How Aircraft Land On Carriers

YouTube / Not What You Think

Quite A Challenge

Have you ever wondered how planes land on aircraft carriers? When preparing to land, these planes are roughly at 85% throttle. Landing signal officers guide the pilot via radio with the help of the Fresnel Lens optical Landing System. These lights give visual cues to approaching aircraft at various angles.

If the aircraft approached at the correct angle, the pilot will see the “meatball” in line with the horizontal row of green datum lights. Here’s a better informative picture:

At touchdown, the pilot throttles at full power in case the tail hook doesn’t catch the arresting wires on the carrier. By doing this, the pilot allows the aircraft to have sufficient speed to take off again for a go-around if needed.

Most carriers have four arresting wires, but pilots aim for the third to reduce the risk of landing short. After the landing, the plane is taxied out of the landing strip and chained down on the side of the flight deck.