Comments on: Ah, Memories

By: grounded eric

grounded eric — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:08:14 +0000

Thanks Lex!

By: Maritime Monday 136

Maritime Monday 136 — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:19:11 +0000

[...] has video showing just how much the deck of an aircraft carrier can move in rough seas in “Ah, Memories“. After watching that, be sure to read his post “On being a landing signal officer in [...]

By: lex

lex — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:34:44 +0000

Really, the best you can do is fly a good pattern to a reasonable start on final and hope for the best. Keep your VSI nominal in the groove (in the Hornet the velocity vector on the HUD served as a VSI proxy), respond to what the LSO is showing you on the MOVLAS (Manually Operated Visual Landing Aid System) and hope that you get lucky on your approach. You can’t monkey with pitch attitude in a Navy jet on final since it’s linked to optimal AOA; over the nose visibility, aerodynamic/engine performance and hook-to-ramp clearance.

Sometimes, especially in long-period seas like those shown in the video, the deck settles down for a bit before playing the fool again. If that happens, you get to land aboard ship, if you can steady your nerves. Otherwise it’s wave-offs and long bolters. Typical day boarding rates are 98%. When the deck starts to move around like in the video it falls below 50%. It really gets sporty at night, and I’ve always admired the alert tanker crews who launch into that kind of mess knowing 1) what they’re going to face, and 2) the fact that when they land, there won’t be any tanker up there for them. Of course, I never told them that. On account of they were tanker pilots.

The embedded link at the “repost” line has another story about what can happen at night when a guy gets low and the deck goes up. I’ve actually been on the LSO pickle at night and waved a guy off (he later made flag) who was out-of-tolerances high when the deck reached up and dragged him down. He was at full power and starting to climb when suddenly there he was in the wires.

That kind of stuff will make you old.

By: grounded eric

grounded eric — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:26:43 +0000

alright aviator types,
As one that will never trap on a ship, how do you get aboard on such a rough day? Do you fly a consistent glide slope and try to time it just right catch a wire, or do you bob up and down in your glideslope to synch with the ship’s movement? Do you adjust the pitch attitude of your jet to have a proper angle to the deck, or do you risk landing a little flat if the deck is pitched in an up angle? I’ve only landed on solid, nonmoving pavement.

By: Yak

Yak — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:40:59 +0000

Large jar?

Ouch! Sounds like some great stories to be told there – and some that probably should never see the light of day…

By: Glenn M. Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET

Glenn M. Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:30:03 +0000

Thanks Yak.
Served with AQCS Joachim P. Yakovleff at Atkron One Two Eight. Made a pile of El Centro VisWeps Dets with him. When I got married(2nd and current in 83) he made me bring a note from my mother. What a guy!!!!!
He could eat a LARGE jar of kim-chee at one sitting and use a case of Rainier to wash it down with.