How do I take off and land on a carrier in FSX Free Flight?

In FSX Acceleration or FSX: Steam Edition Free Flight, use a naval aircraft and carrier with working catapults and arrestor cables. Lower and attach the launch bar, apply full power, then fire the catapult. For landing, lower the tailhook, fly a steady no-flare approach and catch an arresting wire.

Set up a working carrier in FSX Free Flight

Both the aircraft and the carrier must support FSX's carrier functions; a visible tailhook or solid flight deck alone is not enough. The default F/A-18 supplied with Acceleration and Steam Edition is the safest aircraft for checking that the setup works.

Moving AI carriers normally cannot be selected like an airport from the Free Flight location menu. The simplest flexible setup is an add-on that lets you place and control carriers during a Free Flight session. Another option is a moving Nimitz carrier group with working catapults and arrestor cables.

Place the ship within flying range, or carefully use slew mode to position the aircraft on deck. Face the bow and line the nosewheel up with a catapult track. If you use a utility-spawned carrier, check whether that utility restores the ship before relying on a saved flight; otherwise the aircraft may reload over empty water.

How do I take off from the FSX carrier catapult?

1. Prepare the aircraft. Unfold the wings, set the take-off flaps and trim required by that aircraft, and ensure the parking brake is released.
2. Lower the launch bar. The default FSX command is Shift+U. Confirm that the launch bar is down rather than relying solely on the cockpit indication.
3. Align with the shuttle. Taxi slowly along the catapult track until the nosewheel and launch bar are over its attachment area. Poor alignment is the most common reason attachment fails.
4. Attach to the catapult. Press Shift+I. The aircraft should be held in position; some carriers also raise the jet-blast deflector.
5. Set launch power. Hold the brakes only if the aircraft's procedure calls for it, bring the engines to the required power and check the controls. Full military power is usual for a jet, while afterburner use depends on its instructions and weight.
6. Fire the catapult. Press Shift+Space. Keep the aircraft controlled as it leaves the bow, establish a positive climb and then clean up the flaps and gear according to the aircraft's procedure.

Those are the default assignments. If nothing happens, open FSX's control assignments and check the commands for the launch bar, catapult attachment and catapult launch; add-ons and custom controller profiles can replace or remove the keyboard bindings.

How do I land and catch an arresting wire?

1. Configure early. Unfold the wings, lower the landing gear and flaps, then lower the tailhook with the default Shift+Q command.
2. Approach from astern. Line up with the angled landing area, not the ship's bow or centreline. Account for the carrier's movement and any wind across the deck.
3. Fly on-speed angle of attack. Approach speed varies with the aircraft and its weight, so a single speed does not suit every model. In the F/A-18, use the angle-of-attack indication and optical landing aid where available.
4. Control the glide path with power. Hold a stable attitude and use small throttle changes to remain on the optical glide path. Avoid the runway habit of closing the throttle and flaring.
5. Touch down firmly in the wire area. The hook must land before a cable and then travel through it. Floating past the cables leaves nothing for the hook to catch.
6. Prepare for a bolter. Apply launch power as the wheels touch. If the wire catches, retard the throttles once the aircraft stops; if it misses, keep flying, climb away and re-enter the pattern.

If the carrier lacks a working optical aid or arresting system, an FSX carrier package with catapults, arresting wires and IFLOLS guidance provides a more complete practice environment.

Why don't the catapult or arrestor wires work?

The aircraft will not attach to the catapult

• The simulator is boxed FSX without the Acceleration expansion.
• The aircraft's launch bar is only a visual animation and has no functional carrier configuration.
• The carrier model has no working catapult zone.
• The launch bar is raised, or the nosewheel is beside or beyond the attachment point.
• The default Shift+I or Shift+Space assignment has been changed.

Test with the default Acceleration F/A-18 on a known working carrier. If that combination launches correctly, the fault lies with the replacement aircraft or carrier rather than FSX itself.

The tailhook passes over every wire

• Confirm that the hook is actually down before reaching the deck.
• Land at the start of the arresting area instead of aiming directly at the last cable.
• Do not flare and float along the deck.
• Check that the carrier has functional arrestor zones and that the aircraft has a configured tailhook; visible models do not prove either feature works.
• Use the angled landing deck in the correct direction. Landing towards the stern or across the deck will not produce a normal arrestment.

Can I start directly on a carrier in FSX Free Flight?

A moving AI carrier is not normally an airport, so FSX does not offer its deck as a standard Free Flight starting position. Start nearby and fly aboard, place the aircraft on deck with slew mode, or use a carrier add-on that supplies a saved situation or selectable start.

Static scenery carriers can appear as starting locations when their developer has added an airport identifier and parking position. That does not guarantee working catapults or cables, so verify those functions separately before practising launches and recoveries.