Helicopter approach to Aircraft Carrier
 

Hi there

Excuse my extreme ignorance, but do Helicopters have a standard approach when landing on an aircraft carrier? I did try and research this but wasn't successful in my endeavours.

Many thanks
Flash

Approach from astern to hover on port side of ship, then transition starboard to land on spot designated by FDO.

I'm no ex-helo pilot however researching 'how to deck land' for other aircraft types found some info about such things for helioplickers. Whether it is relevant today for flat decks I guess so. Go here: FM 1-564: Shipboard Operations - Chapter 5

Found graphic attached in this 3.4Mb PDF [diff between USCG & RN approach]: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/ava...omplete)v4.pdf

Forgot to say that aft-facing landings are also possible if the relative wind is from astern (ship running downwind to make next cocktail party venue?). This time you approach from the bow and come to a scary aft-facing hover with the sea rushing away from you, before transitioning port to land - and wipe the sweat out of your eyes. Even more fun in a Jumping Bean!! The trick was to get close enough alongside so that the catwalk disappeared behind your cockpit rail - then it all looked a lot nicer.

Swing the lamp!

Reminds me of Belize in '85 when the 'Guard Ship' Lynx had a bird strike that damaged the windscreen. The pilot stayed with us at APC for a bit of RandR while the ship went off to do its thing. We got notice that a Herc was coming in with new windscreen, so set up a sortie to take it and pilot to meet ship some 20nm off shore. The arrival of Herc was delayed which meant arrival at ship would be in the dark. We flew down to a small airfield near the coast and rigged the boxed windscreen into an underslung load (ship too small to land a Puma). As we flew out to the ship, I asked MB what the procedure was to join the ship. He looked me and said 'You are about to RV with a ship and then winch me down in the dark and you ask me that. How many times have you done this before?' When I told him it was a first, he turned a bit white! Went OK though

Standard approach is to join for either the port or starboard "wait" ... a circuit 0.5nm laterally from each respective side of the carrier at 200ft. If there is no fixed wing flying you'll generally either join direct to the deck or for the port wait, tend to get thrown into the stbd wait if there are FW ops in progress.

Standard circuit is at 200ft to an approach along the relative Red 165 approach (165 degrees off the port bow) at 200ft, descending to 15' above deck edge level and then as directed by Flyco/FDO in terms of landing spots.

Crossing the extended centreline at the bow or stern within 10nm requires permission I.e. on arrival/departure or moving from starboard to port wait.

The CVS had 2 starboard side spots (Zero spot, which was directly to starboard of the ramp after Sea Dart was removed, and 6 spot aft of the island). These were particularly useful for expeditious landings during FW landing and recovery.

Approaches to small decks I.e. Frigates and Destroyers is similar with a standard R165 approach to 15' above deck edge level.

Helicopter (onboard radar by Observer) or Ship controlled radar approaches vector a cab down the same R165 radial to a height of 125ft at either 0.25nm or 0.5nm depending upon instrument rating level. Having done a lot of these at minima, it does require some rapid hands and feet movement when the ship appears at the very last "look up for sight" moment. Probably the most important approach to have completely mentally prepared for the drift offset and knowing exactly where to look.

Hope that's of some use.