi driver, Powell sees carrier aviation and the challenge of coming aboard with special insight. Even knowledgeable aviation enthusiasts will find much that is new and thought provoking in this impressive survey, and I recommend it heartily to anyone with even a passing interest in the marriage of ships and aircraft.
Review: Finally, Paddles gets the attention he deserves! - The rave reviews for Robert "Boom" Powell's WAVE-OFF! are all spot-on. This is one of the best carrier aviation books ever written - heck, one of the best naval books ever written - in terms of how things work, what they do, why they're the way they are and the history of how they came to be. Focusing throughout on Landing Signal Officers/LSOs -- known on the ship as Paddles, or Batsmen in BritSpeak -- Boom's breezy style easily takes in all carrier aviation eras and the practices of most countries, especially during the early days of carriers, through World War II and into the Cold War. Incredibly well illustrated and captioned, authoritative and relentlessly informative, the book drills down into specific details while always keeping the higher view of how it all fits into the big picture. Boom uses lingo and slang interchangeably with more technical terms, and unlike many members of tight-knit organizations, brings the reader onto the LSO platform and into the ready room and makes them familiar with the terms of the trade. My only complaint is I would've wanted Boom's take on current practices by other nations, especially those of the Chinese and Russians. The work makes it clear that today's LSOs, carrier operators and naval aviators stand on the shoulders of giants (and the blood of many), and it would be interesting to read more about the challenges of trying to jump in at high operational levels without the benefit of home-grown experience, as the Chinese now are doing.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #3,364,101 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #5,155 in Military Aviation History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 41 Reviews |

## Images

![Wave-Off!: A History of LSOs and Ship-Board Landings - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71QvN-8sWUL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Fascinating History of a Neglected Subject
*by D***C on April 28, 2017*

Boom Powell is a familiar name to aficionados of naval aviation history and operations, and anything he writes is always worth reading. Specialty Press has established itself as a major international publisher of path-breaking books in military affairs. Landing aboard ship, in variable weather, day and night, is arguably the ultimate test of pilot skill and judgment. This synergistic fusion of Boom Powell, Specialty Press, and a subject as fascinating as "Just how DO they bring those airplanes aboard?" had generated one of the finest books on naval aviation history ever published. Wave-Off is more than a collection of great tales and evocative photographs. Instead, Powell has drawn on his own extensive background as a naval pilot (A-4 Skyhawk and RA-5C Vigilante) and as a Landing Signal Officer (LSO) on the Intrepid and Kitty Hawk (the former one of the classic Essex class and the latter one of the formidable Forrestal brood) to examine the evolution of the LSO and deck-landing generally. As a Scooter and Vigi driver, Powell sees carrier aviation and the challenge of coming aboard with special insight. Even knowledgeable aviation enthusiasts will find much that is new and thought provoking in this impressive survey, and I recommend it heartily to anyone with even a passing interest in the marriage of ships and aircraft.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Finally, Paddles gets the attention he deserves!
*by C***S on March 7, 2021*

The rave reviews for Robert "Boom" Powell's WAVE-OFF! are all spot-on. This is one of the best carrier aviation books ever written - heck, one of the best naval books ever written - in terms of how things work, what they do, why they're the way they are and the history of how they came to be. Focusing throughout on Landing Signal Officers/LSOs -- known on the ship as Paddles, or Batsmen in BritSpeak -- Boom's breezy style easily takes in all carrier aviation eras and the practices of most countries, especially during the early days of carriers, through World War II and into the Cold War. Incredibly well illustrated and captioned, authoritative and relentlessly informative, the book drills down into specific details while always keeping the higher view of how it all fits into the big picture. Boom uses lingo and slang interchangeably with more technical terms, and unlike many members of tight-knit organizations, brings the reader onto the LSO platform and into the ready room and makes them familiar with the terms of the trade. My only complaint is I would've wanted Boom's take on current practices by other nations, especially those of the Chinese and Russians. The work makes it clear that today's LSOs, carrier operators and naval aviators stand on the shoulders of giants (and the blood of many), and it would be interesting to read more about the challenges of trying to jump in at high operational levels without the benefit of home-grown experience, as the Chinese now are doing.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Anyone who is an aviation buff will love this book!
*by G***U on April 4, 2017*

Like all good books about aviation you need lots of quality photos and diagrams to complement the content. This book has all that and more. The content is rich in naval aviation history regarding aircraft carrier evolution, flight operations from the beginning to present, and enough easy to understand technical information to give the reader a depth of knowledge that satisfies while keeping anticipation of what the next page holds at a high level. CDR Powell's writing style is like he is having a one sided, friendly conversation with the reader as he covers material that he knows as a subject matter expert. Plus this book covers a part of naval aviation that heretofore has not been given enough recognition in my opinion. And that is the Landing Signal Officer, or LSO. This is an in depth look inside the evolution of the LSO as carrier aviation grew in scope, missions, and expertise. The main battery of an aircraft carrier is the air wing. And the LSOs play the most important part of keeping both the training of pilots and their proficiency at the extremely high standard of performance required of those who fly in challenging weather both day and night as they operate globally on our world's seas and oceans. As we say in the U.S. Navy - Bravo Zulu to CDR Powell. BZ = Well Done!

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*Product available on Desertcart United States of America*
*Store origin: US*
*Last updated: 2026-06-07*