Any reason why the navy cant have jets auto land on the aircraft carriers instead of in the pilots hand. With all the computer power at hand today it would seem to be much safer especially in bad weather or at night. I am sure the pilots would want to have total control but sometimes us humans need to be reminded we aren't as smart as we think we are(seatbelt usage comes to mind)
why cant navy pilots cant auto land on aircraft carriers
- Thread starter raaizin
- Start date
We do autoland. The system has existed for over 50 years.
However, there are many conditions, like pitching deck, or abnormal winds, or malfunctions on deck (not all wires available), in which the human does better than the robot.
For that reason, pilots actually fly the aircraft and maintain their proficiency.
The system when I was flying was called ACLS.
It is far more sophisticated than a basic auto land system like an airline uses. A radar on the ship locks onto the aircraft, specifically to one tiny antenna, approximately 2 inches long, and then, using the ships inertial navigation system, stabilizes that aircraft in space. Asimuth and elevation corrections are sent via data link to the aircraft flight control system.
The system was so accurate, that when the FA 18 started flying it, they had to introduce a random scatter of plus or minus 6 inches, otherwise, the hook point of every single Hornet would smack into the deck with an inch or two of precision, leading to damage to the deck in that one spot.
But, as I said, the system could not anticipate the motion of the deck, and it was unable to keep the airplane, safe beyond certain pitch motion limits. That’s when the human came in - the landing signal officer’s judgment, and experience, could not be replaced by computer.
ACLS still exists, but there are much more sophisticated landing systems that are currently being operated.
Here is a 1965 article on the ACLS system.
The Navy was about 60 years ahead of you in their thinking…
It is far more sophisticated than a basic auto land system like an airline uses. A radar on the ship locks onto the aircraft, specifically to one tiny antenna, approximately 2 inches long, and then, using the ships inertial navigation system, stabilizes that aircraft in space. Asimuth and elevation corrections are sent via data link to the aircraft flight control system.
The system was so accurate, that when the FA 18 started flying it, they had to introduce a random scatter of plus or minus 6 inches, otherwise, the hook point of every single Hornet would smack into the deck with an inch or two of precision, leading to damage to the deck in that one spot.
But, as I said, the system could not anticipate the motion of the deck, and it was unable to keep the airplane, safe beyond certain pitch motion limits. That’s when the human came in - the landing signal officer’s judgment, and experience, could not be replaced by computer.
ACLS still exists, but there are much more sophisticated landing systems that are currently being operated.
Here is a 1965 article on the ACLS system.
The Navy was about 60 years ahead of you in their thinking…
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I think the previous versions were called "Magic Carpet"? Perhaps not fully automatic.
Different system. Different purpose.
Magic Carpet allows the pilot to fly the approach more simply - less input. It simplifies the approach, but it is still flown by the pilot.
Now, the airplane can still be coupled, and still land automatically, using the improvised flight control logic, but Magic Carpet, at it’s core, was a simplification of the approach.
