Repeated Great Lakes deck practice reduced pilot losses

Wolverine and Sable gave US Navy pilots their first carrier landings and takeoffs under relatively benign conditions. Trainees could repeat the exercise again and again while veteran pilots watched and corrected them. That familiarity reduced what military organizations called wastage: losses caused by accidents and mistakes before personnel became comfortable with demanding equipment. The ships therefore preserved trained pilots as well as teaching deck technique. Their value lay in lowering the human cost of turning an aviator into a carrier-qualified pilot.