The aircraft carrier USS FORRESTAL (CV 59) moves away from the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, its battle group following. Sailors on the flight deck of the FORRESTAL spell out the message"We love New York"as the ships begin their visit to the city for Fleet Week'89

Aircraft carriers are warships that act as airbases for carrier-based aircraft. In the United States Navy, these consist of ships commissioned with hull classification symbols CV (aircraft carrier), CVA (attack aircraft carrier), CVB (large aircraft carrier), CVL (light aircraft carrier), CVN (aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion) and CVAN (attack aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion). The first aircraft carrier commissioned into the United States Navy was USS Langley (CV-1) on 20 March 1922.