Aircraft carriers were essentially miniature airfields at sea. During world war 2 the most challenging aerial operation to carry out was carrier landings. In addition to being constantly in motion, the flight decks were also smaller than most airfields. Carrier pilots were thought of as elite aviators because carrier landings required a high level of skill due to the constant pitching and rolling. When the aircraft was malfunctioning or combat-damaged, performing this challenging manoeuvre was nerve-wracking.