J-15 carrier-borne fighter thread

Totoro

Major
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The link above mentions some pilots to aircraft ratios. 85 aircraft on Kitty hawk and 110 pilots. (This one may be counting pilots in a peculiar way)
And 120 pilots on Nimitz in 1999 for 3 units of f18, one f14 unit, one prowler unit, one s3 viking unit, one hawekye unit, one helicopter unit and one c2. My assesment of aircraft numbers for that would be between 72 and 78 aircraft. Some 37 of them with two pilots.

By googling one can find about french depoloyment on Nimitz from a few years ago. 27 pilots, 12 rafales and 1 Hawkeye.

Thus, rough estimate would be 1.5 to 2 pilots per seat on a carrier deployment, though some of these examples go even lower to 1.1 per seat. Again, who is to say what standard for counting was used.

We also have Henri K. And his assesment of certified pilots for j15. In October 2017 he wrote that 7th generation of pilots was certified. And that there should be between 29 and 36 pilots certified. And his graphs guesstimate future pilot numbers for j15 programme. By late 2019 he expected between 36 and 56 pilots to be certified.

Anyhow, if we assume average figure of 46 pilots, that may be enough for 23 to 44 planes. Some of those would be instructors for twin seat trainers. But roughly speaking there may be enough pilots for some missions, between 20 and 40 of them, depending on demand of the campaign requirements.

Henri k. Further guesstimates that further 10 to 15 pilots per year will be certified through the coming several years.

I dont comment on accuracy or plausibility of any sources I mentioned here.
 

gelgoog

Brigadier
Registered Member
I'd relax about all that, China has carrier training well in hand, really, they can find plenty of young guys who are qualified to be naval aviator's, at this stage there isn't a tremendous need, the number of J-15 isn't that large, and we are basically flying off of the Liaoning, not sure were #2 stands at present?

When China rolls out their CATOBAR carrier, lots of those little birds will just need a towbar and a "hooky thang", and we'll shoot them off the deck like grasshoppers! so China has a plan, no doubt as the carriers arrive on scene and go through their sea trials, the air wing will come right along...

So NO panic, its all cool, China is approaching this task like everything else, in a calm methodical manner, its all good, really, trust me on this!

It is not just adding a tail hook and a towbar. You need to reinforce the airframe to handle the stresses, at least in a catapult carrier.
You also need a strengthened landing gear. It is usually easier to convert a carrier design into a non-carrier design than the opposite.

With regards to the L-15, as mentioned by @asif iqbal, yes it is not a good naval carrier trainer but it is probably the best they got. It has dual engines and fly by wire so it is likely the closest aircraft to a Flanker you can use as a trainer.
 
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Air Force Brat

Brigadier
Super Moderator
It is not just adding a tail hook and a towbar. You need to reinforce the airframe to handle the stresses, at least in a catapult carrier.
You also need a strengthened landing gear. It is usually easier to convert a carrier design into a non-carrier design than the opposite.

With regards to the L-15, as mentioned by @asif iqbal, yes it is not a good naval carrier trainer but it is probably the best they got. It has dual engines and fly by wire so it is likely the closest aircraft to a Flanker you can use as a trainer.

Really?? and you think I don't understand airframe science??? my point, and my only point is that those birds will NOT fly off the ramp, never ever. Once China does actually float and sail a CATOBAR carrier, they will install the hook and launch bar, no doubt they are well along in the process of designing/building aircraft to fly off the "big boat"??
 

Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
Here is an article that accompany the video sword in the sky. they know they have to built up carrier qualified pilots reserve. So they do have a robust carrier pilot training. Beside the 24 production model, they still have 7 or 8 prototype that is recently updated and painted in the navy color I presume they are using it to train pilot on land facility
Swords in the Sky
Han Bin, Huang Xiaodong
2019-04-14 13:16 GMT+8; Updated 2019-04-14 20:41 GMT+8

To kick off the series "Red Star, Blue Water," we wanted a story that best reflects the changing concept of the PLA Navy. The subject of speeding up training for carrier pilots is closely linked to the Navy's historic transformation.

Carrier fleets

There have been long-term debates on whether China needs to develop aircraft carriers to achieve deterrence. Also up for debate is the number of carriers. The PLA Navy has made a fundamental shift from primarily coastal defense. The carrier battle group concept is one new direction.

A carrier would be a floating target without support of air combat capabilities – its fighter jets. The PLA Navy's first generation of carrier pilots came mostly from the Air Force. Now, the navy is building its own cohort. But training one pilot takes longer than building an aircraft carrier. And as China's carrier fleet expands, there's an urgent need for pilots. The Navy is exploring ways to streamline the training process.

40cd571c8f30403f9ee1cdd64096b7ba.jpg

Lu Xiangfeng, a student from the PLA Naval Aviation University, is taking a simulation course for carrier landing. /CGTN Photo

Recruits are needed

"I feel like I'm catching up with a great era of reform in building a strong navy. Without this great era, I am even less likely to achieve my carrier pilot dream," says Lu Xiangfeng, a cadet at the PLA Naval Aviation University in Yantai.

The 21-year-old is one of several hundred cadets at the university, where a new generation of carrier pilots is being trained. The elimination rate is very high, but the dream of becoming a pilot has kept him going to this day. The university was re-organized in 2017. It is now the only institution to train carrier pilots. To maximize the talent pool, it is recruiting at high schools nationwide.

357772ac78dc4fb89e4567fab1a22cd4.jpg

Instructor Ding Yang coaches carrier pilot Yuan Mingzheng at Huludao training base, Liaoning Province. /CGTN Photo

Testing the waters

"If there is a deviation of even one meter, you have to correct it immediately. The consequences of the mistake can be fatal to the fighter," says Yuan Mingzheng, a carrier pilot at the Huludao Training Base.

When we were at Huludao in mid-March, the 25-year-old Yuan was taking his final tests before boarding a real carrier. It's the last step to becoming one of the youngest carrier pilots. And as one in the academy's new generation of carrier pilots, his success means a lot for the cadets, and China's aircraft carrier strategy.

5d170bb59962461686bff3e042a1ef3d.jpg

Instructor Ding Yang explains to CGTN reporter Han Bin on carrier landing and takeoff at the duplicate training deck of China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. /CGTN Photo

Reshaping the navy

"The transition from our traditional land-based pilots to carrier-based pilots is not just in technology, but also in concepts," says flight instructor Ding Yang.

Ding is one of China's first-generation carrier pilots. He has some 20 years of flying experience. Ding notes that China's task of turning out carrier pilots has just started, and there's a relatively large gap with the advanced navies of the world.

Carrier pilot is a highly risky occupation. China has already lost one pilot during training. Taking off and landing is regarded as the most challenging task for any pilot in the world. China now uses the ski-jump launch. It is moving to catapult take-offs like the U.S. Navy, and will use more advanced launcher systems for future carriers. The pilots and carriers are reshaping the navy's direction as much as the navy's direction is reshaping the pilots and carriers.

 
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Air Force Brat

Brigadier
Super Moderator
Here is an article that accompany the video sword in the sky. they know they have to built up carrier qualified pilots reserve. So they do have a robust carrier pilot training. Beside the 24 production model, they still have 7 or 8 prototype that is recently updated and painted in the navy color I presume they are using it to train pilot on land facility
Swords in the Sky
Han Bin, Huang Xiaodong
2019-04-14 13:16 GMT+8; Updated 2019-04-14 20:41 GMT+8

To kick off the series "Red Star, Blue Water," we wanted a story that best reflects the changing concept of the PLA Navy. The subject of speeding up training for carrier pilots is closely linked to the Navy's historic transformation.

Carrier fleets

There have been long-term debates on whether China needs to develop aircraft carriers to achieve deterrence. Also up for debate is the number of carriers. The PLA Navy has made a fundamental shift from primarily coastal defense. The carrier battle group concept is one new direction.

A carrier would be a floating target without support of air combat capabilities – its fighter jets. The PLA Navy's first generation of carrier pilots came mostly from the Air Force. Now, the navy is building its own cohort. But training one pilot takes longer than building an aircraft carrier. And as China's carrier fleet expands, there's an urgent need for pilots. The Navy is exploring ways to streamline the training process.

40cd571c8f30403f9ee1cdd64096b7ba.jpg

Lu Xiangfeng, a student from the PLA Naval Aviation University, is taking a simulation course for carrier landing. /CGTN Photo

Recruits are needed

"I feel like I'm catching up with a great era of reform in building a strong navy. Without this great era, I am even less likely to achieve my carrier pilot dream," says Lu Xiangfeng, a cadet at the PLA Naval Aviation University in Yantai.

The 21-year-old is one of several hundred cadets at the university, where a new generation of carrier pilots is being trained. The elimination rate is very high, but the dream of becoming a pilot has kept him going to this day. The university was re-organized in 2017. It is now the only institution to train carrier pilots. To maximize the talent pool, it is recruiting at high schools nationwide.

357772ac78dc4fb89e4567fab1a22cd4.jpg

Instructor Ding Yang coaches carrier pilot Yuan Mingzheng at Huludao training base, Liaoning Province. /CGTN Photo

Testing the waters

"If there is a deviation of even one meter, you have to correct it immediately. The consequences of the mistake can be fatal to the fighter," says Yuan Mingzheng, a carrier pilot at the Huludao Training Base.

When we were at Huludao in mid-March, the 25-year-old Yuan was taking his final tests before boarding a real carrier. It's the last step to becoming one of the youngest carrier pilots. And as one in the academy's new generation of carrier pilots, his success means a lot for the cadets, and China's aircraft carrier strategy.

5d170bb59962461686bff3e042a1ef3d.jpg

Instructor Ding Yang explains to CGTN reporter Han Bin on carrier landing and takeoff at the duplicate training deck of China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. /CGTN Photo

Reshaping the navy

"The transition from our traditional land-based pilots to carrier-based pilots is not just in technology, but also in concepts," says flight instructor Ding Yang.

Ding is one of China's first-generation carrier pilots. He has some 20 years of flying experience. Ding notes that China's task of turning out carrier pilots has just started, and there's a relatively large gap with the advanced navies of the world.

Carrier pilot is a highly risky occupation. China has already lost one pilot during training. Taking off and landing is regarded as the most challenging task for any pilot in the world. China now uses the ski-jump launch. It is moving to catapult take-offs like the U.S. Navy, and will use more advanced launcher systems for future carriers. The pilots and carriers are reshaping the navy's direction as much as the navy's direction is reshaping the pilots and carriers.


and here we go, China has a vigorous recruitment program to train Naval Aviator's, I think everyone should be very impressed with China's ability to motivate and support young flying officers.. there's a culture of excellence, and young men dream dreams of flying aircraft off China's future fleet.. I would say that even USN Naval Aviators are honestly very impressed with China's accomplishments..

What's very important to all involved is the step by step process that help mitigate and spread risk, and you really cannot underestimate the leap that simulator training has taken, and the advantage that gives every pilot candidate... now to be fair, when you take that skill set to the boat, the learning curve is ''Very Steep"... China has made this a much easier task with very high definition simulation, the cockpit simulator helps you learn to "put your hands on every switch, and that is the crux of this program... it's apparent they are taking the long view by getting started early...
 

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
Any new serials?

How many J15 can the Chinese carriers get in the air and in what time scale?

What’s the launch and recover rates

What’s the turnaround times

What’s the time from below deck to launch

So many question we need answers too
 

Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
What is this helmet mounted display or firing display
upload_2019-4-22_11-30-50.png

From this video
2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy. It is composed of the submarine, surface ship, aviation, Marine Corps and shore defense wings. Check this video and get to know more about the PLA Navy Aviation Force.
 
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