How do carrier-based planes find the ship after a mission ?

The EADI intensity settings is still one of the biggest flaws in my opinion.
I can't count how many times the intensity setting didn't satisfy either the
myself or my ECMO1. Of course, equally numerous were unintentional changes
(sometimes due to a clumsy right seater but most often due to a fatigued
right seater) to the intensity setting either to completely blank or to
overwhelmingly bright on final at night at the boat (not really good for
that inside/outside scan). I also have had skippers change the displays to
what suited them which would have been fine if they had been paying
attention to why I set it the way I wanted in the first place (too many
chefs in the kitchen sort of thing). Either way, the EADI isn't the best
piece of gear in the world, but it does lend itself to getting more advanced
nav systems and displays. By the way, I believe they found the problem with
the DU cooling. However, I turn off the DUs whenever possible on deck. In
addition, I keep the intensity to a level that suits both ECMO1 and myself,
but not so bright as to overheat the things.

"Allen Epps" wrote in message
et...
In article 6lwgd.47$fw2.46@trndny01, Laura O''Leary
wrote:

The block 89A version of the ICAP II Prowler has EGI (Embedded GPS/INS)
so
you can actually realign airborne overhead mom when it is required. Of
course, marking your position overhead mom is still something we don't
teach
our ECMOs to do. Of course, we don't teach our ECMOs much about the boat
in
the RAG. They only get the very basics of CV ops and if they are lucky
enough, we would drag them along to ride in the backseat for CQ. Student
ECMOs don't know how dangerous CQ is and especially in the backseat of a
student pilot's jet.


I flew the 89 for maybe 200 hours in VAQ-209 before I retired and while
it had it's strengths I never did really care for the CRT ADI after we
had to shoot a no gyro PAR at night in the goo into Roosy Roads because
of the DU overheat shutting down both displays. I could also never find
a really good illum level from the right seat that satisfied the pilot
and me. The 89A INS/GPS combo might make it all worthwhile though.

You're certainly right about being clueless in the backseat in the RAG
CQ. My first trip to the boat was with a Marine 1st lt to Indy. ended
up DQ'ing and I never had a clue how bad he was. I was just having a
great time finally feeling like I was finally seeing the big grey
boat. 500+ traps later I feel like I know a bit too much!

Pugs