Can you check my landing and bolter

Hi guys,

I am trying to find what is wrong with my carrier landings.

I made lots of attempts and my landig ratio is about 50-50%

I try to keep my plane on speed align with aoa indicator.

Target the edge of the runway (can't remember its name now)

Almost at every attempt, i manage to touch down cable area

But almost half of the landings, hook can't catch the cables.

I can never say "yes i will land succesfully" before my landing. Is there a guarantee way to do it?

I have attached 2 tracks (i hope they will work, because sometimes it lands on open sea at track replays)

First one of the tracks is bolter, second one is success landing (my description of success is: landing in one piece)

Can you watch and give some advises?

There is never a guarantee that you will catch a wire when landing on a carrier. Much like firing a gun, the BANG, or in this case the TRAP, should always come as a surprise. That is one of the many reasons why Naval Aviators are taught to bring the throttles to MIL power upon touchdown. Everything that you do in the landing process is designed to maximize your chances of trapping a wire successfully, but there are so many variables that there is never a 100% chance. As far as touching down in the arresting area, remember that it isn't so much where your wheels are, but where the hook is. Hook skip is modeled in DCS so if it touches down too early or even if its in the arresting wires there is still a chance it could skip and cause you to bolter. Don't feel discouraged though, even the guys and gals that do this for a living still bolter occasionally. :)

As Wags would say; 'PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!'

I am running about the same, maybe slightly more than 50% successfully but often the hook does not catch and I think WTH, thought I was nailing it lol.

In my short experience I've successfully trapped when not coming in too hot. In the start I had the same problem, and noticed the VSI was close to 1000f/m at touchdown. The replay showed that it should have trapped the 3rd wire, and at least the 4th, but sort of bounced it. Success-ratio was probably in the 60% yay. Actually on one of those instances I actually made the landing - but got wet on the replay, nice rewrite of history there :)

Lately I've tried to control VSI to 500 and it catches every time - I tend to go around if I'm way high of the ball.

Not sure if this is the reason, but maybe something to try.

Modda

I am at 95%+ in trapping.. with 66% wire 2 or 4 and 33% wire 3..

Im gonna check your tracks and tell you what's incorrect.

just watched your bolter..

your problem is that you release or push the stick prior to touchdown... You don't have the good angle of attack at touchdown.

I suggest you do case 1 patterns instead of straight in approach as well. it will make sure you can repeat the landings the same exact way.

control VSI to 500 and it catches every time - I tend to go around if I'm way high of the ball.

 

 

Modda

-750FPM is the most that you should land at.

I just did one short pattern (good but far from perfect) to show you how to do it better. Notice how i dont touch the stick pitch at all as soon as i get out of the groove.

thats key.

carrlandtrap.trk

just watched your bolter..

 

your problem is that you release or push the stick prior to touchdown... You don't have the good angle of attack at touchdown.

 

I suggest you do case 1 patterns instead of straight in approach as well. it will make sure you can repeat the landings the same exact way.

-750FPM is the most that you should land at.

Not at home right now to watch the tracks, you should not be changing pitch unless it's to stay on speed, even then you should be well trimmed for on speed well before coming down the GS.

The ball centered (As your coming down) gives you the correct 3 degrees and correct rate of decent, if your at or under the correct weight of 33,000 pounds. If you are over, dump some fuel and check the checklist page on the DDI for the weight.

I have updated this consolidated thread (Slow Speed Practice) with a GREAT video of on speed AOA flying done by another former USN pilot. He also has great video's explaining how you return to the ship enter the marshal stack and pattern for landing.

not sure why you are telling me. that was precisely my point ;)

not sure why you are telling me. that was precisely my point ;)

I was talking to the OP using what you said about the track, as you did watch the track LOL.:)

What both of you said was correct, I was just pointing to the consolidated post I have that explains the how and why.

just watched your bolter..

 

your problem is that you release or push the stick prior to touchdown... You don't have the good angle of attack at touchdown.

 

 

I suggest you do case 1 patterns instead of straight in approach as well. it will make sure you can repeat the landings the same exact way.

So are you saying that i am coming ok but messing at touchdown right?

Case1 is harder for me for now because i have less time to align and set aoa. And i can make more approaches with this style in same time limit

If doing a straight in approach try this..

Start level and trimmed up on speed AOA at 1500 feet at 5 miles from the boat.

Use the TACAN to see the distance from the ship, this will give you roughly a 3 degree glide slope to the carrier, you should see a close to center ball when you zoom in. then come down the glide slope only watching the ball lowing or gaining height with throttle only. Trim for AOA only in pitch, this should be set before the glide slope so the pitch is hands off. See the first video here in this thread.

Your scan when landing is only BALL - AOA - LINE UP

So are you saying that i am coming ok but messing at touchdown right?

Case1 is harder for me for now because i have less time to align and set aoa. And i can make more approaches with this style in same time limit

Yes. You dropped the nose just before touchdown. Not enough aoa at touchdown.

I was talking to the OP using what you said about the track, as you did watch the track LOL.:)

 

What both of you said was correct, I was just pointing to the consolidated post I have that explains the how and why.

Got it :thumbup:

You are trying to fly the aircraft onto the carrier using pitch and no throttle at all, the F-18, well the Navy don't fly this way, you trim for on speed AOA and control height using the throttle.

You are not trimmed up enough, trim more so that the Flight path marker is centered in the E bracket. Keep this centered using trim (it will stay there once trimmed), now force yourself LOL, to not touch the pitch on the stick and CONTROL the flight path with your THROTTLE only. Watch as the Flight path and E bracket stay together as they go up and down with small amounts of throttle.

Now as you come down the glide slope keep the ball centered with the green lines on the side using power only. Takes awhile, this is alien even to IRL pilots. Learn more here.

Why fly this way? To keep a steady 8.1 degrees AOA so the aircraft catches the wires, if your pitching the aircraft around at all, there is a good chance you will miss the wires.

Watch this.. You can see him on speed at the 5:00 mark.

and this, watch how very little pitching motion in the video when landing, it's all throttle so the aircraft stays at the same angle to catch the wire. This is why it's practiced so much just like in this video when on land.

thanks for the tips. I will try to land in that way this evening.

As per the trimming and throttle control; i trim the plane and set the speed but aoa changes all the time so i find myself in a situation that i am dealing with pitch because trim is not that fast and plane gains or loses speed very steeply. Maybe it is because my throttle is little bit jerky. But definetly i will try to improve myself.

thanks again.

AOA should not pemanently change when changing speed once trimmed..

it will temporaly move when you adjust, but should go back to normal once settled.

i had been making carrier landing trials for more than 2 hours.

i didin't use stick, and used trim and throttle only. iirc, 3 bolters and more than 10 success landings. thanks for the tips guys.

but i must say that, not touching the control stick is very very hard for me :D

i had been making carrier landing trials for more than 2 hours.

i didin't use stick, and used trim and throttle only. iirc, 3 bolters and more than 10 success landings. thanks for the tips guys.

 

but i must say that, not touching the control stick is very very hard for me :D

It's like in the video by Lex, a mistake done by almost every new pilot. Using trim instead of throttle is natural for other planes but not for landing on a football field drifting on the ocean.

BTW if it would be not very hard, everybody could do this :)

Congratulations anyway, I recommend his other two videos as well. He is a really good instructor.