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gcarter
01-06-2007, 08:28 AM
A friend sent this to me. Pretty awesome!
I hope it's not too large so that not everyone who wants to can see it.:)

BigGrizzly
01-06-2007, 08:32 AM
Cool

Gearhead99
01-07-2007, 07:02 PM
Great video.

f_inscreenname
01-08-2007, 05:55 AM
Neat ride.

Last Tango
01-08-2007, 01:32 PM
The pilot is flying a Navy S3B Viking (fixed wing, 4 seat, twin turbofan jet aircraft). I have over 500 carrier arrested landings in the same aircraft from my 20-year Navy career. Notice the green "meatball" to the left of the flight deck as he approaches. This was a very nice landing in totally ideal conditions.

glashole
01-08-2007, 01:48 PM
I would imagine the "conditions" can be less than ideal at some times :)

any stories about some rough water landings? :eek!:


regards


Shea

Last Tango
01-09-2007, 07:58 AM
No.
But your question did send me back to some of those memories.
They usually revolve around dark and stormy nights in the middle of the North Atlantic or Med in winter. Even aircraft carriers pitch, role, and yaw in those seas.
Perhaps you can ask me about that at the Hometown Gathering.
Or my missions into the Bakah Valley, or Libya, or Iraq.
Or I can tell you about the day I was having lunch at the Windows on the World Restaurant on the 110th Floor of World Trade Center 2 in late February 1992.

apollo24
01-09-2007, 12:35 PM
Hey LT,

When coming into "the pattern", is there any final dialogue with the tower (when as close as he was in the video) as far as position announcements or do you just fly the plane and when you get greens you put it down?


CHeers, Ben

Last Tango
01-09-2007, 08:33 PM
It is a very complicated ballet. For daytime with high visability approaches such as this clip, rules and approaches are far different than night or foul weather approaches to the deck.
During the type of approach shown here, there is extremely little conversation, if any at all, between the pilot and the ship until the aircraft is finishing its rollout, 3/8 mile behind the ship and ''calls the ball."
Here is how the ballet begins:
All aircraft with the same landing/approach/RTB/rendezvous time, return overhead the carrier at a designated time and circle in a well practiced radius. Each TYPE of aircraft has an assigned altitude. All aircraft of the same TYPE must rendezvous visually and without radio contact with each other, and form up together in an echelon. Then they continue to circle the ship at a predetermined altitude and turn radius. Down below, the Air Boss and his spotters ensure visually that they see the correct number/type of returning aircraft at each altitude.
The lead in each echelon watches the circling aircraft below and determines when the deck is ready (the last of the launches have finished) and when the deck is open for recovering aircraft (a steady green light from the bridge). The lowest altitude echelon then begins their approach sequence. They accelerate their formation to a predetermined speed for that type aircraft and pass overhead and just slightly right if the ship in the direction it is heading. After passing the ship, the lead aircraft does a "carrier break" to the left. A carrier break is a very high G-force left turn. Then a few seconds later, the next aircraft in the flight does it's carrier break, and so on until all aircraft in the formation have turned. The aircraft are now spaced out at 45 second intervals and heading downwind with the ship to their left, the pilot of each watching the aircraft ahead and those to his distant left making their final approach to the deck. Each aircraft slows to approach speed, drops the gear and the tailhook. This configuration is monitored by spotters on the Air Boss's Bridge. Any aircraft not showing "3 down and locked" plus a hook, is immediately reported to the Airboss who will contact the aircraft with the problem. All aircraft in the flight are now flying down wind and "dirty" at a 45 second spacing depending on the approach speeds of the specific type aircraft. Hoovers (S3B Vikings) approach at 145-160kts. Lawn Darts (F/A 18's) approach at 190-210kts).
When the pilot turns left and upwind again, he does so from visual markers on the ship that tell him it is time to turn. These markers are nothing more than knowing precisely what the ship looks like visually when you are at the correct turn-in point. As you can see from the video, the pilot makes all movements after he has checked his position visually in relationship to the carrier.
He turns upwind at a predetermined rate and altitude for that aircraft and intends to roll out wings level at about 3/8 mile behind the ship and heading slightly at an angle to the deck, from starboard aft to port amidship, which is where the landing area is.
The LSO (Landing Signal Officer) standing on a sponson on the port aft quarter and even with the arresting wires, sees the aircraft roll wings level behind the ship and simply says "Call the ball, Viking."
The Viking pilot responds with "Viking Ball, 4.2."
This means the pilot sees the mirrored Fresnel lens and lighting assembly that assists him making the approach. He has also told the LSO that he had 4,200 pounds of fuel on board his aircraft which tells the LSO how many tries the pilot can make before they send him to the beach to land there instead. Experienced Navy pilots only need one appraoch, regardless of conditions. Each aircraft and each approach has a "Bingo on the Ball" minimum fuel level assigned so, if they cannot get aboard, they have enough fuel to fly to the closest predetermined land base. The Tanker aircraft is always the last aircraft aboard in case a Bingo aircraft does NOT have enough fuel to make it to land on its own. The Viking in the video needs about 4,200 pounds of JP5 to fly 45 minutes at max range. ANd these days, Vikings are usually the last aboard as they do double duty as tankers.
The LSO officer replies, "Roger ball, Viking."
Then there are some very short phrases the LSO speaks in case the pilot is NOT staying properly aligned and at the proper rate of decent to hit the wires on the deck with the tailhook. The pilot does NOT respond to these correction phrases but does exactly what he is told. He watches the Fresnel lens lights and mirror and attempts to fly the aircraft in such a way as to keep the yellow lights parallel with the green light. The LSO controls a portion of those lights to signal to the pilot. Flashing RED lights mean full power and go around.
Here are some of the LSO's phrases:
Left for line up
Right for line up
Going high
Power
Bolter Bolter Bolter!

When the aircraft lands, all signals between the pilot and the deck handlers are done with hand signals only, until the aircraft is chocked and chained in its final resting spot.
An aircraft that has boltered (missed the wires) immediately applies full power and takes off again and re-enters the lowest pattern to try again.
Regardless of if the aircraft has boltered or grabbed a wire and come to a stop, the pilot always applies full power the instant he hits the deck. The aircraft cannot overcome the stopping power of the 4 arresting gear cables, but cables can break in mid draw... sending the aircraft loose down the deck and hopefully with enough speed to take off again. If not, the crew immediately ejects. Riding the plane in is certain death for all who have tried.

Chapters Two and Three on "pinkies" and night/foul weather approaches may follow some other day.