F-18E Superhornet Checklists
| Carrier Landing | |
|---|---|
| 10 miles | |
| At 10 miles from the carrier you should just be able to see it, weather permitting | |
| Altitude | 600 ft |
| Speed | 200 kts |
| Fence check | |
| If you leave Countermeasures on Automatic the ship's various radars can trigger the release of flares. | |
| GEAR DOWN | G |
| FLAPS FULL | Shift F |
| HOOK DOWN | H |
| ACLS | |
| Navigation Master Mode | End |
| carrier-001 | |
| Activate the Instrument Landing system | Activate the ILS |
| carrier-002 | |
| When the aircraft moves into the ILS the ship begins sending commands through the data link. | ILS data on the HUD |
 | |
 Autopilot | |
| Set Autopilot Coupled Mode | Autopilot Mode |
| Auto Pilot ON | A |
| Engage Auto Throttle | |
| The aircraft will enter a circuit pattern and circle the carrier | Ctrl-A |
| As the a/c flies you over the carrier, request permission to land. | |
| You may do a few circuits of the pattern before landing, you can use this opportunity to watch the other aircraft doing circuits and landing. As soon as the aircraft touches the deck, proceed to the touchdown checklist. | |
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| Hint: Letting the ACLS land the plane for you a few times is a great way to get a feel for the rhythm of a carrier landing. Watch the altitude and speed changes as the plane flies to touchdown. | |
| Approach Point | |
| Airspeed | 250 knots |
| Altitude | 1200 ft |
| GEAR DOWN | G |
| FLAPS DOWN | Shift F |
| HOOK DOWN | H |
| Now use the SEA radar and the TACAN indicator on the HUD to align yourself for landing. | |
| carrier-006 | |
| The Hook lever is at lower left in the cockpit | |
| carrier-007 | |
| As you get in visual range of the Carrier | |
| Speed | 140 kts |
| Throttle | ~ 75 % |
| Angle of Attack | .. |
| Rate of Descent | 700 - 900 fpm |
| The Fresnel Lens or "Meatball" | |
| The Fresnel Lens Landing System is apparently modelled very accurately, but is only visible during the last 5 seconds of the approach. At this point the Landing Signals Officer is screaming directions at you: | |
| A little left, "Above glideslope", "Below glideslope", "On glideslope", at the rate of about 2 instructions per second! I found there simply wasn't time to look at the Meatball. And following the cues on the HUD seemed to do the trick quite nicely. | |
 | |
| The autopilot flies a perfect approach, every time. | |
 | |
| Myself, on the other hand... | |
| Bolters and Waveoffs | |
| Throttle | max |
| Apply a very slight back pressure on the stick. Too much back pressuremay cause the exhaust nozzles to scrape the deck. | |
| Check: | |
| - Airspeed increasing | |
| - Altitude increasing | |
| Flaps UP | Shift F |
| Gear UP | G |
 | |
| Ejection seats don't work too well under water. | |
| Carrier Touchdown | |
| Throttle MAX | |
| In case of a bolter or waveoff | |
| If the aircraft stops and rolls backward: | |
| Retard throttle | |
| Raise HOOK | H |
| Taxi to parking area | |
| Shut down LEFT engine | Ctrl Y |
| Shut down Right engine | Ctrl Y |
| Congratulations.. you have landed! | |
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| These guys are waiting patiently for your return... don't disappoint them! | |