Now please bear in mind I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about flying a Harrier and last flew as PIC in a C150 25 years ago, BUT:
I was talking to an ex-SHAR pilot the other day and having a bit of a laugh how these Wings Channel documentaries always say that landing back on the carrier is the difficult bit. You just stop and land, surely?
He said that the SHAR was least stable between 30 and 120kt.
Now, doesn't that mean that if the carrier has turned into wind, you're always going to be in the unsweet spot? Going downwind, you'd have a much lower airspeed, but from this information, more stability.
I'll get my coat.