RN Phantom and Bucaneer CARQUALS
 

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#199354

Really interesting. Also note how patient they are with these guys. This is from 76 or thereabouts....Got to love those accents.

Awesome video, thanks for posting....

Big difference between that and what I'm used to seeing when American pilots qualify on deck!

What are the Americans like when a guy bolts several times in a row?

Well, let me start by saying I've never stood on the bridge of a carrier while all that's going on! However, the mood seems a lot more relaxed on the British ship, compared to what I've seen in various documentaries and such.....
Like you said, very patient with their pilots....

I love the bit.

"Talk to him like an old bat and talk him onto the carrier"..Brilliant.....

Marvellous stuff, good to see footage of the old Phantoms in the RN. Not often you see Royal Navy trapping footage, not a lot of need for it now I guess :lol:

Thanks for the link :up:

That last pilot that took 7 or so passes tried to land the way I land with flight sims....too fast and too shallow an angle. I suck!. :)

But when he finally did touch down, it was the most gentle touch down on a carrier I've ever seen footage of.

Those guys sure handle their stress well.

Awesome video.

That's a great question. I also wonder how long it takes before his fellow pilots give him some sort of "nickname" that isn't too flattering.

:up:

Wow, footage of a bygone era!
First, RN carrier ops. We will maybe see that in future again, if the brits scrap the JSF.
Second, a glimpse back in times when Britain had less tabloids, less CCTV and public surveilance and more classic british understatement instead of tabloid hysteria.

Great video Xab :up: .....great memories of a sadly bygone era :nope:

:up: Impressive to see not only the pilots handling their machines in some of the most difficult excercise possible in aviation, but the suprisingly relaxed attitude and general mood in the tower, different to what I have seen in carrier videos and TV footage so far. I think that says something about the experience and level of competence there. You just can't order people to behave relaxed - they either are (and then necessarily for good reason), or they are not.

Judging by the comments and opinions of the officers on camera, it appears the pilot with the bolter problem is "spotting the deck." This happens when you don't follow the "meatball". Basically a circle of light on the HUD that displays the correct glide path to the carrier deck. The pilot is supposed to keep his eyes on the ball at all time for a perfect approach, however, as one may imagine, taking your eyes off of the ball and looking at the pitching deck that lies just off the nose of you aircraft is easily done. American carrier aviators call this "spotting the deck". Almost always results in a go-around...

Fabulous video, I wanted to reply to,"where's the buccaneers?", with the classic Eric Morecambe,"Either side of my Buccan Head!".

Agreed classic accents.

Yes, fantastic. Nice to see all the old kit - those bucaneers were tough, reliable aircraft - makes me feel nostalgic - how about the Westland Wessex rescue helicopter, too?