Originally Posted by
KenV
Indeed there is. The tailhooks on USAF aircraft are essentially single-use devices meant for emergency use only. Once deployed they cannot be stowed (in flight) and once used for an arrested engagement they need to be removed and replaced before the next flight.
Not true. I was General Dynamic structures engineer for F-16 arresting hook engagement tests at Edwards AFB in 1979. We did approximately 95 engagements at various weights, speeds, and offset distance with no hook change. The hooks are also used to restrain the airplane during ground engine runs. The hook is fully qualified for full airplane lifetime of emergency and engine run use. The hooks are not deployed in flight. Flight manual procedure is to land, lower the nose gear to the ground, then deploy the hook. Hook engagement with nose gear off the ground can slam the nose down hard enough to exceed the nose gear limit load.
The big difference in Navy carrier hook and Air Force emergency hook design strength is due to the difference in cable run out, 200 - 250 ft for carrier, 1000 ft for land based emergency arrestment.