INS Vikrant has a ‘ski-jump’ which provides an elevation to TEJAS to
take-off
Fighter jets have undergone massive technological advancement over the
years, but the challenge of landing on an aircraft carrier still exists
compared to a conventional airstrip
New Delhi: Aircraft carriers are moving runways that bring fighter jets
closer to the battlefield and transport forces to any part of the world. These
long warships played a significant role in World War II, especially for
Japanese bombing operations in the Pacific against the US. Fighter jets have
undergone massive technological advancement over the years, but the challenge
of landing on an aircraft carrier still exists compared to a conventional
airstrip.
How Do Pilots Land?
Watch | #ThrillingThursday | #MILAN2024 | Exclusive
A short runway in the middle of the sea! How does a pilot land his aircraft on a moving ship-pitching, rolling, swaying constantly? Naval pilots onboard #INSVikrant have this to say. pic.twitter.com/duit7iT2tM
— A. Bharat Bhushan Babu (@SpokespersonMoD) February 29, 2024
Vikrant has a “ski-jump” which provides an elevation to fighter jets like
MiG-29K and TEJAS to take off, but when landing, pilots have to calibrate
their aircraft speed according to that of the carrier. A conventional runway
is 500-600 metres and Vikrant has a 203-metre-long main runway. The landing
strip looks like a dot from the fighter jet cruising at high altitudes and the
speed and movement of the aircraft carrier on high seas have a great influence
on carrier-based operations. Naval pilots land on these runways that are
moving at a speed of at least 50 km/hr.
‘Extra Precision’
“When we are flying, there is no reference in the sea. We only have a wide
ocean, open sky and an aircraft carrier that is always in motion and that one
small dot on the deck is our landing spot. The size of the deck is limited and
extra precision is required to ensure the fighter jet lands in that prescribed
length,” Lt Commander Ashish, a MiG-29K pilot, said.
The fighter jet descends at a speed of over 200 km/hr, and its tail hook has
to catch one of the three arresting wires to stop within the limit. For
example, LCA Tejas descends at a speed of 240 km/hr and in exactly 90 metres,
pilots have to bring the speed down to zero in approximately 2.5 seconds. If
the speed is low and the tail hook fails to catch the wires and
barrier-assisted recovery is not ready, the aircraft should have enough speed
to take off again and turn around for another landing.
Night Landing – Not A No-Brainer
It’s a no-brainer that night landings in pitch darkness are even more
challenging and the risk increases manifold. Pilots perform a ‘Night trap’,
which means landing on an aircraft carrier during night time.
“Landing on an aircraft carrier is always difficult. From a high altitude, it
looks like a matchbox in the sea which is moving, rolling and pitching. At
night, the difficulty increases because the indication is from the lights on
the carrier deck. These lights indicate the angle of a pilot’s approach,
whether it is steep or shallow and they are offered corrections which have to
be done in a short period as the aircraft is approaching the deck at very high
speeds. A safety officer on the deck constantly monitors the landing and
guides the pilot to ensure proper landing,” Lt Commander Parth said.
The pilots also face physical challenges while landing on a flight deck and
decelerating from 240 km/hour to 0 in 2.5 seconds.
Commander Jaideep Maolankar (Retd.), an ex-test pilot, said there were
instances when the pilots forgot to lock their harnesses, and there was little
blood on their feet. The aircraft throws you off, and for 2-3 seconds, you
don’t have control over your limbs. Commodore Maolankar was part of the team
which tested and engineered the TEJAS aircraft when it landed on India’s other
aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya are built on STOBAR (Short take-off
barrier-assisted recovery) platform. STOBAR carriers have a ski jump. The
aircraft carrier in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ was built on the CATOBAR (Catapult
take-off barrier assisted recovery) platform. CATOBAR carriers have a flat
flight deck and jets are catapulted for take-off.
Discussion about this post