Landing and parking onboard the USS Truman aircraft carrier

LSO comments for Asiana 214:

CUT. HIG, TMRDIC, NEPAR PNU RS

(High in the groove, Too much rate of descent in close, Not enough power at the ramp, ramp Strike)

Some LSO's might have added T1W.
 
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Is it easy to discern the ball in real life than from what I'm seeing in this video? Even in HD and fullscreen I can't see the ball until they're moments away from hitting the deck.

How are landings handled in a plane like the Greyhound with side-by-side seating? One guy does the flying while the other works the throttles? Do they have to flip a coin to see who gets to trap?
 
mechan9 said:
Is it easy to discern the ball in real life than from what I'm seeing in this video? Even in HD and fullscreen I can't see the ball until they're moments away from hitting the deck.

How are landings handled in a plane like the Greyhound with side-by-side seating? One guy does the flying while the other works the throttles? Do they have to flip a coin to see who gets to trap?
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The intensity of the ball is lost in most video. In a normal pattern, the ball is very bright with the ball call at 3/4 of a mile. You would pick it up at over 2-3 miles in most conditions on a straight-in approach.

With the retirement of the S-3, the E-2 and C-2 are the only fixed wing carrier aircraft with dual controls. Left seat is at the controls (including throttle) for take-offs and landings at sea.
 
You can see the ball easily in the daytime, as you should be rolling out into the "groove" (final) inside of a mile behind the ship......that is aside from a day straight in. At night, it is a little harder. I have a hard time at 2-3 miles actually seeing anything other than somewhat large deviations from centered. At about a mile and a half, it becomes a lot easier, and you are able to see a lot more detail. The "ball call" is at ~3/4 of a mile, and at that point you should be able to see individual cell deviations. That said, if you have not noticed a deviation by then, it is a much tougher fix that close (similar to flying an ILS in theory). So I try to positively push the ball up until I can see the movement out at a couple miles, hold that, and then start chipping it down so that it is just cresting above the datums by the ball call. From there it is a lot of rapid but small power corrections to hold it there. Little secret is that we don't actually try to fly a centered ball all the way to touchdown. If you do that, a centered ball at the start or in the middle is more likely than not going to start turning into a settle and a low ball at the inclose to the ramp position, possibly scaring people or yourself. The legacy Hornet tends to settle at the ramp (lineup corrections cause loss of lift with our stubby little wings, and if we are carrying ordnance, we are underpowered), so it is much better to cross the ramp a little high with a mild settle, than cross the ramp with a centered ball and then settle right into the 1 wire. We've all done it, and you eventually learn to not put yourself in that box. The really experienced guys can afford to deviate a little less on the high side (ie be more no kidding centered the entire pass), but any little mistake and you are going to buy yourself a low at the ramp comment and probably a fair working on a no grade. High passes aren't really better, as the extreme of that leads to breaking jets, but if you can keep it just a little high all the way, everyone is much happier and paddles isn't afraid of you settling into the ramp inside of the waveoff window.
 
Cool video.

What does the pawing the ground hand signal mean at the end of the video? (About :37 left in video)
 
Pilot Fighter said:
Sign up ... and then not get jets.
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Meh. I fear the NAMI Whammy. I don't have anything lurking that I know about, but as I understand it many Navy flight careers are scuttled before they start.

Oh, and plus, I can barely be bothered to put on my uniform and keep within my employer's appearance standards for hair length...so I probably wouldn't do so well in Navy Air.
 
NC_BE300 said:
Cool video.

What does the pawing the ground hand signal mean at the end of the video? (About :37 left in video)
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That is the signal that they are chocking/tying you down to the deck. They hook the chains up to the aircraft, throw chocks under the mains, then they will give you the same signal with a thumbs up when it is done. At that point, you can unstrap, safe the seat (for ejection seat aircraft) and they pass control to your plane captain (brown shirt) who will shut you down or whatever.

Getting taxiied around the deck is among my least favorite things, especially at night. You start getting a lot of yellow shirts who are comfortable and getting complacent, and they will be not looking at you, but taxiing you forward looking at the guy they are about to hand off to......this all at night, near the edge of the flight deck with a ship that is turning/listing the wrong way/etc of course. I've probably screamed more expletives at those guys than anyone else, though they have no idea because it is covered by my mask and of course I'm only talking to myself. That isn't a slam on them, as they have a very dangerous job too and I respect them a lot, but you tend to get frustrated when it is your pink butt in the seat and it seems like people aren't grasping the seriousness of the situation at times.
 
Autothrust Blue said:
Meh. I fear the NAMI Whammy. I don't have anything lurking that I know about, but as I understand it many Navy flight careers are scuttled before they start.

Oh, and plus, I can barely be bothered to put on my uniform and keep within my employer's appearance standards for hair length...so I probably wouldn't do so well in Navy Air.
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Uniforms? What uniforms? Do your job, get to the boat. Naval aviation isn't especially rah-rah.
 
///AMG said:
That is the signal that they are chocking/tying you down to the deck. They hook the chains up to the aircraft, throw chocks under the mains, then they will give you the same signal with a thumbs up when it is done. At that point, you can unstrap, safe the seat (for ejection seat aircraft) and they pass control to your plane captain (brown shirt) who will shut you down or whatever.
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The only time I ever had my hand on the E-ride handle was on the deck.
 
mechan9 said:
How are landings handled in a plane like the Greyhound with side-by-side seating? One guy does the flying while the other works the throttles? Do they have to flip a coin to see who gets to trap?
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Like was said, the pilot in the left seat does it all...nothing like 121 flying. The trap depends on requirements, when was your last trap or are you a nugget who needs more traps, etc.
 
Seggy said:
Ummmmm hmmmmmm

121 guys land on water and wait for the NY Waterway Ferries to pick them up instead of ejecting like Navy guys do when they are going in the drink
:)
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Navy does have some aircraft in which ejecting is not an option.

Every time my father sees an A-3 at a museum, he mutters that if the Whale had seats there wouldn't be one left to put in a museum.
 
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