The finer points of CASE I?

[Nealius]

We've had lots of discussion on CASE I from break to trap, but not a whole lot about the phases before the break or after the trap. Finer points like how some pilots like to thumb the wing switch to BOMB, then manually sweep to 62 before/while exiting the landing area. At the moment I'm curious about everyone's techniques from Commence to Initial.

 

Currently, I like to Commence from Marshal at reciprocal BRC+30, sweep the wings to 62 and let the reduced lift help me in descending to 800' and accelerate to 350kts. The turn to initial is where I'm having trouble, though. If I were in the Hornet, I would do a 30 AoB turn at 350kts from 7nm away from the carrier and that reliably lines me up for a good initial. But in the Tomcat trying the same puts me way to far starboard of the ship--it seems like the Cat has a wider turn radius than the Hornet at the same speed/altitude. Lineup is made even more difficult by the fact that the carrier's magnetic field interfering with the compass makes TACAN CRS unreliable. I can't line up visually because the carrier is just a blob until about 1.5nm out in VR, and the wake doesn't even appear until about the same distance. So I'm either too far starboard or too far port on initial.

 

What's everyone else's technique like from Commence to Initial?

Edited August 29, 2019 by Nealius

[Shadoga]

My way, nothing official:

If I can't determine a BRC or if I'm coming in from the heads-on sector towards the boat, I'm flying an overhead at 2000ft and estimate the BRC visually from there.

Outbound BRC radial +40 to +50° descending to 1200ft, speed 300-350 KIAS.

Left turn to intercept arc 7-10 DME to intercept BRC.

All turns 60° bank / 2G, which is standard for clean enroute VFR/VMC ops, the 30° bank limit is for IFR/IMC and for turns in the pattern, closer to stall speed.

Descending to 800ft on the arc.

When coming from either side or from the rear of the boat, I usually fly straight-in for the break or intercept a 7-10 DME arc directly and skip the 2000ft overhead.

In this case I stay at 1200ft once within 10 NM from the boat.

When inbound at 800ft I fly 400 KIAS and visually correct BRC OBS.

I can see the boat's lineup from ~7 NM in VR with the 1st Gen Rift, not shure what your problem is there.

Running in @ 800ft 400 KIAS I call either 5 or 3 NM Initial.

...

My items after a successful trap are:

Flaps up, wings manually 68°, NWS on, hook up.

During taxiing clear I re-check speedbrakes closed, hook up and I open the cover and select wing sweep emergency mode 68°, wait for light out, then select oversweep.

[sLYFa]

Currently, I like to Commence from Marshal at reciprocal BRC+30

 

I may be wrong but AFAIK you don't do that in the tomcat. Just go reciprocal BRC. Start turning at about 6-7nm slant range to the boat. Assuming your abeam distance is 5nm, 40° AOB at 350kts should get you right on the ships centerline 3nm behind the boat.

 

Lineup is made even more difficult by the fact that the carrier's magnetic field interfering with the compass makes TACAN CRS unreliable.

 

While the heading displayed may be off due to magnetic interference, the tacan radial deviation bar on the HSI should still be correct, as it does not rely on the aircraft's heading reference.

This means that if you have dialed in the correct BRC, the tacan will show the correct deviation from the ships centerline (i.e. the BRC radial), regardless of heading errors.

[Nealius]

Oh, didn't know that about the deviation bar. I'll have to experiment with that and see how it looks when I have a good lineup.

[Strikeeagle345]

Commencing:

Hook down in the port hold, no less than 2,000 ft

Push out of Spot 3 on the Reciprocal BRC +30 Degrees.

Accelerate to 350 kts / Descend to 1,200 FT and level off.

At 300+ kts, sweep wings to 68°

you are looking for 8.0nm DME on the HSD.

At 8nm DME, bank left at 30° and being your decent to 800 ft. Usually 200 FPM descent will do just fine.

MAINTAIN 350 kts and a 30° bank angle or you will swing way wide on starboard or short to port

Use your HSD, TACAN and CRS line to get yourself lined up. Use your instruments, it's what they are there for.

Roll out just to the right of the ship on the BRC.

Call Initial at 3nm

 

This will get you in line every time. There is a reason this is the way things are done.

 

 

After Trap

Speed brake and DLC come in since you went to MIL power on touch down

Once stopped and slightly pulled back, Throttles to idle then Hook up

flaps up

wings Bomb mode, Enable NWS

Turn right to the six pack / street

While doing that, the wing sweep cover is coming up and I am lifting the Emerg. sweep handle to prepare for over sweep. Once ready, wings go into over sweep.

head to the Corral, get de-armed.

then taxi to parking.

Edited September 11, 2019 by Strikeeagle345

[rrohde]

@Strikeeagle345 - great summary, thank you! :thumbup:

[Nealius]

Nice. I think the P-816 manual was missing details like pausing at 1,200' and starting your turn to initial at 8nm. Maybe I didn't catch it.

 

When you're working the E-sweep handle, are you moving or stationary? I find that when I try to taxi and fiddle with the handle at the same time I'll end up taxiing all over the place. Would probably hoover deck crew if it were real life.

[bonesvf103]

Nice. I think the P-816 manual was missing details like pausing at 1,200' and starting your turn to initial at 8nm. Maybe I didn't catch it.

 

When you're working the E-sweep handle, are you moving or stationary? I find that when I try to taxi and fiddle with the handle at the same time I'll end up taxiing all over the place. Would probably hoover deck crew if it were real life.

 

 

I just manually sweep the wings back soon after the trap (with the throttle button). I don't pop the cover on the e handle until I'm clear of the landing area and established in the parking area. After all, taxiing off the landing area with wings at 68 deg isn't going to be too different from taxiing in the parking area at 71 deg. Plus sweeping the wings back with the thumb switch I don't have to look down at the E handle to sweep the wings and can keep my eyes out of the cockpit. Oversweep is meant more for saving space parking than anything else.

 

 

v6,

boNes

[draconus]

After Trap

Speed brake and DLC come in since you went to MIL power on touch down...

Since you figured it's a good trap first thing would be to put the throttles to idle (obvious, but since it's a checklist...). Also manual says to use the bomb mode first, then taxi and oversweep at the spot.

 

btw: Do you have any image of the commencing procedure?

[Strikeeagle345]

Since you figured it's a good trap first thing would be to put the throttles to idle (obvious, but since it's a checklist...). Also manual says to use the bomb mode first, then taxi and oversweep at the spot.

 

btw: Do you have any image of the commencing procedure?

 

Good point, update.

 

I do not have an image. I'm sure there is one out there somewhere showing this.

[Nealius]

There's a few pictures showing commencing, but I don't recall any of them giving altitudes/distances/other procedures notated during that specific phase.

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

Multiple times I find myself falling to the sea like a rock after the break... because I forget sweeping the wings forward.

[draconus]

...but it's the first thing you do during the break at 300KIAS, next is at 250, then at 200... easy to remember :)

[AG-51_Razor]

Nice. I think the P-816 manual was missing details like pausing at 1,200' and starting your turn to initial at 8nm. Maybe I didn't catch it.

 

When you're working the E-sweep handle, are you moving or stationary? I find that when I try to taxi and fiddle with the handle at the same time I'll end up taxiing all over the place. Would probably hoover deck crew if it were real life.

 

Have you tried Voice Attack?? It really is awesome for those things that are hard to find/deal with in the cockpit when your head and eyes need to be in the boat! :thumbup:

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

...but it's the first thing you do during the break at 300KIAS, next is at 250, then at 200... easy to remember :)

I was busy trying to make a level turn :D:D:D I´m bad at multitasking, I know.