S&A - Aircraft Carrier Approach and Landing at Night

[Rijelthelovefool]

Love how she only got to fly it for what 1 year? not including training

[Roboambo]

@Rijelthelovefool but they both went on to fly hornets or so i'm led to believe, better to have flown it for a year than not it all. Great movie by the way, both Jay and Megan are very inspirational people.

[ahyip021]

Rio looks hot when she speaks "600..700.." under the breathing mask !

[lefsepowered]

Who knew that the tip of the spear was a woman.

[Remrett]

I noted that stuff at the beginned that the US Navy are the on air force in the world that land on carriers at night. Not completley true. The British Royal Navy do it also just in the Harrier in VSTOL mode and not full free flight.

[IknowJohnLear]

Megan (chic pilot) acts more manly than that tan dude, I really wonder how guys like that become navy pilots.

[JetMechMA]

With the angle of the landing area, it seems that every landing on an aircraft carrier is a crosswind landing. Is that right? Navy guys?

[burner12]

I always wonder what is she calling out 700, 600 700 600. it 's not the altitude becaus ewhen Meagan hits the deck she is saying 700 so she couldn't be at 700 feet on a carrier deck. So what are those numbers she was calling out?

[JetMechMA]

@burner12

I am guessing but I would guess that she is calling out how many feet down the deck she is going to touch down...her touch-down point. I would also guess that the ideal arresting wire is right around 700, 600. Carrier guys?

[burner12]

@JetMechMA What do you mean how many feet down the deck?

[JetMechMA]

@burner12

Well, I'm guessing, but it would be how many feet from the aft end of the landing deck. The aft edge of the deck means certain death for Naval aviators and as long as they are aiming away from the certain death thing, they may as well aim for the ideal touch-down point to catch that number 3 wire, right?

[burner12]

@JetMechMA How could she be knowing at how far down the deck they'd hit if she's still in the air?

[JetMechMA]

@burner12

It's hard to say. It could be a visual cue through the Heads Up Display or it could be feed-back she is receiving from shipboard sensors. But in this day and age it makes sense that carrier landings would be with the aid of an Instrument Landing System.

[faabound]

@JetMechMA The 700, 600 is her Vertical Descent rate, they have a max fall rate of 750 feet for gear integrity.

[JetMechMA]

@faabound Thanks for clearing that up. I would think that if their airspeed is right and their approach angle is right, that their vertical speed is going to be right. However, I watch vertical speed as much as the ILS indicators when I flight sim. The proper vertical speed is going to have you riding a rail down the ILS.

[burner12]

@faabound So that exactly means what in basic terms if you don't mind?

[faabound]

@burner12 Burner sorry , I have been away from Youtube for a while and missed your question. The VVI shows the pilot how fast the aircraft is climbing or falling per minute.The number that the RIO is calling out is the descent rate of about 700 feet per minute. So at 700 feet per minute, you are falling about 12 feet per second. This allows for a firm landing so the gear absorbs alot of the energy and speed. At 750 feet oer minute or higher there is a risk of gear damage / collapse.

[TrueCourse]

Such a great feeling that is... all that focus and hard work paid off! Congrats on all those that CQ'd! Thanks loads for sharing :)

[zx6rjet]

Yep, that's how it is. Yea, my legs were shaking, my heart was racing and breathing hard on the first and on the 147th night trap. It never gets any easier.

BTW - for initial CQ, you have to have 6 good landings over 2 nights

[burner12]

@zx6rjet Don't you already practice night landings in the T-45 before progressing to Super Hornets? So you already knwo what it's like? Or do they save night for the plane you'll fly?

[Sreybk]

Awesome.

[Twister051]

She qual'ed in a Tomcat which the Navy (sadly) doesn't fly anymore. Anybody know what this woman is flying now? Guess it would have to be Hornets, since that's all the Navy has now days?

[ADG2988]

Meagan now flies the F/A-18F Super Hornet. She is from a suburb outside Pittsburgh, PA. Small world being what it is, she was my girl friend's babysitter way back in the day.

[burner12]

@Twister051 Meagan and Jay are now flying Super Hornets. meagan is flying with VFA-213 Blacklions, and Jay is with VFA-32 Swordsmen. So they are now fully qualled for Super Hornets since the cat is gone.

[JetMechMA]

@burner12

Do they allow women in combat now? If they do, I'm against it. Women bear the children. Why would we make it a practice, as a society, to deliberately put them in harm's way? I don't get it.

[srstacy]

Dang, two females in that aircraft? That wasn't a cockpit, that was a box office.

[Grazydine]

lol f'ing llllll !!!!!!

[docdoc87]

When they're calling out "600....700...600" does anyone know what that means???? And yes....Meagan is HOT

[mdmfly]

The back seater is calling the VSI or vertical speed. 600 means 600 feet per minute and for a realitive 3 degree glide slope at 2.2 miles a minute, 600-750 fpm will keep you on glideslope.

[toneka21]

hey how come they cant put some large flood lights or beams on the deck to see better?

[RufftaMan]

well, i think you can see the runway better the way it's lit up..

gives you a perfect shape for the width and length, including center-line.

[ADG2988]

In combat they don't want to light up the deck like a Christmas tree, and make it an even easier target than it already is at 4.5 acres.

[JetMechMA]

@ADG2988

JM: The subdued lighting is to enhance pilot night vision. At night, pilots naturally want to maximize their view outside the cockpit. They want to see in the dark...wouldn't you? Also, modern combat aircraft can be equipped with night vision goggles and or night vision cameras. A light bulb will look like the Sun to a night vision device. America's military owns the night.

[Grazydine]

The ship is not lit to mask it from possible enemy attack. Since the military always "Trains like they fight, fight like they train'" it is also how they do it in peactime.

[iwrk925]

Son of a bitch! If A lady could land on a carrier, Then I for fuckn sure could get an A in my Calculus test.

I give that lady five stars. Better yet, If she's alive more than five years, she'll be driving one of my own designs someday.

[lordazn]

@iwrk925 then you better make one hell of a design because i'll be up there too

[JamesTCA]

wow...female pilots. thanks jews.

[li7in6]

way to be a complete idiot.

[kotangens]

In contrast to the editor of the video/movie, I believe the French carry out night landings on carriers, too.

[jatthandsome]

am sorry to say but you are absolutely wrong ... not french its BRITISHERS who land both day and night ... not french ... ... !! go and search it and you`ll fine the answer ... !!

[kotangens]

*sigh*

1) Try not to sound arrogant

2) I never said the British Navy would't do night operations. I said I believe the French do.

3) I took your advice, searched the net and found that the French do night operations from the Charles de Gaulle. Not only is the Rafale capable of night carrier landing. The older Super Etendards have been upgraded to "Standard 5". At least they have the capabilities since then.

4) Please note that exclamation marks are no substitute for respect and knowledge.

[rickbar123]

navy chicks are hot

[NEWDEAL01]

Wish i had the guts to do that.

[westboy48]

Thats at NAS Oceana.

[NEWDEAL01]

Amazing.