See how aircraft take off and land on aircraft carriers using catapults, ski-jumps and tailhooks, with bolters, deck crews and STOVL explained.
Aircraft take off from carriers using catapults, ski-jumps or vectored thrust, depending on the ship and aircraft. Conventional carrier landings use a tailhook to catch an arresting wire while the pilot follows an optical glide path; STOVL aircraft land vertically or in a short rolling recovery, while helicopters hover onto the deck.
In our Aviation & Real-World Flying coverage, the key distinction is that the aircraft and ship form one operating system. A catapult aircraft cannot automatically use a ski-jump carrier, and fitting a tailhook does not by itself make a land-based aircraft suitable for carrier landings.
What are the main aircraft carrier take-off systems?
Fixed-wing carrier operations fall into three main categories, each with different launch equipment, aircraft requirements and payload limits.
| System | Take-off method | Landing method | Main characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| CATOBAR | Steam or electromagnetic catapult | Arresting wires | Can launch heavier aircraft and types without vectored thrust |
| STOBAR | Aircraft's own engines and a ski-jump | Arresting wires | Simpler ship equipment, but launch weight and performance are more restrictive |
| STOVL | Short rolling take-off, sometimes over a ski-jump | Vertical or approved rolling landing | Requires an aircraft designed to direct thrust downwards |
Helicopters and tiltrotors operate separately from these categories. They can normally lift from and return to marked deck spots without catapults or arresting wires, although ship motion and disturbed airflow still make the operation demanding.
How does a catapult launch work?
A carrier catapult accelerates an aircraft to flying speed within the short length of the flight deck.
- Set the launch conditions: the ship establishes the required wind over the deck where operational circumstances permit. Aircraft weight, natural wind, temperature and catapult performance determine the launch setting.
- Connect the aircraft: on most modern catapult aircraft, a launch bar on the nose gear engages the catapult shuttle. A holdback device keeps the aircraft stationary while the system is tensioned.
- Configure and check: the crew confirms control surfaces, trim, flaps, wings, engine power and deck clearance. The pilot and deck team use standard hand signals because engine noise makes speech impractical outside radio-equipped roles.
- Launch: when the aircraft and deck are ready, the catapult fires and the holdback releases. Steam pressure or an electromagnetic motor drives the shuttle forward while the aircraft remains at its prescribed take-off power.
- Establish the climb: the pilot maintains the aircraft-specific launch attitude, confirms positive flight and cleans up the configuration only at the required speeds and heights.
Wind over the deck reduces the speed the aircraft must gain relative to the moving deck. The catapult setting must still match the aircraft's gross weight: too little acceleration risks failing to fly, while excessive acceleration can overstress equipment or injure the crew.
Simmers can reproduce the basic sequence using our step-by-step DCS carrier launch procedure, which covers deck positioning, catapult connection and launch configuration.
How do ski-jump and STOVL take-offs differ?
A ski-jump launch uses engine thrust and an upward-curved deck rather than a catapult.
The aircraft is held at the launch position while the engines reach the required power, then released to accelerate towards the ramp. The ski-jump gives it an upward flight path and extra time to accelerate after leaving the deck. High thrust-to-weight ratio is essential, and fuel or weapons may have to be limited when conditions reduce launch performance.
A STOVL aircraft can direct part of its thrust downwards during a short take-off. Operational loads usually make a rolling launch preferable to a purely vertical departure: a vertical take-off consumes more fuel and sharply restricts payload. Some STOVL carriers add a ski-jump to improve launch weight and safety margins.
How does an arrested carrier landing work?
An arrested landing uses the aircraft's tailhook, deck wires and energy-absorbing machinery below deck to stop the aircraft rapidly.
- Enter the recovery pattern: the aircraft joins the assigned approach, lowers its landing gear, flaps and tailhook, and completes the carrier landing checks.
- Fly on-speed angle of attack: the pilot uses the aircraft's angle-of-attack indication rather than chasing a fixed airspeed. Required speed changes with weight, while the correct approach angle of attack remains the primary target.
- Follow the optical landing system: the illuminated indication known as the ball shows whether the aircraft is above or below the desired glide path. The pilot also controls centreline alignment, while a landing signal officer can issue corrections or order a wave-off.
- Touch down without a runway-style flare: a conventional arrested approach maintains a controlled descent onto the landing area. Flaring can make the aircraft float over the wires or cause the hook to skip.
- Catch a wire: the hook engages one of the cross-deck cables. The cable pays out while arresting machinery absorbs the aircraft's kinetic energy, bringing it to a stop over a very short distance.
Conventional carrier jets normally apply or retain high power at touchdown so they can continue flying if the hook misses. Once the crew confirms a successful arrestment, the pilot reduces power and follows deck directions. The target wire depends on the carrier and its wire layout; it is not universally the often-quoted third wire.
For simulator technique, our F/A-18 carrier approach and arrested-landing guide for MSFS explains on-speed angle of attack, the optical landing system and touchdown power.
What happens if the tailhook misses the arresting wire?
A missed wire produces a bolter: the aircraft continues along the angled landing area, becomes airborne again and flies another circuit.
The angled deck gives a boltering aircraft a clear path away from aircraft parked forward. A wave-off is different: the approach is abandoned before touchdown because alignment, glide path, deck status or another condition is unsafe. A barricade or barrier may be rigged for certain emergencies, but it is not part of a normal recovery.
A bolter is not always caused by bad aim. Deck movement, hook bounce, an unsuitable touchdown attitude or arresting-gear problems can prevent engagement. This is why the pilot plans for a go-around until deceleration proves that a wire has been caught.
Aircraft designed for carrier operations
Carrier aircraft need more than a tailhook. They typically have reinforced landing gear and airframes for high sink-rate touchdowns, an arresting hook attached to primary structure, low-speed handling suited to the approach, corrosion protection and equipment compatible with the ship's launch system.
Folding wings save deck and hangar space, but they are not required in every design. Catapult aircraft also need a suitable launch interface, while STOVL types require specialised lift or thrust-vectoring systems. An emergency hook fitted to a land-based fighter is generally intended for runway arresting cables and does not make that aircraft carrier-qualified.
Carrier operations in flight simulators
Simulator implementations range from visual-only decks to functional catapults, arresting wires and optical landing systems. Older platforms may require an add-on such as this FSX package modelling carrier launch and recovery equipment; even then, the aircraft must have compatible contact points, launch logic and tailhook configuration for the equipment to work correctly.