Dauntless Taking Off From USS Wolverine

During the Second World War the converted paddle wheel coal powered steamers USS Sable and USS Wolverine trained over 17,000 pilots who performed approximately 116,000 carrier landings.

This was not a risk free enterprise, the Great Lakes are nearly as unforgiving as the world's oceans. The most commonly cited sources indicate that between 130 and 200 aircraft were lost to accidents (with to date 35 been pulled from the the bottom of Lake Michigan), and 8 aviators losing their life.