F-35

Aircraft carrier landings are generally regarded as one of the most difficult—and dangerous—activities performed in an airplane. Turn out the lights and add some ocean swell and these landings are downright treacherous. But with recent technological advancements comes a system that so simplifies and improves the safety of these landings that the U.S. Navy is exploring doing away with carrier qualifications as the capstone of a student naval aviator's training for the first time in history.

On this episode, U.S. Navy Captain Dan "O.J." Catlin joins FPP cohost Matt "Flounder" Arny to discuss the precision landing mode, once known as MAGIC CARPET, that revolutionizes fixed-wing aircraft carrier landings to the point of nearly making them routine.

Listener questions addressed on this episode include Navy flight school selection tracks, A/A training kill removal, flight callsigns, unique aircraft personalities, tips to succeed in flight school, and the lowdown on the F-22 pilot who raised his landing gear too early while operating in NAS Fallon, NV with a TOPGUN callsign.

Learn more about the Raytheon Missiles & Defense Joint Strike Missile here.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell.