Carrier Operations

“Case” Designations

Carrier operations fall into one of three categories, or “cases”, as governed by visibility and meteorological conditions. The case designation mandates how aircraft are launched from and recovered onboard the carrier.

• Case I: Ceiling no lower than 3,000 feet, visibility 5nm or greater. Case I is used when it is anticipated that flights will not encounter instrument conditions during daytime departures and recoveries. Aircraft are launched simultaneously from bow and waist catapults. Aircraft returning to the carrier fly a VFR racetrack pattern centered on the carrier.
• Case II: Lowest ceiling is 1,000 feet or higher, at least 5 nm visibility. Case II approaches are instrument letdowns to VFR conditions; from there Case I approaches are used. Only one aircraft is launched at a time from the catapults.
• Case III: Any ceiling below 1,000 feet or visibility less than 5 nm. Any time between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise. Only one aircraft is launched at a time from the catapults. Aircraft returning to the carrier under Case III conditions are instructed to hold in a stacked marshal pattern some distance from the ship and commence approaches at assigned times.

In the descriptions below, each stage of carrier operations will be explained as it relates to real-life carrier procedures for the three cases. Text following these case descriptions will then explain how to best use a procedure or combination of procedures in the sim.