Why Is It So Hard to Land on an Aircraft Carrier?

Whereas a land-based pilot can be expected to “grease” the runway, carrier landings demand that naval pilots make a controlled impact—essentially a crash aboard the deck.

Landing on an aircraft carrier is often described as one of the single most challenging tasks in military aviation. Demanding exact discipline, honed instinct, and pure faith in both training and procedure from the pilot, the carrier pilot is regarded with high respect by his or her land-based peers.

Unlike conventional land-based runways—which provide pilots with a fairly long, unmoving pavement allowing room for error—the carrier deck is relatively small, located only a few hundred feet from the ocean’s surface. Moreover, pilots routinely overcome adverse conditions, adhering to an indoctrinated set of principles, and controlling every element of the landing to park their aircraft on a pitching ship successfully.

Pilots Are Taught to Trust the “Ball” During Training

One of the most central elements to carrier landings is the optical landing system, often referred to as the “meatball” or “ball.” The system projects a bright light reference to assist pilots in maintaining the correct glide slope on their descent to the deck’s surface—usually around 3.5 to 4 degrees. The ball appears relative to a set of green datum lights. If the ball is centered, the pilot is on the correct glide slope. On the other hand, if the ball drifts too high or too low, corrections must be made immediately with minor but decisive throttle adjustments. Pilots are taught to “fly the ball,” automatically trusting the visual reference, and never chasing the deck visually.

Pilots Must Pay Attention to the Angle of Attack

Whereas civilian pilots adjust pitch to control descent airspeed and throttle to adjust altitude, carrier aviators are trained to fly at an exact angle of attack, which corresponds to the optimal wing lift configuration for landing. The descent path is achieved not through aggressive stick manipulation, but rather by adjusting the throttle up or down. Should a pilot give too much power, the aircraft balloons high, above the correct angle of attack, which would force the aircraft to overshoot the deck. And should the pilot give too little power, the aircraft’s sink rate becomes dangerous—setting up a trajectory where it could smash into the stern of the carrier or the sea itself. The margins are minimal and the landing area unforgiving, forcing the pilot to make exact throttle adjustments without hesitation.

Arrested Landing Is a Complicated Maneuver

Whereas a land-based pilot can be expected to “grease” the runway, carrier landings demand that naval pilots make a controlled impact—essentially a crash aboard the deck. To land on a carrier, a pilot must catch one of the four arresting cables stretched across the deck with the jet’s tailhook. And unlike conventional landings, where a fighter jet or a commercial airliner rolls out gradually, decelerating over thousands of feet, a carrier landing goes from flying speed to a complete stop in just two seconds, offering the pilot deceleration forces comparable to those of a car crash. Should the pilot miss all four wires, known as “boltering,” full power must be employed to climb away and go around, repeating the process from scratch. 

Complicating matters is the simple fact that the carrier is moving! The deck pitches, rolls, and yaws along with the conditions of the sea—all of which are difficulties that land-based pilots do not need to deal with. In poor weather or at night, these problems become even harder. It is no simple thing to become successful as an aircraft carrier pilot.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer at The National Interest. Kass is an attorney and former political candidate who joined the US Air Force as a pilot trainee before being medically discharged. He focuses on military strategy, aerospace, and global security affairs. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global Journalism and International Relations from NYU.   

Image: Wikimedia Commons.