It’s like me having a 200mph sports car and I drive only at 20mph
When you are a new driver and are not experienced in driving a rear-drive car (most high-end sports cars are), you better drive slow... I almost wrecked a Ferrari on my first time. I was so excited and stepped on the gas hard without realizing how different it was to drive a rear-drive car...
You need time to get used to a new machine, especially something as complex as a CV. The PLAN is trying to catch up to those who have spent decades in mastering the craft. You need to be methodical. Otherwise, the price for the potential carelessness and impatience is human lives... When it involves human life, you can't be more careful. You try to avoid it at all cost. Yes, this is a military operation. Every sailor is prepared to give their lives to finish a mission. Yet, this is more the reason to respect the lives of these brave and selfless souls.
Additionally, the CV16 is a training vessel, which means they may be training new pilots at this very moment. With new pilots, you want to make sure you have a backup plan for a new pilot who might just failed his landing attempt. His fuel is low and the poor guy is panicking... You better have a plan to calm him down and save his life and his plane. This usually means that you have a land-based landing facility as a backup. This then means you need to be close to land at all times...
