Outstanding Qualification Record
When evaluated separately, the fatalities and accidents appeared significant. When viewed in the perspective of the fact that modern carriers have significantly more advantageous landings. And, considering the circumstances and success percentages, those figures were deemed quite low. The program started with a goal of training 15,000 pilots, with the majority of carrier qualifications taking place on the decks of Wolverine and Sable. Approximately 35,000 persons qualified as pilots during the course of its operation. On the Lake Michigan vessels, young, aspiring pilots successfully took off and landed 120,000 times.
Recovery of Aircraft
Six of the planes that crashed near the lake's shores were recovered during the war. These recoveries did not necessitate a significant amount of time or sophisticated equipment. Damaged planes were rescued whenever possible because the training facility located inland. These would be put onto the deck and transported to the Chicago pier for repairs. Some might necessitate underwater retrieval. Planes that were not saved or located were abandoned to the bottom of Lake Michigan. However, there have been some determined efforts in recent years to locate these planes. Almost 50 planes have been recovered from the lakebed since then.