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re: So you want to be a Carrier Pilot
Posted on 2/14/24 at 9:30 am to Robin Masters
Posted on 2/14/24 at 9:30 am to Robin Masters
quote:
Did he call the ball?
Someone tell me what that means. Been wondering since the 80’s.
Posted on 2/14/24 at 9:35 am to BRgetthenet
An optical landing system (OLS) (nicknamed "meatball" or simply "ball") is used to give glidepath information to pilots in the terminal phase of landing on an aircraft carrier.
From the beginning of aircraft landing on ships in the 1920s to the introduction of OLSs, pilots relied solely on their visual perception of the landing area and the aid of the Landing Signal Officer (LSO in the U.S. Navy, or "batsman" in the Commonwealth navies). LSOs used coloured flags, cloth paddles and lighted wands. The OLS was developed after World War II by the British and was deployed on U.S. Navy carriers from 1955. In its developed form, the OLS consists of a horizontal row of green lights, used as a reference, and a column of vertical lights. The vertical lights signal whether the aircraft is too high, too low, or at the correct altitude as the pilot descends the glide slope towards the carrier's deck. Other lights give various commands and can be used to require the pilot to abort the landing and "go around." The OLS remains under control of the LSO, who can also communicate with the pilot via radio.
From the beginning of aircraft landing on ships in the 1920s to the introduction of OLSs, pilots relied solely on their visual perception of the landing area and the aid of the Landing Signal Officer (LSO in the U.S. Navy, or "batsman" in the Commonwealth navies). LSOs used coloured flags, cloth paddles and lighted wands. The OLS was developed after World War II by the British and was deployed on U.S. Navy carriers from 1955. In its developed form, the OLS consists of a horizontal row of green lights, used as a reference, and a column of vertical lights. The vertical lights signal whether the aircraft is too high, too low, or at the correct altitude as the pilot descends the glide slope towards the carrier's deck. Other lights give various commands and can be used to require the pilot to abort the landing and "go around." The OLS remains under control of the LSO, who can also communicate with the pilot via radio.
Posted on 2/14/24 at 9:43 am to BRgetthenet
quote:
Someone tell me what that means. Been wondering since the 80’s.
There is a device on the boat which shows a red, yellow or green light. It is the ball. And the pilot will see red, yellow or green depending on whether he is below, just at or in a good glide slope. You are good in green and low in red. Watch Rob Roy's YT channel. You will see the ball on the port side of the deck. Calling the ball is the deck guys knowing whether the planes glide slope is good. I believe those guys can wave off a plane that is not in the right groove. And I think one or two of those deck guys grades the pilots landing.
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