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(This page is under continuous evolution.)
General Information on Carrier Flight Operations "Flight Deck Operations"! It's what separates the Naval Aviator from every other Aviator. The Catapult Hookup, the Launch, the Tailhook catching a "Three Wire". It all adds up to an environment that demands full-time professionalism just to survive. Those who excel in this environment truly must be classified as "The Best". The challenges are many. After a"high pucker factor" combat mission, it's the Naval Aviator that finds that home is a runway that is barely longer than the width of some land based runways, and that it is pitching and rolling across the ocean. The successful carrier landing, the "Trap" in NavAir jargon, is the ultimate test of nerve and flying skill. And to crank up the difficulty even higher, do it at night or in bad weather. And in "Blue Water Operations", far out at sea, if one can't get aboard - well the options are very, very limited; and highly undesirable. In reality, it isn't even a "landing". The aircraft is flown onto the deck. There is no long runway to settle onto, it's a "HIGH SPEED ARRIVAL", of tons of aircraft at speeds that allow for an immediate powered return to flight if a "Bolter" (non-trap) occurs. Don't for a second think that this is a reckless dive for the deck. It's an act of supreme piloting skill supported by a highly trained, professional group of people. The pride in the skills necessary to bring an aircraft "aboard" is clearly demonstrated by the Trap Rating System itself. Every Trap is scored, and the target score is the "OK3"(3 indicating the 3rd wire). You have just flown tons of aircraft at more than a hundred miles per hour onto a moving deck and it's - "OK". Carrier Hardware 
The carrier's landing system, to aid aircraft in landing aboard the carrier, has evolved from a experienced pilot waving some fabric covered paddles (thus the moniker "Paddles" for the Landing Signal Officer), to a integrated system of visual and electronic aids. The most prominent visual aid is the “Ball”, or "Meatball", a yellow light between a set of green horizontal datums (lights). It represents the aircraft's position in relation to the appropriate glide-slope. If the "Ball" is above the datums you're high, below you're low. To illustrate the accuracy necessary to bring an aircraft aboard, a typical modern landing system would have the following glide sloop window. At the start of the approach, three-quarters of a mile behind the boat, from full high to full low in the ball's horizontal reach, is about 21 feet of altitude for the a/c. At the ramp at the stern of the ship's flight deck, its about four feet. Right at the arresting wires, each cell (increment) of the ball represents nine inches of altitude. The Arrestment Cables are held a few inches off the flight deck by what look like upside-down car leaf springs. The number of cables vary by flight deck configuration (class of ship), from as many as seven to as few as three. These arrestment cables are referred to as "Cross Deck Pendants".
Carrier Procedures  ALL HANDS MAN YOUR FLIGHT QUARTERS STATIONS! UP ON "THE ROOF"! The "Main Battery" of the Aircraft Carrier is its "Air Wing". Unlike the Battleships of old, the Carrier's striking power is in its aircraft, not in a sixteen inch gun barrel. Only with much hard work by both Ship's Crew and Air Wing Personnel, is the "Main Battery" able to fulfill its mission when called upon. Launch and Recovery Operations on the "Roof" of a "Flattop" is the world's most unique aviation environment. It's been referred to as a "Ballet", an intricate dance of moving machines and people. But unlike a Ballet, where less than perfection only results in poor ticket sales; poor performance during Flight Deck Operations is likely to result in accident, injury, or death. The "Flight Deck" is without question, one of the world's most dangerous places to work. It is a very unforgiving work place, and the pace is demanding. Injury or death is always but a split second away. The Flight Operations "Cycle" requires 14, 16, 18 hours or more of intense focus interrupted only by hectic minutes of maintenance and repair between launch and recovery. All efforts are geared toward one goal. Get Naval Aviation's "Big Guns" in the air! On the Flight Deck the crew wear a variety of brightly colored shirts. Here is who they are and what they do:
Skyhawk Launch All Skyhawk models used two catapult hooks, one in each wheel well, to receive a strong steel cable "bridle" that did a half-moon loop around the catapult launch shuttle.
Skyhawk Recovery - "The Trap" The "Tailhook" is what separates carrier aircraft from all others. Navy aircraft that are designed to operate from carriers have to withstand the shock of arriving on-deck at flying speeds and then capturing a cable with its tailhook and coming to a very quick stop. "The Trap" = the aircraft's tailhook snags an arresting cable and comes to a stop. "The Bolter" = the aircraft's tailhook does not snag an arresting wire and the aircraft continues down the deck and back into the air.
Landing Grading System: OK with a 5.0 = Assigned to a perfect trap. [Very rare] OK with a 4.0 = A trap with small deviations corrected with precise and timely actions keeping the aircraft on-speed, on line-up, and on glide slope. [Above average trap] (OK) with a 3.0 = This is for "fair" trap, one where larger deviations occurred, and the corrections resulted in slightly over-control. [Considered an average trap in the fleet.] Bolter is a 2.5 = This is a below-average approach, requiring a fly-around (Bolter) and re-entry into the recovery pattern. [And going around for another pass could mean a fuel shortage issue, other a/c having to wait longer and forced into a fuel problem, etc.] Waveoff is a 2.0 = "Paddles", the LSO, gave a wave-off, because the approach is so bad it is not safe for the a/c to attempt a landing on the boat. [A "Waveoff" can also occur due to a "Fouled Deck" which is no fault of the pilot, and thus does not count as an aborted landing.] No Grade is a 2.0 = A no-grade pass is given to an approach that required large corrections and the pilot was slow to correct them. It can be awarded for a landing where the most aft arresting wire, #1, was caught. [This is a below-average approach. If one catches the #1 wire, the a/c came dangerously close to striking the "rounddown", or ramp, at the aft of the flight deck.] Cut is a 0.0 = Awarded to a seriously flawed landing, risking possible damage to the boat, the aircraft, or endangering the flight deck crewmen, and failing to respond to the LSO directions. [To many of these and a Naval Aviator's career is over.] Skyhawk CXR Emergency Procedures Skyhawk emergency procedures for at-sea flight operations. "Fouled Deck Range" (carrier's flight deck unable to accept landing aircraft) of the Skyhawk is dependent upon a number of factors. Engine type, fuel aboard, drag coefficient (external tanks and ordinance racks), head or tail winds, ambient air temperature, gross weight of the a/c. Obviously the idea is maximize endurance with available fuel. "Bingo"Range" (to nearest alternate landing site) of the Skyhawk depends on the same factors described above. If the aircraft's "Bingo Range" is not sufficient to enable the a/c to reach an alternate landing site; and in-flight refueling is not available, then ditching in the sea becomes a possibility. Ejection from the aircraft is preferable to the pilot ditching with the aircraft. Fuel management is a critical task for every pilot. Carrier Barricade arrestments are flown as a normal arrestment. However, the visual on the "Meatball" may be lost late in the approach as the barricade stanchions may obscure the mirror. If the barricade arrestment is made "wheels up", then the approach light indications will not be available to the LSO and the indexer indications will not be available to the pilot. Other sites with Aircraft Carrier Flight Operations Information.
AND let us not forget that the Marine Skyhawk Units utilized a land based aircraft launch and recovery system.   a4skyhawk.org Home Page |
