E-2C Hawkeye Night Carrier Landing

[@walterrichmond6251]

I was an enlisted aircrewman radar operator in E2-Cs, VAW 124, 1974 through 1978 aboard the USS America. I had 222 traps, double centurion. No question Navy pilots are incredible. Many of the flights I was on were at night, often in very bad weather and they always got us back safe and sound. Once on a daytime flight we had to shut down an engine (chip light) over the Med near Crete and we landed with one engine, no chance for a bolter if the XO missed a wire. He didn’t. Another night late, windy, rainy, nasty, our pilot, Lt. xxxxx had several bolters in a row, at least three. No in flight refueling for the E2, too far from any bingo opportunity, it was either land or ditch (gulp!) He finally brought us home safely. I remember when we got back to the ready room he could barely hold his cigarette in his shaking hand. Don’t misinterpret, he was a true professional and brought a very large plane safely back on the pitching deck in terrible weather with five guys on board. The E2 is normally launched first, stays up for a double cycle (about 4 hours) and traps last. Great airplane, great pilots, great fun.

[@dancahill9122]

Thank you for your service Sir. 🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@mkvv5687]

Salute from an RC-135 zoomie.

[@LA-ep2nr]

Great stories. There is nothing like the adrenaline of flying at night. I can tell you miss it. Thank you for your service sir.

[@hump180]

Awesome info

[@skycowboyak4549]

Sir, do you remember the name of the XO who landed with one engine in the Med? (My dad was a Hawkeye pilot at that time and lost an engine in the Med due to one of the prop blades flying off, resulting in torquing off the remaining prop assembly, and cutting electrical and hydraulic lines across the top of the fuselage).

[@BROOKLYN1977]

Why did I watch this and I felt like I was in the cockpit with those guys and I was happy that we made it aboard. Lol

[@anthonyhusband3699]

Because the video was from the perspective of the cockpit??????

[@spikespa5208]

Not as happy as they were.

[@calvinhobbes7504]

Spent 20+ a couple of days in the navy -- 4 years of carrier service -- and these pilots STILL amaze me. I was a blackshoe but as a twiget I got more than my share of topside views and I still marvel at what these guys and gals can do. No other country even comes close to doing the stuff these folks do (and we did) every day. Now with the tech we have and these aircrew allowing us to see what they do with these new cameras or gopros or whatever .... it's even more amazing. Thanks, sir or madam, for posting these for us.

[@brucelaughton3108]

Night carrier landings are the truest test whether you can function smoothly and precisely despite the stress of the moment. On an overcast night you lose the ability to gauge whether your wings are level since there is no visible horizon. This causes difficulty maintaining centerline alignment. Testing done on Navy pilots with Holter monitors that measure stress found that pilots experience higher stress levels making night traps than they do in combat. The E-2 is very challenging as the 80' wing span and slow approach speed makes the aircraft very susceptible to dropping below the glide path as it enters the low pressure area immediately behind the ship. Over controlling this tendency sets you up for a bolter (overfly the wires and have to come around and try it again.) Under controlling sets you up for a ramp strike. I landed 4 different aircraft types on the "boat" and taught students to make their first carrier landings as a Landing Signal Officer (LSO). The E-2 was the last aircraft I flew in the fleet. A great honor!

[@tomb1198]

Great video. My father Cmdr Brook flew the first E2 out to the KittyHawk back in the 60's. Very accomplished aviator. Between Korean War and VN had over 600 carrier landings.

[@elitabott5610]

Awesome, brings back a lot of memories, used to fly E2C Hawkeyes... VAW-121 the Griffins aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower... back in the day was involved in both Operation Eagle Claw and Operation Urgent Fury!

[@vicbuisset5586]

I was with VAW-121 on Ike, 77-80. Made Ike's first med cruise.

[@christenn32]

Thank you for your service, gentlemen.

[@treaty92]

My stepfather was an air traffic controller in the Navy for 30 years.

[@dancahill9122]

@@christenn32 I'll 2nd that !

[@pauly48446]

@@vicbuisset5586@Moogy Fried I was AIMD for the final cruise onboard Coral Sea working RADCOM benches for VAW-127. After the cruise we sent one of our benches to the Ike and I wound up TAD over there for about 2 months. 2 completely different worlds going from USS Coral Sea, a midway class to the Ike.

[@kellingc]

I'm Air Force all the way, but I do admire what the Navy pilots do as routine. Good job!

[@baseballguy2001]

Aviators. Naval Aviators.

[@Thomasnmi]

Navy pilots are something different

[@simflier8298]

Pink landings count as night landings...get them when you can. Great job! Hard plane to land with such a large wing span. E-2 pilots are bad to the bone. Thanks for posting it

[@allanhuddleston6059]

@Capt_ CJ zdx o. . . By by

[@TXARNGarmy15X]

C2 Hawkeye. Wingspan 18 feet 3.75 inches

[@rtreyk]

@@TXARNGarmy15X its 90 feet

[@UncleBoratagain]

Think they call those landings 'duskers' in the Royal Navy: used as a work up to full night ops.

[@nowlookatthat]

Professionals at work - cool video! Love the Hawkeye - eye of the fleet!

[@lesterhall5145]

Glad we got you guys on our side.

[@LilyS1031]

COOL! Love to watch all of this; also EXTREMELY proud of all of our military men and women! Forever grateful, my heroes.

[@faronanderson2536]

He absolutely nailed it.Right between the cross-hairs.Nice job!

[@lunettaj1]

Sounds like Deuce in the right seat! Thank you for posting! Fun for the kids and I to watch.

[@bensmith7536]

hugely impressive, making it sound like a walk in the park.

[@av8tore71]

Being a Radar Operator on these was a blast. I sure miss it!!

[@brittonturner7329]

Great CRM. Well done gents.

[@Fldtrainer]

Nice job. Did this many times in an A4. Nights are the best. Sweaty hands and all.

[@chrisbiggers4017]

Thanks for posting this great video! I've never landed on or been on an aircraft carrier, but I would think that landing would be considered textbook perfect.

[@robertweitlauf4653]

i was very anxious watching this, i cant imagine doing it. i had an uncle that was a WWII fighter pilot in the Pacific he flew off the USS LEXINGTON. he talked a little about carrier takeoff and landings.

[@neshotah1976]

My first squadron was with E-2's at NAS Miramar '76-'80. I was Plane Captain the whole time, loved it.

[@michaelallen1396]

Those props are far more dangerous than pure jets, best have your brain turned on around them.

[@cheswic]

113 Miramar 75-77🇺🇸

[@roberthudson4440]

VAW 110 Miramar, 85-89. Go Firebirds!

[@1903A3shooter]

Darn good job. An extended member of the family here flew the C2 for 8 years, stepped out of that right into a seat with FedX

[@prancer1803]

Good for him/her!

[@spwb2k]

Mad props to the whole crew!

[@Roset595]

Haha "Props"

[@fargneta]

There's nothing like hitting the traps in an C-2/E-2 truly the best carrier pilots in the game because the pilot is doing all the work NO FLY BY WIRE COMPUTER TO HELP. All stick, rudders, and powerlevers. FLY NAVY

[@IdioticPlatypus]

1 potato, 2 potato, lights are off!

[@dingo8babym20]

My Dad had a handful of night landings on the Cowpens (CVL-25); June '43 - August '44, flying an Avenger. I CAN'T even...

[@chuanist]

There are lots of launch videos. This is the first landing I've seen from the cockpit view. Thanks.

[@virginiawaters6076]

What a fantastic video! They are so cool and professional.

[@oper12m]

Dark is dark my man....Love it. :)

[@installer759]

I love this. Prog Phlyer 1977-1981. USMC HMM-163 We had polaroid cameras!

[@jkaposi]

I love the PLAT, i can't get enough of that stuff.

[@shannonlinquist2649]

Bet that was a big "OK" underlined there. No adjustments from paddles at all!

[@Cg23sailor]

Shannon Linquist, It was like he was on rails from the start, all the way to trap.

[@m118lr]

Awesome vid. Felt ‘SEAT’ real and doesn’t get any better WITHOUT flying it..

[@Ed-yh5ow]

Enjoyed the video! I got 85 traps on the Eisenhower in an E-2 back in 1998. Miss the flying but don't miss being on the boat! You were probably chasing centerline because the ship was in a turn. So annoying when they do that...

[@unusualbydefault]

what are you talking about? CVs dont turn when planes are inbound

[@robertkoon]

You never flew the E-2.

[@unusualbydefault]

@@robertkoon I stand corrected but I was under the impression carriers do not turn while birds are on final....hence the need for getting the planes on deck as fast as possible, so the "boat does not drive on a predictable course for too long" - also....having the deck turn on a night (or any type, for that matter) trap just seems crazy to me, as if it isnt hard enough already :D

[@09beegee]

I'll sleep a little more snug tonight. Thank Yall, again and again.

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

I stood on the Eagles Nest on TR 71 many nights watching night ops. Balls of concrete. Nerves of steel. Especially the first carried quals of a deployment. Lots of rust to shake off and many new pilots just getting blooded for the first time. Doing it in daylight is hard enough, but at night with a moving ship and winds? Like I said, balls of concrete.

[@jonmartin6451]

Wow! I’m a ex AF ramp guy and I’m always fascinated at the Navy Flyers because of their unique abilities. If I’m ever reborn I’m going to Navy Flight school🙏🙏👍🏻

[@JamesDavis-mm2mi]

VAW-121. My dad used to work with those guys. Really cook seeing one of the planes he worked on in this video

[@elitabott5610]

What time period and what's his name, I was also in VAW-121 during the Iranian crisis?

[@clist9406]

These pilots make it look so easy , threading a needle in the dark . Nice job

[@coldforged]

That was nice. Pros at work.

[@billross7245]

Watched the glideslope indicator light to the ball, nice corrections.

[@michaelmappin4425]

I haven't worked the deck in 9 years. I still have nightmares that I can't find my yellow wands and the sun's way gone.

[@edwin3928ohd]

what do the yellow wands do?

[@michaelmappin4425]

@@edwin3928ohd aircraft taxi directions at night. During the day we only use our hands.

[@shevetlevi2821]

I love that calm almost cowboy speak they use.

[@spikespa5208]

No nonsense, professional communications. Some levity only after a safe trap.

[@cjbohman3]

Oh how neat, I was onboard that big ol girl at this time! So awesome!

[@germania94]

When you see these landing from the outside, it seems to easy and smooth...but from the cockpit it's a whole different story.

[@johnblunt1834]

That;...was something else! I'm not sure if I would want a ride in a spare seat though 😏. Great stuff guys!

[@okrajoe]

Beautiful landing!

[@Carstuff111]

Damn I love this kind of stuff! Thank you for the upload!

[@conesillyvalley7182]

No doubt pilot skills and the great engineering of machine and the rest of the systems but one should not forget the folks who designed the greatest training regime for the Navy pilots.

[@darthhulka-burger3187]

Crack'd me up the way that Aviator called the ball.

[@alkennedy1124]

Thanks for yours services ladys and gentlemen, kool thanks BigAl California.

[@neriksen]

Extra points for landing in twilight... coffee time.

[@465marko]

Yep, they managed to avoid all the vampires. V well done, imo.

[@SDkeepon]

I still want to see a video showing and explaining how the talehook is connected to the fuselage.

[@scopex2749]

This is like trying to land on a football field thats MOVING out in the ocean! “Ring clenching” “Rrrroger” “ on shorts final” “Check shorts” “Shorts brown” “Copy” “Call the ball” “Balls clenching” “Rrrroger” TOUCHDOWN crowd goes wild!

[@Jbmc65]

Awesome, I am sure these pilots are the cream of the crop.

[@vicbuisset5586]

That was pretty! Nice job, Bluetail!

[@pathfinder44ltd]

U.S. NAVY PILOTS, BRAVO ALPHA!

[@donaldmoser212]

Naval Aviators > Pilots !!

[@JimCTSCLO]

Retired OSC(SW). Memories of days with the Liberty Bells onboard Midway.

[@woska7493]

Dark is dark my man! Awesome.

[@paulkirkland3263]

Is there anything more dramatic in military aviation than the Americans and their carriers ? Great video.

[@jetaddicted]

Yup The French landing the same aircraft on a carrier half the size of the US ones.

[@maremdouk]

@@jetaddicted the deck size is the same almost and they get like half the flying time for even fewer aircraft and even slower launch and recovery revolutions america has more capacity more quality due to years of doing just this while other nations still used straight deck de have more speed and better knowledge and procedure

[@ronaldsimmons9517]

They flew these in Vietnam if memory serves me right. It is said every carrier landing takes 1 day from a navy pilot's life.

[@jonbradrick9744]

Outstanding. Extremely impressive pilots!

[@MyCoffeyBreak]

I served with VAW-121 back in the mid-90's. Is that painting still on the wall as soon as you enter the hanger (towards left in the hallway)? That was my squadron mate (Dizon) that commissioned that piece. He was a line-rat at the time. I had served under Commander Carl M. June. Those were the days...

[@Bacicot]

+Isaiah Coffey Not sure, they move the squadrons around so that you're never in the same hangar for longer than about two years. They preserved the murals in most of them though!

[@Omega30t2RG]

Those night time landings look nerve wracking! Its either cold swim in the sea and lots of explaining or hot chocolate and warm bed?

[@juanleddis4059]

Greatn pilots make great landings.... :-) From Brussels, with Love...

[@Marco-gx7ok]

I might have to check my gamma... Night? It was better visibility, than during some days! 😁

[@TheAmishSasquatch]

Damn clean landing, rite there!

[@vinyltapelover]

Night traps...where the sphincter muscle works quadruple overtime. Many Thanks, Navy and Marines. Ret E7 USAR

[@chrisweiser5142]

Land an airplane on a moving landing strip, and at night !! Where do they find these people !?!?!?

[@FlyBoyMike1000]

USA

[@nijmegen1964]

Great skills - i have trouble parking my car in daylight let alone do that stuff at twilight at such speeds.

[@jgentry7201]

Landing full power on a Postage Stamp.. Respect.

[@joeswilkins1]

WOW! Balls of steel. Great landing.

[@donaldmei8797]

I'm just a private pilot. But I know a navy guy. He once joked to me that the 3 best things in life are a great dump, a great orgasm, and a great landing. A night carrier landing is all three!!

[@joetoetjube]

Damn those last 10 seconds, i would have pissed my pants

[@tomstclair961]

Great job gang!! 💪💪🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@robr9905]

Pinky Recovery all the way, but hey it counts as a night pass. Nice pass !!!

[@correctog3836]

The best pilot of the world

[@SergioLopez-od7bx]

Awesome! I like how cool he said at 4:25 one Biden, two Biden!

[@derekthurgood3696]

Only one word! Fantastic....

[@petecartwright5211]

The first time I watched this, I was sure I was seeing the ship out of the windshield. All of a sudden, what I thought was the ship wasn't and the carrier appeared and they landed. Good thing I wasn't driving...

[@dtiydr]

Gale, heavy rain, pitch black night. That would be fun..

[@datroof18]

Wear do you guys buy pants big enough to hold your balls. That single act of landing is more impressive than my entire life!

[@MrThuggery]

That was great thanks!

[@JerkerDahlblom]

Holy crap. Impressive.

[@tommallon4052]

"Dark is dark." That's what sunglasses and tinted visors are for. From an old Army Huey crew chief.

[@bighaasfly]

That was cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@semperfidelis8386]

what's the vertical rectangular box on top of the panel with the lights on it for?

[@nedster63]

Totally professional. Respect.

[@briantaylor9285]

Beautiful. 👏👏👏👏👏

[@thecatalunya1]

these guys have some balls ..

[@irontale1834]

this is the stuff I love to see

[@jimmyfreeman1622]

I was a loadmaster on a c-5a . I will NOT fly on commercial airlines, unless absolutely necessary. But, I would ride on a rocket with a military pilot at the controls.

[@oxxnarrdflame8865]

Wow that carrier came up fast.

[@Mostopinionatedmanofalltime]

This isn't at night. It's still light out. ✨

[@Ardeact]

Do you still get nervous landing on such a short strip?

[@thetomschaeffer]

Dark is dark.. yes sir.

[@Cg23sailor]

Buddy of mine was on Hue City, the Ship on Plane Guard for the trap.

[@B1900pilot]

Very nice pass!

[@nathanmarr2719]

fixing "600" aircraft on the Theodore Roosevelt. Those were the days.

[@canam851]

Dang ... you guys are awesome? Only the US Navy can make it look easy...

[@americanazheck]

Any landing u walk away from is a good one

[@Jackdaw5]

Never heard that expression before. FFS