Matthew Madson wants to be a military pilot.
Watching the F-18 Hornets take off and return to the 4.5-acre flight deck only inspired the eighth-grader more as he spent two days aboard the USS George H.W. Bush during its Tiger Cruise.
"I knew it was going to be big, but it was giant," Madson said.
Madson's cousin Lt. Michael Hicks was part of the crew returning from its inaugural combat deployment on the U.S. Navy's newest aircraft carrier.
On Tuesday, Madson shared his photos and experiences with his social studies classmates at Lewis and Clark Middle School.
