HUD off landings

With all the talk of HUD crippled pilots these days, I decided to try my hand at HUD off carrier landings. I can say it took me a pass to get used to it, but honestly I'm coming to the start of the groove in much better position now. I still have a problem in close as I have a hard time seeing the ball, but much improved. If you are not flying great patterns, I'd suggest that you give the HUD off option a try.

This makes me happy...

I just did about 15 hook up runs at the carrier tonight. Still looking pretty ugly. I need to get more consistent on my turns.

Will give HUD off a go tomorrow night. Right now I'm pretty heavily dependent on the VVI, and am usually not getting on speed until in the groove.

I started to give up on trimming for on speed after having to readjust every time I'm moving throttles anyways, so I don't know if I'm building in really bad habits for now just flying it stick and throttle without any additional trim after the break.

This makes me happy...

Right on. Thanks for your words of wisdom.

am usually not getting on speed until in the groove.

I recommend extending your upwind so you have more time on downwind to get stabilized and trimmed hands-off and on-speed by the abeam, then. You definitely do not want to be adjusting that stuff from the 180 to the groove. In the F-14 more than the F/A-18, your eyes need to be outside with just cursory glances inside at your AOA and VSI, not the other way around.

Honestly, I was practicing AAR (and sucking bigtime) but I stopped concentrating on the dang hud, and started just flying direct formation (not looking at alt, speed or anything) with the tanker. probably made it twice as easy for me. that hud really throws you off lol

Had an unwilling HUD off landing after being hit with a missile, probably one of my better traps :lol:

Great plane, great module.

HUD off landings

. I still have a problem in close as I have a hard time seeing the ball,.

Use the built in glideslope indicator (RCtrl+enter), it's a great feature, very helpful imo.

Note that u have to connect to Stennis data link to activate it.

My best landings are manual, no HUD, no glideslope indicator. Just a good trim, speed and altitude control using 70% throttle and 30% stick.

The throttle control is always to overextend the movement for about half a second, then go back to what I actually want. This makes fixes happen faster but also smoother.

My biggest problem is actually seeing the landing "strip" to align perfectly to it. I have to make those small changes when very close to the ship due to lack of VR resolution.

I can land it on the boat 90 % of the times.

(The other 10 % I just feel I'm too high on glideslope, and don't want to force a bad landing.)

Although Carrier Landings are no news to me (from many previous sims), I do still keep using the flight path marker to assist my landings, either at the Carrier or at Airbases.

There's one thing that confuses me and I don't recall seing much on other aircraft:

- frequently, the Tomcat's flight path marker (or velocity vector) is above the aircraft wings marker ? Is this correct ?

I'm learning with the HUD off and I'm definitely getting used to it, I find it pretty easy now to keep the movements smooth by watching the horizon and glancing at instruments. But I'm having a hell of a time lining up into the groove. Line up corrections end up with me wobbling back and forth and I always end up way too high or low. This is gunna take a lot of practice!

I like flying with the hud off unless you need it for weapons employment. The VDI is faster and you check the airspeed and VSI a lot more often with it off.