Civilian FCLP?

Posted by pattern_altitude@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 9 comments

Possibly a stupid question here. I'm based within flying distance of at least three airports with Field Carrier Landing Practice markings on their runway. It seems like a fun challenge (though not at all equivalent to an actual landing on a carrier) to take a shot at. One of the airports in question is Potomac Airfield, inside the FRZ. I could apply for a FRZ PIN, but would not be able to do pattern work at Potomac. No worries, I suppose, but a bit of a bummer. The other is NAS Patuxent River -- where, I assume, even if I did get permission to try an approach to the FCLP markings it would be a low approach only, with no touchdown. Probably not remaining in the pattern. Again, no worries, bit of a bummer. Wallops Flight Facility would be the same. Pax and Wallops are both PPR with extensive military activity, so I assume chances of getting in are slim at best. Has anyone here managed to do pattern work on an FCLP runway? Or even land on one? I'm wondering if this is feasible in the slightest or if I should forget about it.

9 Comments

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ltcterry@reddit

USS Yorktown is tied up on the side of the harbor. I’m sure I wasn’t the first person to fly a pattern and go missed far enough to stay legal. The flight deck’s fouled, so no bounces. I was a bridge watch stander on a carrier for most of four years. Two F-14 squadrons in the air wing. Imagine a twilight launch of two pair of F-14s with eight afterburners reflecting off the ocean!

Icy_Huckleberry_8049@reddit

NAS is not gonna allow you to do an approach.

usmcmech@reddit

Sometimes they will. It just depends on the type of operations going on and the controllers workload.

jet-setting@reddit

Is that something specific to NAS? I’ve done lots of approaches to an Air Force base, just couldn’t land.

Well, I've tried as a navy base close to me and they wouldn't let me, so I'm assuming that it would be the same at other navy bases.

Chorizo-Joe@reddit

That's funny. Potomac is my home airport and I had never noticed the FCLP markings before.

Can_Not_Double_Dutch@reddit

You would need approval from Base CO and airfield operations. But flying the ball for FCLPs is right around -700 FPM on final all the way to landing. Most likely your civilian aircraft can't manage the landings and would damage the gear.

Floating_Ground@reddit

They probably won’t let you do the pattern entry and I would be shocked if they allowed you to touch down. Flying the break into pattern to “the start” would be fun, since it’s very different to a civilian traffic pattern. To fly final on the ball, it’s a constant rate of VSI at a constant AOA until touchdown. Unless your airplane has carrier landing gear’ touching down in this configuration will do bad things to your plane. My guess is they won’t let you anywhere close.

rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity: --- Possibly a stupid question here. I'm based within flying distance of at least three airports with Field Carrier Landing Practice markings on their runway. It seems like a fun challenge (though not at all equivalent to an actual landing on a carrier) to take a shot at. One of the airports in question is Potomac Airfield, inside the FRZ. I could apply for a FRZ PIN, but would not be able to do pattern work at Potomac. No worries, I suppose, but a bit of a bummer. The other is NAS Patuxent River -- where, I assume, even if I did get permission to try an approach to the FCLP markings it would be a low approach only, with no touchdown. Probably not remaining in the pattern. Again, no worries, bit of a bummer. Wallops Flight Facility would be the same. Pax and Wallops are both PPR with extensive military activity, so I assume chances of getting in are slim at best. Has anyone here managed to do pattern work on an FCLP runway? Or even land on one? I'm wondering if this is feasible in the slightest or if I should forget about it. --- Please downvote this comment until it collapses. --- I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. If you have any questions, please [contact the mods of this subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/flying).

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