I assume you're talking carrier quals. Don't get frustrated ... the whole point is .....fun.
Been meaning to post this ... it's Tom Blackburn's account of landing Corsairs on carriers:
"To routinely land aboard, a flight arrayed in right echelon passes abeam the carrier's starboard side at 1,000 feet of altitude, tail hooks down. After thirty seconds on this course, the flight leader breaks left to take the downwind heading. (The carrier always operates with her bow into the wind during takeoff operations.) Followers likewise peel off at thirty-second intervals. During this phase of the recovery, the landing checklist is followed by the pilot so that, when abeam of the ship's port side, he is ready to start the 180-degree turn into the final landing approach. Once in the final "groove" approximately 200 yards astern the ship, the plane comesunder the control of the LSO, who passes inviolable instructions by means of a pair of colorful paddles. He does everything from correcting the speed and altitude of the approaching plane to holding it steady on course or transmitting news of an oversight, such as an undropped tailhook (Oh to have that graphic modeled in AH - A.G.). At the last instant the LSO either executes the cut, in which case the aircraft lands, or the wave-off, in which case the pilot must -- absolutely must -- apply full power and clear the area without landing.
Exceptions to the basic pattern are many. For example, a critically low fuel state or damage or mechanical trouble will will get a particular plane cleared for an immediate landing -- if the flightdeck is clear(It'd be nice to have this element of reality in the game as well. - A.G.) and the ship is not under attack. If there is a problem, the pilot sets himself up to arrive in the groove by any means necessary -- dive, right turn, whatever is quickest. In an emergency, all other airplanes in the landing circle must fend for themselves while maintaining the obligatory thirty-second intervals.
After touchdown, the plane deccelerates rapidly as the tailhook picks up one of the eight arresting wires stretched tautly across the full width of the after flight deck. As the plane comes to a stop, power off, the alert pilot flips the hook control to the up position while two green shirted deck crewman come out of the edges of the deck to clear the wire from the hook. The yellow-shirted landing area plane director appears ahead and to the right of the airplane and signals the pilot to stop the plane's backward roll with his brakes and to start revving up to taxi forward. As a matter of course, the director holds his left hand out with the palm down and jabs it with the upraised thumb of his right fist. This means "hook up". As the wire drops clear, the director signals the pilot with an agitated "come ahead" signal to use full throttle to start rolling. Control is then passed to a second yellow jersey 100 feet forward along the flight deck. The director signals the pilot to continue ahead fast or -- hands out at waist level, palms down with a patting motion -- "come ahead, but slow down." As soon as the plane is out of the landing area and forward of the crash barriers (I bet I'm not the only one to wish these were modeled, as well. - A.G.), the throttle is set to idle, the brakes are applied lightly, and control is assumed by a third yellowjersy, who guides the pilot to "the landing spot" or sends him to an elevator to be struck below to the hangar deck. Done properly, the elapsed time from "hook up" to clearing the barrier is twenty seconds or less.
While watching the yellow jerseys, the pilot works the throttle with his left hand and, because the control stick is no further use, his right hand accomplishes various house-keeping chores with practiced percision by feel alone. These include opening all the cooling flaps to wide, raising the landing flaps, unlocking the wings, and setting the wing control to "fold." All this while controling the airplane with brakes and throttle, watching the yellow jerseys, and instantly responding to their commands.
Fighting-17's merciless monitors were at their posts for every landing, having positioned themselves as to have a clear view to port and especcially aft of the barriers right on up the groove. This system's net gain for all, in addition to making all hands sharp, heads-up carrier pilots, was the rapid build-up of the squadron party fund. In addition to often stinging critisism, an eloborate system of fines was imposed, no alibis accepted. It cost a dollar for a pilot-caused wave-off and fifty cents per second for a cut more than thirty seconds later than the preceeding cut. Every second over twenty seconds between "hook up" and "clear deck" cost two bits. Lesser goofs cost less, but the standards applied to every move. Only perfection was free.
The ultimate fine was five dollars if guns were not set on "safe." This dumb error had killed innocent people on the decks of other carriers, but it did not happen on Bunker Hill. The threat was real, we almost always flew with ammunition aboard, and quite often with rounds in the breeches and gun switches on. It was to be expected that a pilot would inadvertantly squeeze the trigger switch while clenching his hand during the tension of an arrested landing. The five-dollar fine was levied only once, and that without an accident. Amusingly, the culprit was our squadron gunnery officer, Lt.(JG) Timmy Gile, who, characterisitically, turned himself in." (Obviously this last and steepest fine required the honor system. - A.G.)
- The Jolly Rogers
While I don't see the necessity of having discipline forced on players in Ace's High the way it was (rightly so) in real life, I find the prospect of having organized flight deck training and operations within a squadron both fascinating and fun. It shouldn't be overly stressful or something that a player needs to worry about as far as how he is viewed by his virtual C.O. or shipmates.
I would, however, love to see some online carrier quals/flightdeck ops conducted where the more experienced players can play the part of "LSO"s while standing in "the tower" (out on the gantry - zoomed aft). The landings could be filmed for review later from this pov.
Lcdr. Reschke ... I've been given the ok to come TAD with VF-17 for an unspecified period of time. If this is ok with you, I would like to fly as a Jolly Roger again. I will still retain a relationship with the Groverats as a friend and fly with them in events and as opportunities present themselves ... but I think I would like to participate in regular flight ops with VF-17. I sent you a couple of E-mails (using the email addy on the official website) but they seem to be bouncing.
(Edit) Welcome aboard message recieved. I'm honored to be flying with VF-17 again. Thank you, sir.
Salute!
