I’ve been putting the DCS: F-14 Tomcat through its paces in the last few days slowly working through navigation, weapon systems, and flying this mighty beast of a fighter. I feel like I can do most of that with no problem except for one thing: Carrier landings. They cause me, and I suspect many of you, no end of grief trying to get the angle just right so that you can catch a wire. Any wire! But the one that you really want is the three wire and I just managed to nail that today for the first time.

The right training guide

Heatblur has excellent training videos but I had trouble following them for some reason. It’s probably just me. I need a slightly less structured environment and I just need to go through the motions without worrying about flying through the hoops.

Enter 104th_Maverick’s excellent CASE I tutorial.

I watched the first part of this video, loaded up DCS, setup the CASE I landing pattern quick action mission and on my first attempt I put the F-14 down on the carrier deck with a 3-wire and some nice complements from Jester. That said, apparently the spoilers being popped up means that I missed something on the checklist and I now owe the Air Boss and the Controlling LSO a bottle of the spirits of his or her choice.

Despite that, I’m still extremely pleased!

Though the effect is slightly dulled from my now numerous F/A-18C landings, that was still an incredible thrill and easily one of the most fun I’ve had in a simulator anywhere. There’s something about nailing that landing that is just so incredibly satisfying.

And here are my bragging rights with a slightly high approach but ultimately decent final trap on the John C. Stennis.

May all of your landings go as smoothly!