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Simviation Updated F/A-18 Hud

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Sludge:
Thanks fellas...

Yeah, I will try that converter and see how it works, Doum.

Spaz, I hear ya on your video and also, your HUD zoom.  Me, I'm at the opposite end, if my rig can get me the frame rates, Ill unzoom to .50 til I get lined up, then zoom into .80 for a good HUD picture that still lets me see whats going on.  But, I think what youre saying is that each has his own way, and I agree.  I just was replying cause I wasnt sure how good you were with the fsx hornet doing usn style landings.  But now that youve said what you said, I'm pretty sure you know the deal and the numbers and where to hit points in the racetrack.

Anyway, thanks for the advice, Ill try to get some decent 30 seconder's in (im not buying the full fraps), and then get them uploaded to Youtube.  Ill probly do an "abeam" position, and then the "start" when Im just crossing the wake to a good line up when I zoom in for flying the meatball.  Youll also have to bear with me as my Hornet has the gear compression mod, which I really like compared to the tail high, nose gear always fully compressed default Hornet, which is WAYYYY OFF!  The only bad thing is that I have to turn off some realism settings so I can land without it registering a crash.  Oh well, what we do for good looks, right?

Well, Im off to work... when I get home tonite, Ill start working the Fraps to see what I can come up with.
Laterz
Sludge

Sludge:
OK fellas...

Just put my video up on Youtube...  check it out here, or with the imbed, if I did that right and it imbeds properly.



Tell me what you think.



Again, much thanks to Doum and Spaz for their k-nowledge, especially the quick tidbits about posting videos.
Laterz
Sludge

SpazSinbad:
Sludge! Do you want an LSO debrief?  ;D I presume on your monitor you can see the AoA indexer - however in your video it is difficult to see. I have remade the video with brightness turned up to see the indexer clearly.

One question: was the video recorded in real time or later from a replay?

Sludge:
Spaz...

Sure, fire away.  I know I have to nose down a bit and power up, but I was mostly concerned with making a decent video and hitting the F9 button in time, then settling in for a decent landing.  It was recorded real time.  And, I only have the 30 sec fraps as Im not buying the whole package for 40 bucks.  I love flight simming and now that I can show the vids, but no way Im laying down those bones just to show videos.

BTW, yeah I can see the indexer clearly.  Ive been messing around with the zoom, mostly self-debating about where/when I can see the meatball and when Ill lose sight of it and what gives me the most landing SA (situational awareness) vs. playability.  Toss up between .80 and .70 zoom for that.  Either way, shoot, your comments are always good to hear.

Later
Sludge

SpazSinbad:
Sludge, OK - thanks for info about the video and how it was made etc. Perhaps when you remake the .AVI file from FRAPS you can 'brighten' the video so that the AoA indexer is visible? And bear in mind that an LSO has an outside view of the approach (only later can he perhaps see a HUD video of an approach). So we are privileged to see such a thing. However an LSO has the training and experience to really 'know' what is happening during the approach. Bear in mind I don't have any LSO training nor experience on the Hornet but I have suffered through many an LSO debrief flying an A4G. Please take my comments with a 'grain of salt' as I realise the conditions in the sim are not ideal and the other issues about making a video (pressing buttons right when you want to be concentrating on the landing). BTW the many online LSO NATOPS clearly explain the jargon used to describe an approach - this jargon is recorded in a logbook, so that the LSO debrief as soon as possible after the landing is accurate and fresh in both the pilot and LSO mind, for good recall. Debriefing much later is not much good at all; especially if another approach has been made. During FCLP sometimes a pilot will conduct two sorties - with perhaps 7 approaches each - so the debrief can only be about the trends seen in the number of approaches, with perhaps an individual bad approach being minutely debriefed. So I'll get to it....

The entire approach is at 'upper green chevron and doughnut lit' which indicates a 'little slow'. All the way the approach is slightly low, with 'at the ramp' a flattening so that just before touch down (watching the mirror) the aircraft is starting to go 'over the top' with the ball rising. I guess this is the effect of adding power (LSO calls for power earlier). However because the aircraft is 'cocked up' "nose too high" (slightly slow - meaning higher angle of attack - meaning the hook is lower) the aircraft catches a two wire (ideal is three wire). To have a steady 'slightly slow' AoA means extra power is required to maintain that less than optimum producing a 'nose too high' attitude. Hope that makes sense. Best to have the doughnut all the way.

[Without being in the aircraft with you at the time to know, I can only generalise about the correction required for the 'slightly low/slow' condition you were in. One thing to do is follow what you see. Green chevron pointing down (above orange doughnut) indicates 'put the nose down' to get back to the doughnut (Optimum Angle of Attack). If nothing else is needed then the aircraft will accelerate to a fast if the power is kept at the same level (to maintain the 'cocked up' or 'slightly slow/nose high' attitude) and if for example you were accurately on glideslope and maintaining it (albeit incorrectly - remember power controls glideslope - not the nose position / AoA). However in this instance you are slightly low so keeping the power on will get you back to glideslope. However I'm not suggesting you be smooth; or try to do two things at once. Any second guessing headwork is not required. All of the approach is real time rapid response to what you are seeing during the approach. Respond rapidly to maintain the ideal - make adequately large corrections to get back to ideal - do it in such a way that no thinking is required - as the mantra says "just do it".] (I have seen many stories written in such a way that the pilot is conveying 'what they are thinking' during the approach such that they anticipate the burble effect or something. This is not what is happening but only a literary device for the reader to try to understand what a carrier pilot is doing. The pilot is responding ideally to what he is seeing only - all the rest about anticipation and foresight is only for the briefing room and a novel. Which brings me to another point perhaps overlooked. Anticipating when a correction needs to be made and then the correction corrected is important. When the ball starts to move - correct it. Don't wait until more correction is needed because the ball has moved more. Don't anticipate except in the sense that any correction requires another correction the other way - but a smaller one. So it goes. A carrier approach is a series of corrections that get smaller and smaller around the ideal approach - which is never smooth from pilot perspective. Yet it may look smooth from an outside perspective. However the LSO sees all and knows from this knowledge / experience what the pilot is doing. No point in arguing with the LSO.  :o  )  ]

Because both conditions of 'slightly slow' and 'slightly low' were seen all the time it would indicate that perhaps you are trying to be too smooth. That is, not making enough correction to get back to ideal. Yes one can be making adjustments that only result in the same 'not ideal' condition; but that is it. One needs to get back to ideal and not accept anything less. Being smooth gets no extra marks in the LSO critique; or makes for a better landing.

For example in the LSO criteria an ideal OK pass (the mythical 'greenie') can be gained with slight deviations and good corrections to get back to ideal. No mention of 'smooth'. Smooth is not good. Carrier pilots work hard to be at the ideal all the time. Any video of a real approach (there is a classic Hoover approach) have the engines cycling up and down with things otherwise looking good. This is the way of it. Trying to be smooth is a big mistake.

This is where making large corrections early is good so that any deviations later in the approach can be smaller, ie. with smaller corrections. Smooth it ain't.  ;D Accept nothing less than being at the ideal 'meatball lineup and airspeed'. And I accept you were trying to be there.

Yes I agree about NOT being able to see the mirror right 'at the ramp' close to touchdown is a problem. That is why my zoom level tries to not have that problem (introducing other issues). No one wants to be messing with the zoom at that point, so I suggest that you have a zoom level for finals that allows you to see the mirror all the way. Carrier pilots watch the mirror even to touchdown (you can see their head move to the left as they touchdown) so that the arrest can be a surprise. They are never 'deck spotting', that is judging their approach by just looking at the deck (rather than the mirror for glideslope indication). Yes they look at lineup but only that. Cycle quickly through the mantra of 'meatball, lineup & airspeed' without dwelling on any single thing. It all fits together. All must be as perfect as they can be made all the time. And yes it is hard work. But satisfying.  :D

As I have mentioned - take my comments as intended. This is a simulator with many issues about making it really difficult to see details to the accuracy required - and it is meant to be fun. Certainly I'm impressed that finally carrier landings are realistic (for a desktop computer sim) in FSX Accelerator with the Hornet. This situation can only improve over time especially with a wall sized monitor!  8)

Also please bear in mind that my comments for an individual approach expand to try to explain general issues about carrier landings. So for example the 'lined up slightly left' needs to be corrected early also. LSOs are your friend - sort of - because they are very 'picky' (critical/criticising all the time) friends.  ;D

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