US Navy working on mostly automated ‘Magic Carpet’ aircraft carrier landings starting in 2019

When Magic Carpet software and systems are switched on, the USNavy pilot no longer directly controls the flaps, throttle, and so on. Instead, he or she chooses a path and the computer makes the fine adjustments to get and stay on it. Affecting one aspect of flight — angle, speed, alignment, and so on — still affects the others, but the pilot can focus on one at a time while the computer keeps the others under control. The pilot remains a crucial part of the system.

The system is expected to be released in 2019. In fact, the Naval Aviation Enterprise leadership told NAVAIR to deliver the system as is earlier than that because it performed so well.

The system takes on many of the stressful aspects of aircraft carrier landing, like having to gauge the course of landing with the moving ship and all of the things the pilot has to consider while doing it, such as adding and reducing power, adjusting the pitch, yaw and roll.

The system improves safety and efficiency for the pilots, taking much of the stress of landing off the pilot and putting it on the system.