On board the Royal Navy aircraft carrier Eagle (1946) while under way in the English Channel during landing and take-off trials of the McDonnell Douglas F-4K Phantom aircraft using the two aircraft XT857 and XT865. The photographer is on the port side of the island looking to port and slightly aft showing the Phantom XT857 on the port catapult with the catapult strop connected ready for launching. The flight deck crew are moving away from the aircraft. The first ever landing of this type of aircraft on a British aircraft carrier was by XT865 on 2 June 1969 at the start of ten days of trials.