What does bolter mean in aviation?

What does bolter mean in aviation?

Navy records indicate the aircraft was in the midst of a “bolter,” where a plane attempting an arrested landing on an aircraft carrier touches down but fails to snag the cable and stop, forcing the pilot to take off again at full throttle, come back around and attempt another landing.

Why is it called bolter?

English: occupational name for a bolter or sifter of flour, from Middle English bo(u)lt ‘to sift’ (Old French buleter, of Germanic origin). English: occupational name for a maker of bolts or bars, from an agent derivative of Middle English bolt (see Bolt).

What are the wires on an aircraft carrier called?

Cross-deck pendant Also known as arresting cables or wires, cross-deck pendants are flexible steel cables which are spanned across the landing area to be engaged by the arresting hook of an incoming aircraft. On aircraft carriers there are either three or four cables, numbered 1–4 from aft to forward.

How do planes take off on aircraft carriers?

When the plane is ready to go, the catapult officer opens valves to fill the catapult cylinders with high-pressure steam from the ship’s reactors. This steam provides the necessary force to propel the pistons at high speed, slinging the plane forward to generate the necessary lift for takeoff.

What is a bolter?

Definition of bolter 1 : one that bolts: such as. a : a horse given to running away. b : a person who ends his or her affiliation with a political party.

What is a bolter in aviation?

In naval aviation, a bolter occurs when an aircraft attempting an arrested landing on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier touches down, but fails to catch an arrestor cable and come to a stop.

How do aircraft carriers go-around?

Bolter aircraft accelerate at full throttle and become airborne in order to go-around and re-attempt the landing. Prior to the development of the angled flight deck, aircraft carrier landing areas ran along the axis of the ship.

What is the LSO grade for a carrier landing attempt?

United States Navy LSOs ‘grade’ each carrier landing attempt on a scale of 0-5. Assuming the approach was safe and at least “average”, a bolter is graded as 2.5. For unsafe or below average approaches that result in bolter, a grade of 2 is assigned.

Why do aircraft carriers take so long to disengage?

Either method often resulted in damage to the aircraft and required time to disengage. The introduction of jet aircraft for carrier operations in the early 1950s, with their greater mass and higher approach speeds, exacerbated the problem.