USS Wolverine scaled carrier-landing training

Wolverine and the companion training carrier Sable were side-wheel passenger ships converted for flight-deck training on the Great Lakes. They carried no operational air groups and had no lifts or storage arrangements for aircraft to remain aboard overnight. Their broad flight decks provided room for repeated landing practice. Painted lines let pilots rehearse narrower landing areas, centerline approaches and approaches that avoided space representing parked aircraft. The ships trained pilots, landing-signal officers and other naval personnel with losses described as low for wartime training. Their inexpensive training capacity helped the US Navy expand its aviation capabilities quickly.