RAF Test Pilot briefs his embarked F-35B colleagues
- “Yesterday I was well pleased with my Ship Rolling Vertical Landing (SRVL) on board our carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth. The flight deck was dry. The weather was ideal. The sea state was flat calm. The wind speed over the flight deck was about 25 knots. My approach speed was 145 knots. Breathing heavily, I touched down on deck still doing 35 knots relative to the ship. Braking hard, I brought my aircraft to a standstill short of the ski jump. A sense of relief and achievement swept through me. And all achieved without cats and traps!
- Today, we are to continue with the SRVL trials. Unfortunately, the weather has deteriorated. We have gale-force winds, low cloud, rain and heavy seas. Ship-heave could be up to six metres and with the ship pitching 2° and yawing 3° or so. Despite this, take-off via the ski jump won’t be a problem. But do try to time your launch from the ski jump as the bow is rising.
- On your return to the deck, you will find a Rolling Vertical Landing much more of a challenge than coming to the hover, and an order greater than landing at Marham in torrential rain. You could be touching down on the deck much further towards the bow than in calm conditions. This could leave you a braking distance of about 80 metres or less, and that could be a real problem. A wet, slippery, pitching flight deck will seriously reduce your braking efficiency and your directional control. And because of your low fuel state you won’t get a second chance to get it right. It will not be like landing on the runway at Marham.
- The good news, if there is any, is that for the time being these trials will only be carried out by day. I dread the thought of night deck landing using the SRVL, especially in bad weather.
- You should be able to see the deck-landing sight well before you touch down, subject, of course, to the weather conditions. Whether this will reduce the problems facing you with the unpredictable ship movement is debatable.
- Your “hoped-for” target touch-down point for landing will be amidships. That’s about 135 metres from the bow. Information from the deck landing sight may prove to be erroneous in bad weather with the deck pitching, yawing and heaving.
- Don’t be too alarmed if the flight deck seems to disappear beneath your feet just before touchdown. That’s the effect of the ship heaving down through the heavy sea. But, no need to worry! It might come up again, hopefully in time to save you from getting wet.
- After touchdown, remember that your nose-wheel steering may lose authority due to the slippery deck. Try your best not to go over the side or smack into the ship’s superstructure. Oh, and watch out for those crosswinds particularly as you pass the end of the rear (sorry, aft) superstructure.
- Do look out for any aircraft ahead of you as you approach the carrier as they will almost certainly be landing short of fuel and potentially be getting in your way.
- Please concentrate and try to ensure that your jet is returned safely onboard. It cost the taxpayer £80m, but that’s a lot less than a Typhoon. The Treasury is most particular that there should be no ditching of fuel, missiles – or of aircraft, for that matter.
- And, lastly, good luck! I have every confidence that each one of you will land safely, weather conditions permitting! (And you will need very good luck if you try this evolution at night on a wet, pitching deck.)
- Oh, by the way, I shall not be participating in today’s trials. Our Crew Duty Time and Harmony rules mitigate against me doing so!”