Today, we primarily use Tacan. However, knowing where the boat should be is
always a good preflight brief item to write down on your kneeboard card.
You never know when the "cake dryer" needs that "common" part that seems to
exist in the guts of the Tacan system.(or the ACLS/ICLS). However, the next
generation of carrier is supposed to have differential gps-like signal that
is transmitted so that aircraft don't need to be in T/R on the new nav
system. I think the name is JPALS (joint precision aircraft landing
system?). Eventually, all ships that have aircraft flying off of them
would have JPALS retrofitted onto the ships. Of course, it, much like other
procurement items, may not come to fruition.

"Rich" wrote in message
om...
(Al Dykes) wrote in message
...
As an armchair admiral, I've always wondered how A/C in WWII knew how
to find the carrier after being away for a couple hours on a mission.
I assume the pilots were told, roughly, where the carrier plans to be,
but sh*t happens. I always assume the carrier doesn't broadcast any
radio signals.

How do they do it, today ?

Well, for WWII USN carriers, generally pilots got a "Point Option"
that would give them a general idea where their carrier was supposed
to be. Then it became a matter of sorting out the homing signal.
Presume the RN worked the same way as they had similar homing
equipment. Don't think the Japanese used homing signals.

Rich