The symbology on the Heads Up Display (HUD) changes with the mode to simply reflect an intersect point with the carrier deck (based on the aircrafts current altitude) – and horizontally as it relates to lining up on the center of the landing area. Thanks to pilot input, the computer also takes into consideration the carriers cruising speed, and adjusts accordingly to a point of touchdown. Magic Carpet Landing System for F-18s from ICSA, LLC The computer understands that this means maintaining a specific speed (auto throttles) and a glideslope of 3 degrees. In the case of Magic Carpet, the pilot turns in behind the carrier and sets up for landing by engaging Magic Carpets “Delta Flight Path” mode. The window for success is small, and a little excess here or there creates a “spiraling overcorrection effect” – and disaster looms. The bottom line for the pilot is that the final 18 or so seconds of approach involve a constant manipulation of all controls to get the desired outcome. Without Magic Carpet, the pilot in a legacy carrier aircraft has to do all the mental calculations and manipulate the flight controls to maintain glideslope and speed through to a successful carrier landing.Įach move creates an outcome that must be countered if too low and the pilot lifts the nose they must increase the throttle to maintain speed, but then they have to drop the nose and decrease the throttle, and adjust AOA banking left or right to align on center means losing lift, which requires increasing the throttle which means lifting the nose and so on. It is that simple.Īll that coordination of stick and rudder, throttles up and down, pitch, yaw, roll – it’s all about the pilot manipulating the aircraft controls to fly a desired flight path and speed. The development has significance beyond carrier landings, as Denham expresses, “It’s going to change how we fly airplanes across the board.” Denham continued to explain how the technology is enabled by redundant fly by wire systems that utilize digital flight control and the availability of low cost sensors/systems (Inertial Guidance Systems) laser gyros (F/A-18E/F and EA-18G), or tactical navigation sensors (F-35) that complete the feedback loop so the aircraft can give the pilot what they want.Īccording to Denham, control of speed and flight path. The reprogrammed flight controls help pilots make more precise landings, with reduced stress on themselves and the airframes. This technology involves what is effectively a reprogramming of flight controls within a specific landing “Delta Flight Path” mode selected by the pilot. (Maritime Augmented Guidance with Integrated Controls for Carrier Approach and Recovery Precision Enabling Technologies). This opens a gap with the legacy fleet, which NAVAIR is seeking to attenuate with a new technology called Magic Carpet CHANGE VIEW ON F18 CARRIER LANDING FULLThis will reduce significantly the amount of time necessary to do carrier training prior to full deployment of a carrier as well. CHANGE VIEW ON F18 CARRIER LANDING SOFTWAREThe F-35C was designed from the ground up with new flight control software to attenuate the landing challenges. However, there are a percentage of landings that are on the ragged edge of disaster. Due to extensive training, onboard systems and procedures most carrier landings are well within tolerances. Prior to deployment on a carrier, a unit will put aside significant time to focus on nothing but honing their carrier landing skills in what is called FCLP (Field Carrier Landing Practice). James “Buddy” Denham, Senior Engineer of NAVAIR Aeromechanics, puts landing on the carrier in perspective, “landing is not the mission, but it is an outcome of executing the mission from a carrier.”Īnd learning and then executing landing safely in all weather conditions requires skill and practice. In a visit to Pax River on Monday the 8th of August 2016, I had a chance to discuss these challenges and ways the Navy is working to improve the situation for the carrier aviator. “As soon as I launched, the very first thing that came to mind was, ‘great, I have to trap now…’”Īfter many successful traps (Navy verbiage for landing on a carrier) that sense of the challenge ahead wanes, but never disappears. Robert Bibeau (at the time CDR of VFA-31 the Tomcatters), the aviator referenced his first carrier launch: Pilots returning from long, mentally exhausting missions are often faced with a night landing in stormy weather, at times perilously low on fuel. For those of us who are not pilots, we can discuss landing aircraft on aircraft carriers but cannot appreciate just how difficult and fraught with disaster the operation is.
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