IFLOLS IMPROVED FRESNEL LENS OPTICAL LANDING SYSTEM

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IFLOLSIMPROVED FRESNEL LENS OPTICAL LANDING
SYSTEM

• Mk 13 SHIPBOARD
• Mk 14 SHOREBASED

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Lesson Topics

• History
• Design
• Mk 6 Mod 3 / IFLOLS
• Comparison
• Ship
• Shore
• Installation Schedule
• Questions

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From Paddles to IFLOLS

• From the 1920s to mid-1950s, LSOs used paddles to
  tell pilots where they were on glideslope
• The Mirrored Lens was introduced in 1955, using a
  source light located at the stern, shining
  forward reflecting glideslope up to the pilot
• 1954 Mishap rate 35 per 10,000 landings
• 1957 Mishap rate 7 per 10,000 landings
• The current Mk 6 Mod 3 FLOLS was tested in 1970
  and hasnt changed much except when ships heave
  was taken into account in Inertial Stabilization
• A prototype IFLOLS was tested aboard CVN-73 USS
  George Washington in 1997 and the program is
  finally coming fully on line

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Mk 6 Mod 3 FLOLS

• The human eye can resolve objects 2.2 feet apart
  at 1.25 NM
• The Mk 6 Mod 3 FLOLS is 4 feet tall (2 above and
  below datums)
• Engineers designed taller lens to provide greater
  observable sensitivity

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FLOLS IFLOLS Comparison(not to scale)
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IFLOLS Configuration
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IFLOLS is 12 cells (72 high)(FLOLS is 5 cells
48 high)
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IFLOLS Continued

• Although called Improved Fresnel Lens Optical
  Landing System, IFLOLS uses fiber optics rather
  than Fresnel Lenses
• Better illumination
• Sharper ball definition
• Viewable well past Start either Day/Night
• More maintainable / less degradation at high
  temperatures
• With more cells and sharper ball definition, the
  ball will appear to move more often and more
  rapidly to glideslope corrections

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FLOLS vs. IFLOLS
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FLOLS vs. IFLOLS
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FLOLS vs. IFLOLS
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FLOLS vs. IFLOLS
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FLOLS vs. IFLOLS
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IFLOLS Mk 13
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IFLOLS Mk 14Shore-based Trainer

• Photo

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Lessons (Re)Learned

• Meatball / Line-up / AOA scan hasnt changed
• Ball deviations will seem to be larger and happen
  faster
• Smoother corrections to highs work best to
  stair-step the ball down to center
• Dont lead a low ball expect to move it up past
  the datums, then work it down
• Never re-center a high ball in close
• With the ball stabilized at the top of the lens,
  the aircraft should still trap (like FLOLS)

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IFLOLSShipboard Installation Schedule
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IFLOLSShorebased Installation Schedule
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Questions?

• US Navy LSO School
• [phone] DSN 433-2515
• lsoschool_at_nasoceana.navy.mil