Military Aviation
In military aviation, it is used to indicate the total usages of individual machines, so that (for example) one mission involving six aircraft would tally six sorties.
The use of the term for military aircraft originated in naval usage. In French, sortie literally means "exit". It has come to mean a combat mission, starting when the aircraft takes off and ending on its return.
Read more about this topic: Sortie
Famous quotes containing the word military:
“I’m not a military man, Captain. War holds no romance for me. The side effects are repulsive.”
—Richard Bluel, and Henry Hathaway. Major Hugh Tarkington (Clinton Greyn)