Sbob
SOH-CM-2025
OK, I threw out enough hints about starting this thread so HERE WE GO. 
In the previous B-52 thread, "Getting Buffed", I kind of threw you all a curve ball. I had you spend a lot of time in trainers before you loaded the actual airplane.
This thread will kind of follow the same pathway. Now I know, this is SOH and almost all of us have been doing this flight sim stuff for a long, long time. The whole idea of this thread is to cover ALL the stuff you'll need to enjoy carrier flying in FS2004 and (to a lesser extent) in FS2002. That means I'll be covering aircraft. Where to find them and how to fly them. I'll also be covering aircraft carrier scenery. Where to find it and how to get it installed right. Later on, if there's interest, I'll show you how to install your own carrier and how to position it for realistic flights.
If you've tried landing on a carrier in the past and got frustrated, this thread is for you.
If you've recently re-installed FS2004/2002 and you're just bombing around the country-side in a Cessna, that's even better. Landing on carriers is a LOT of fun once you have enough experience. That includes landing at night and in hairy weather. Also, I know, things are better in FSX, XPLANE, P3D, DCS, and the modern versions of MSFS. Things like working on aircraft and scenery in FS2004 are a LOT easier and you don't need a serious budget, so there.. 
Also, I have my sims set up for 60 FPS and I don't have 8 grand worth of hardware. If you do, then more power to you. I'm happy with FS2002 and FS2004 and I'm in no hurry to upgrade anything besides scenery or flight dynamics.
Meanwhile, if you already have a ton of experience with this topic, I'd REALLY like it if you would join in. We all learn from each other. What I write isn't gospel, its just stuff I've picked up over the years. I've already asked a couple of folks you'll recognize to join in. What we have in common is lots of time learning how to work in the Immoveable Object that is also known as the United States Navy. I didn't have Carrier Time, they did. The only flying I did in the Navy was either as a commercial passenger or underwater. The closest I got was trying to set up some cross-deck training and fly on a P-3 Orion. That plan quickly fizzled when the P-3 folks figured out that I was one of the guys they were always fighting with during exercises and drills. Still, we come from VERY tight-knit communities in the Navy and I'd never want to change that. If you have a bunch of hours in CFS, by all means jump in. To me, an aircraft carrier has an angled flight deck and a reactor to make hot water. My Era is the later 1980's and 1990's because I got to live it.
So, lets get this thing started with some quick "Do's and Don'ts". Everything I post here is "IMO" but I learned it all the hard way.
-The first rule is DON'T BE A BUTTERFLY. This is a variation of an expression I learned in the Philippines. What it originally meant, well never mind, but in this context it means pick a pipeline and stick with it. You want to fly a Tomcat? By all means, go for it. Once you get there, however, don't start jumping in a Phantom, or a Viking, or a Prowler, or a Hornet, etc., etc. Getting good at carrier landings means understanding YOUR airplane completely and how to fly it. NEVER try to land at night or in bad weather until your airplane starts to feel a little boring. For that matter, try to avoid landing on a carrier AT ALL until you've mastered that plane's flight dynamics and systems. I harp on this stuff because I learned it the wrong way. I flew planes once they became available and loaded the scenery in the same way. Now, you can set yourself up in a realistic situation so your experience builds on itself.
My first carrier "trap" was in FS2002 using Alphasim's RA-5C Vigilante. Totally the wrong plane to learn how to do this stuff for the first time but it was available and mostly stable. If I caught a wire once in five or six attempts, that was the best it was going to get. 
-The next rule is DO HAVE A PLAN. What Era do you want to fly in? What plane from that Era is your destination? There are plenty of Navy aircraft and trainers available, from the years between WWI and WWII to almost present day. Trying to learn ALL of it will get frustrating, so figure out where you really want to end up and then work in steps to get there. That way, your first carrier landing won't feel like a total surprise and more like a reward.
In the previous B-52 thread, "Getting Buffed", I kind of threw you all a curve ball. I had you spend a lot of time in trainers before you loaded the actual airplane.
This thread will kind of follow the same pathway. Now I know, this is SOH and almost all of us have been doing this flight sim stuff for a long, long time. The whole idea of this thread is to cover ALL the stuff you'll need to enjoy carrier flying in FS2004 and (to a lesser extent) in FS2002. That means I'll be covering aircraft. Where to find them and how to fly them. I'll also be covering aircraft carrier scenery. Where to find it and how to get it installed right. Later on, if there's interest, I'll show you how to install your own carrier and how to position it for realistic flights.
If you've tried landing on a carrier in the past and got frustrated, this thread is for you.
If you've recently re-installed FS2004/2002 and you're just bombing around the country-side in a Cessna, that's even better. Landing on carriers is a LOT of fun once you have enough experience. That includes landing at night and in hairy weather. Also, I know, things are better in FSX, XPLANE, P3D, DCS, and the modern versions of MSFS. Things like working on aircraft and scenery in FS2004 are a LOT easier and you don't need a serious budget, so there.. Also, I have my sims set up for 60 FPS and I don't have 8 grand worth of hardware. If you do, then more power to you. I'm happy with FS2002 and FS2004 and I'm in no hurry to upgrade anything besides scenery or flight dynamics.Meanwhile, if you already have a ton of experience with this topic, I'd REALLY like it if you would join in. We all learn from each other.
What I write isn't gospel, its just stuff I've picked up over the years. I've already asked a couple of folks you'll recognize to join in. What we have in common is lots of time learning how to work in the Immoveable Object that is also known as the United States Navy. I didn't have Carrier Time, they did. The only flying I did in the Navy was either as a commercial passenger or underwater. The closest I got was trying to set up some cross-deck training and fly on a P-3 Orion. That plan quickly fizzled when the P-3 folks figured out that I was one of the guys they were always fighting with during exercises and drills. Still, we come from VERY tight-knit communities in the Navy and I'd never want to change that. If you have a bunch of hours in CFS, by all means jump in. To me, an aircraft carrier has an angled flight deck and a reactor to make hot water. My Era is the later 1980's and 1990's because I got to live it.So, lets get this thing started with some quick "Do's and Don'ts". Everything I post here is "IMO" but I learned it all the hard way.
-The first rule is DON'T BE A BUTTERFLY. This is a variation of an expression I learned in the Philippines. What it originally meant, well never mind, but in this context it means pick a pipeline and stick with it. You want to fly a Tomcat? By all means, go for it. Once you get there, however, don't start jumping in a Phantom, or a Viking, or a Prowler, or a Hornet, etc., etc. Getting good at carrier landings means understanding YOUR airplane completely and how to fly it. NEVER try to land at night or in bad weather until your airplane starts to feel a little boring. For that matter, try to avoid landing on a carrier AT ALL until you've mastered that plane's flight dynamics and systems. I harp on this stuff because I learned it the wrong way. I flew planes once they became available and loaded the scenery in the same way. Now, you can set yourself up in a realistic situation so your experience builds on itself.
My first carrier "trap" was in FS2002 using Alphasim's RA-5C Vigilante. Totally the wrong plane to learn how to do this stuff for the first time but it was available and mostly stable. If I caught a wire once in five or six attempts, that was the best it was going to get. -The next rule is DO HAVE A PLAN. What Era do you want to fly in? What plane from that Era is your destination? There are plenty of Navy aircraft and trainers available, from the years between WWI and WWII to almost present day. Trying to learn ALL of it will get frustrating, so figure out where you really want to end up and then work in steps to get there. That way, your first carrier landing won't feel like a total surprise and more like a reward.
