Swiped from The Flight Deck, for no reason other than that I am currently absolutely enamored of all things carrier...
Keep in mind that this is U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, the largest ship in the Navy. Steeljaw Scribe explains (from comments in TFD post):
This is one of those required evolutions coming out of an extended period in the shipyard/drydock. You basically go max speed for x-number of miles, then throw the rudder hard over, and hang on for dear life as 90K + tons literally turn on a nautical dime.
When we did it on IKE [U.S.S. Eisenhower], I was the ‘gator [Navigator] and from my chair on the starboard side of the bridge, I was looking down to the CO’s chair on the portside and at blue water beyond… Also a good way to find out if you were really ready to go to sea as it shakes all the FOD out of the overheads…cruise boxes, TVs, etc.
