US Navy brings " precision landing assist tool " to new fighter pilots.

[bob10]

The Precision Landing Mode – a software tool added to the jet’s flight control and mission computers that significantly reduces the number of inputs a pilot has to make on final approach – was first used at sea by test pilots in 2015 under the program name MAGIC CARPET and saw its first usage in a fleet squadron in 2017. The Navy hasn’t been comfortable teaching new pilots how to use the landing tool, though, since there were so many failure modes that could arise on the jet that would prevent the plane from using Precision Landing Mode. Thanks to a software update tested and approved last fall, brand new pilots are finally able to learn how to land with this tool that will make them much more successful with much less work






Navy Brings 'Precision Landing Mode' Carrier Landing Assist Tool to New Fighter Pilots - USNI News

[Hugh Jars]

Sounds a bit archaic. Civvies been doing autoland for a few decades now

[NavyDiver]

Sounds a bit archaic. Civvies been doing autoland for a few decades now

Civvies do not land often on often moving runways that are almost as as short as a cricket pitch

That said we did have auto retraction for pulling Helicopters to the deck on FFGs and other ships in the 80s. Watching landings in rough oceans made me very well aware of my value in a wetsuit for when things went pear shaped

[cripesamighty]

This is the difference between airport landings in bad weather and carrier landings in bad weather. Listen to the vid from this point onwards for about 5 or so minutes (from 23min mark to 28 min mark). It sure doesn't sound like something they would put on a recruiting poster!

[bob10]

Landing on a postage stamp. Before I posted to patrol boats, I was a destroyer man. Vampire, Perth, Brisbane, Hobart, and each destroyer did time as Resdes [ rescue destroyer ] at various times in their lives. Some from memory were Melbourne [ of course] Kittyhawk, Ranger , Forrestal, Hancock,[ in the Tonkin Gulf]

The only time we had to drag birdies from the water was on May 9 , a Sea King went in, and July 13, a Wessex flew into the sea during night operations, on exercise in the North sea with NATO, 1977, apart from that Vampire pulled a Wessex crew from the water after a vertrep went wrong. Not bad for almost 21 years, those fly boys knew their stuff.

S2E Tracker Approach HMAS Melbourne to Carrier Landing - Bing video

[JDNSW]

Reminds me of some of the strips I used in PNG - except that it is moving, and the Tracker is a lot bigger than the C180. But similar small size as seen on approach.

I suspect that was a training flight of some sort - the man in the right seat was telling the PIC what to do.

[bob10]

U.S. NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIER LANDING MISHAPS & CRASHES Training Film 9002 - YouTube

[bob10]

Landing on a pitching deck.

PBS: Carrier - Landing on a Pitching Deck Pt. 1 - YouTube

[101RRS]

I suspect that was a training flight of some sort - the man in the right seat was telling the PIC what to do.

Some inconsistencies different aircraft for the approach, to the touchdown and the final pull up - 856/845/849

Aircraft are S2Gs - most likely from the VT851 training squadron rather than VS816 squadron as indicated in the vid. Most likely was a check flight as the guy in the right hand seat was the Senior Pilot of 851. When on operations, Trackers only had one pilot with a Tacco Observer (mission commander) in the right hand seat who also acted as co-pilot.

Garry