related to ACLS:
Autonomous landing on a carrier is nothing new, though so far there’s always a pilot sitting in the airplane to take over when the system is pushed to the limit. Carrier based aircraft have used auto land capabilities since the late 1950s when the automatic carrier landing system (ACLS) was developed. The ACLS uses an aircraft’s autopilot, coupled to the instruments a pilot would normally use to land on a carrier to guide an airplane to the carrier deck. ACLS can take an aircraft all the way to touchdown, though most pilots prefer to make the landing themselves.
Where the real challenge is for automated landing systems is getting the aircraft the final few feet to the carrier deck when the weather is less than ideal. The ACLS can fly an airplane to the aircraft carrier in stormy conditions, but those final few seconds to touchdown can be a real challenge when the deck is pitching and rolling in the swells. This is what pilots say is the single biggest challenge of flying from an aircraft carrier. Developing the autonomous recovery capabilities for all weather conditions is going to be one of the biggest challenges facing the X-47B team.
As background, ACLS provided by BELL has been installed to 5+ US carriers.
Well, that is why I have the impression that the pilot would rather place the fate on their own hands instead of on ACLS, at least currently.
Carriers are fitted with the Automatic Carrier Landing System which allow certain aircraft to be "auto-landed" onto the carrier. Not all carrier aircraft can use the system however. Whether it's popular with the aircrews is another matter. (I don't think it is.)
F-14s aren't equipped with ACLS (I don't think).
F-18s are.
Otherwise landings are all done visually day and night without any automatics.
There are flight deck lights and the drop line lights to help the pilot land onboard. If the carrier is operating close to friendly land, the returning aircraft have an option to divert to land, otherwise the carrier is the only place to land and the pilots just keep trying and trying until they get back onboard.
The fun part is when they turn out the flight deck lights, try landing with NVGs Smile I think helo pilots have it harder when they are using NVGs to land. Try putting a helo onto a pitching flight deck 100ft x 35ft wide with no lights at night. You realize very quickly how important peripheral vision is in trying to land. You're missing a lot of visual cues that you have during the day. There is no equivalent automatic landing system for helicopters.
