Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP)
Carrier Qualification
If the ball goes high in close or at the ramp, stop the movement but do not attempt to recenter the ball.
Avoid the temptation to cut power or drop your nose when you are high or climbing in-close to at-the-ramp.
Accept the high or take your bolter. A large power reduction in close to at-the-ramp is referred to as a cut
or ease gun. This condition is unsafe and is never an acceptable correction—a high “come down” will
result in a hard landing, blown tires, and possible structural damage.
Fast
Reduce power. As the aircraft decelerates, coordinate an increase in nose attitude slightly to maintain a
centered ball and work it back on-speed. Approaching optimum AOA, add power as necessary to maintain
glideslope and readjust nose attitude to maintain optimum AOA. Again, you will have to make a third
correction.
High and Fast
As in the high or fast approach, you must reduce power. As the ball approaches the center, increase nose
attitude as necessary to correct back to optimum AOA. The aircraft approaches on-speed prior to regain-
ing a centered ball. Adjust power to control your rate of descent and to maintain proper AOA. As the ball
approaches the center, use nose attitude and power to stabilize on the proper AOA and glideslope.
Under Powered
Low
Add power and adjust nose attitude to maintain optimum AOA. Once the ball is centered, reduce power to
reestablish glideslope and readjust your nose attitude to maintain optimum AOA. Do not lead a low by
reducing power prior to a centered ball. An inevitable third correction is required to stabilize on glideslope.
Never accept a low ball. Never finesse a low ball.
Slow
Add power. As the aircraft accelerates, decrease the nose attitude slightly to obtain optimum AOA and
then readjust attitude to maintain AOA and reduce power to maintain glideslope. To stabilize glideslope, a
third power correction is mandatory.
Low and Slow
Add power immediately. Maintain nose attitude while adding power. As the ball centers, prior to your
regaining the proper AOA, decrease nose attitude to stay on glideslope until optimum AOA is reached. If
the aircraft returns to on-speed while the ball is still low, adjust the nose attitude to maintain proper AOA
while waiting for the glideslope correction to be completed. When the ball is centered, simultaneously
adjust the nose attitude and reduce power to reestablish the proper rate of descent. Add power and adjust
nose attitude as necessary to stabilize the aircraft on glideslope and airspeed. A third power and attitude
correction is required.
Power Ok
High and Slow
If the aircraft is not excessively slow, lower the nose attitude to initiate the correction. If you are exces-
sively slow, you will have to add power. If your aircraft accelerates to on-speed prior to the ball reaching
the center, a small power reduction is necessary. If the AOA continues to indicate that you are slow, add
power, and as the ball approaches the center, accelerate your aircraft to the proper AOA.
(7-01) Original
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