Thread: Entire F18 flight, including takeoff and landing from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower

aaahhhh... F/A18's and E2's, something I have absolutely no knowledge about. Might be old technology, but man are they bad ass and they control zones.

So when do you poop yourself: before, during or after takeoff or landing?

Originally Posted by juliochango

So when do you poop yourself: before, during or after takeoff or landing?

D. Whenever I can take a break from throwing up.

Originally Posted by juliochango

So when do you poop yourself: before, during or after takeoff or landing?

According to my dad, during the landings.

Bah.

Always a headwind.

Try landing in 1/2 mile visibility with blowing snow and winds steady at 25-30 across the 3500' long snow-covered runway who's braking action is reported as "poor." I had a former Navy guy talk all macho about it, then look at me and say, "Glad it's your leg."

During launch, why is the pilots right (stick) hand always hanging on to the cockpit handle? I assume there is some sort of takeoff program that is being run that holds the elevator at a specific angle and what not, but why? Is it because on launch you just wouldn't be able to hold this stick?

Originally Posted by FBJ

Bah.

Always a headwind.

Try landing in 1/2 mile visibility with blowing snow and winds steady at 25-30 across the 3500' long snow-covered runway who's braking action is reported as "poor." I had a former Navy guy talk all macho about it, then look at me and say, "Glad it's your leg."

Don't you just push the button that says "Land"?

Originally Posted by VF

During launch, why is the pilots right (stick) hand always hanging on to the cockpit handle? I assume there is some sort of takeoff program that is being run that holds the elevator at a specific angle and what not, but why? Is it because on launch you just wouldn't be able to hold this stick?

Tail plane angle is calculated and set (according to weight) for a gradual nose-up moment prior to launch. The left arm is wedged behind the thrust levers (to ensure that they are at full afterburner and won't be moved aft by the tremendous acceleration) and the throttle friction lock is set. Right hand gives "ready" salute and is placed away from the control stick to avoid having the tremendous acceleration cause the pilot to inadvertently apply back pressure (which would turn into forward pressure when the aircraft reaches the end of the carrier deck and acceleration decreases greatly...it's like being fired into jello, I'm told...the rapid changes to acceleration requiring rapid changes in physical exertion combined with somatogravic illusions could cause the pilot to react inappropriately and place the aircraft into unrecoverable increasing oscillations). Once the aircraft is clear of the carrier deck and accelerating under its own power, the pilot reaches down and carefully assumes control.

Originally Posted by Homer Simpson

Don't you just push the button that says "Land"?

I've not flown an autoland aircraft yet. They're out there, but I prefer our system of being on-the-controls and flying with reference to a heads-up display. We can land in as little as 300' visibility (lower than most auto land minimums)...which ain't much when you're going 150 miles an hour. With approaches to visibilities that low, though, we can have no more than 5 knots of crosswind.

Here's a representation of what the view through the HUD looks like:



The vertical tape on the left is speed in knots, on the right is altitude. The half circle on the bottom is a heading indicator. The two circles in the middle are the aircraft (with the wings) and your selected flight path vector. Center the smaller circle inside the bigger one with the control column and control speed and vertical velocity with the thrust levers. It's amazing how precisely the aircraft can be flown by hand using the HUD.