Hello everyone. Please excuse bad English, for it is not my main language. I've become quite fascinated in the training the carrier pilots had to take, from the very first day until the final active service in the front lines. I've briefly scratched the surface of this subject while writing a seminar about WWII US aircraft carriers (prewar years - midway) as part of my Political Science / History double b.a. I took. I'm now looking for any good reading materials (or documentaries, if any exists) covering the training a pilot had to make before he could call himself an aircraft carrier pilot. Thank you.
A starting point: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/naval-aviation-history/naval-aviation-training.html Haven't read this one yet, but it's on the list: https://www.amazon.com/Wings-Gold-Aviation-Training-Correspondence/dp/0817303197/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481027009&sr=1-6&keywords=naval+aviation Perhaps Mr. Leonard will happen along - he is sure to have some recommendations.
The two biographies of Sakai may provide some insight from the Japanese stand point. Samurai is easier to find and cheaper but Winged Samurai: Saburo Sakai and the Zero Fighter Pilots is suppose to be more accurate. Here is Sakaida's Amazon page some of the other books listed may be of some interest: https://smile.amazon.com/Henry-Sakaida/e/B001JP0J1A/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
I think the topic has also been addressed a couple of times here although I'm not sure there is a thread devoted to it. Looking through Mr. Leonard's posts may be informative. If you go to his profile you can get a list of his posts.
Here's two ships that might be of interest to you http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/421/The-Great-Lakes-Paddlewheeler-Aircraft-Carriers.aspx
