Forum: F-16 Procedures

Hello folk,

My first post here. There can't be many because I'm not an aviator - and at my advanced age, can't be one either.

Having seen many F-16 pics and especially one nice TV documentary on the F-16 on Discovery, I've a doubt on whether it is at all possible to land an F-16 VFR. I've noticed that the aircraft's attitude on finals is nearly always so nose-up that you can't but land purely on instruments alone.

I'd be most grateful for your erudite inputs, thanks a lot.

Ramapriya
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Quote:

I've a doubt on whether it is at all possible to land an F-16 VFR

You have to land it VFR, its a "see to land" jet.

Maybe he meant IFR - can't the Viper land using an IFR approach???

Any commercial/military pilot "files" his flight plan under VFR or IFR rules (and sometimes even both). The VFR or IFR flight plan basically dictates whether Air Traffic Control (ATC) is providing "service" during the flight (for example, assuring separation from other IFR air traffic, sequencing for approaches, etc during an IFR flight). So yes, Viper drivers fly missions under VFR and IFR rules. And yes, Viper drivers fly IFR (instrument) and VFR (visual) approaches to land.
However, eventually, when the runway is in sight, every pilot has to transition to a "visual" approach and land the aircraft by looking "out the window" and not at his cockpit instruments. Most Viper dirver prefer VFR flights/approaches, as they don't have to talk too much ATC! Wink

Hope that clear things up.

Hey guys he must be talking about whether the pilot can see the runway or not when landing<angle of attack stuff>.Indeed,there is a considerable angle between where your nose is looking at and where you are actually going.However,you can still see the runway.I've sent you a pic file to understand this better.

The Viper has no CAT (category) III B or C autoland capabilities. The CAT III approaches are used when the pilot cannot see the runway to land. So the pilot of an F-16 must be able to see the runway to land. As for the nose blocking the runway, obscuring some of the vision directly ahead of the pilot, my guess is that they use peripheral vision (for lateral allignment) and look down the runway to get a sense of longitudinal runway allignment. As you look down the runway, your focal point (which is about the size of a dime) naturally moves up toward the horizon. This also helps with the flare in landing. The staple on the HUD will keep you between 11 and 13 units of Angle of Attack, giving the pilot the desired landing attitude, provided they keep the flight path marker between those limits.

Is it possible to land an F-16 VFR or IFR- Yes. Is it possible to land an F-16 IMC (instrument meterological conditions)- No, not legally.

42- could you send me that pic too?

What's your e-mail address?

Hey Destro, can you name a fighter aircraft that has CAT III landing capability?

Quote:

Hey Destro, can you name a fighter aircraft that has CAT III landing capability?

Ha, *paranioa starts to set in* None that I know of. The Flight Management Systems in the fighters today (especially the 5th gen stuff) have the capability in spades to but you need two sometimes three auto pilots to shoot a cat III approach. I don't even think the USAF has any cat II or III equipped runways. My official answer to your question is no, I can't name any cat III capable fighters.

DogF16 wrote:

Any commercial/military pilot "files" his flight plan under VFR or IFR rules (and sometimes even both). The VFR or IFR flight plan basically dictates whether Air Traffic Control (ATC) is providing "service" during the flight (for example, assuring separation from other IFR air traffic, sequencing for approaches, etc during an IFR flight). So yes, Viper drivers fly missions under VFR and IFR rules. And yes, Viper drivers fly IFR (instrument) and VFR (visual) approaches to land.
However, eventually, when the runway is in sight, every pilot has to transition to a "visual" approach and land the aircraft by looking "out the window" and not at his cockpit instruments. Most Viper dirver prefer VFR flights/approaches, as they don't have to talk too much ATC! Wink

Hope that clear things up.

It does, sir. Thanks much.

My doubt stemmed from the fact that I thought it impossible to a VFR landing with that kinduva attitude on finals, but I I think I know now that I was mistaken Smile

Ramapriya

42 wrote:

Hey guys he must be talking about whether the pilot can see the runway or not when landing<angle of attack stuff>.Indeed,there is a considerable angle between where your nose is looking at and where you are actually [Link pending approval],you can still see the [Link pending approval]'ve sent you a pic file to understand this better.

Yes, what you say pretty much exactly mirrors what I was feeling. By the way, I didn't receive any [Link pending approval] my ID is [Link pending approval]@[Link pending approval]

Thanks

Ramapriya

42, could you perhaps just attach the post here so we can all see it?

Thanks,
Lieven

Hey Guys, see the attached link of a "Code One" magazine article about landing the Viper from Joe Bill Dryden, one of the most respected Viper test pilots ever.

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives ... index.html

Joe Bill wrote this article for pilots...so there is quite a bit of pilot-slang in it...but it does give great detail on landing the F-16. It sure helped me when I was new to the Viper. Very Happy

Hope this is helpful...

Last edited by LinkF16SimDude on Jul 11, 2006 - 10:31 AM; edited 1 time in total

Well, thanks to DogF16's link, I believe Joe Bill (RIP) pretty much answered the original question of whether you can see the runway to land the thing. From JB's article:

Quote:

...you guys who are just checking out in the airplane will want to note that the F-16 is one of the few aerospace vehicles where you can see the touchdown point while you’re in a landing attitude

'Nuff said

Forum: F-16 Procedures

A question on landings