Abstract: A pneumatic launching apparatus for a lightweight aircraft has a battery of three pneumatic tubes mounted upon a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly. A launching tube is mounted on the central pneumatic tube, which blows it away from it in a manner similar to that in which a tubular paper cover is blown off a drinking straw. The outer tubes provide additional storage for compressed air and support the outer ends of a launching carriage, which slides over them. The aircraft is mounted on the carriage by a pair of brackets which react against the aircraft in a forward-moving direction. Restraining shock absorbers are mounted across the front ends of the outer tubular rails in the path of movement of the carriage for arresting it. The pressure is exhausted from the system just before the carriage strikes the shock absorbers either by uncovering perforations in the central tubular rail or actuating a dump valve in the pneumatic system.