I'm not an LSO nor have I been trained as one but I have 'suffered' under the LSO regime.
FCLP has crucial differences that are likely explained before the sortie. Probably there are subtle differences for each aircraft type. However they are done to best replicate a carrier landing as conditions at the airfield allow. Initially the first few sorties (probably half a dozen approaches per sortie) are done during the day to familiarise the new pilot. Now I have not been in the USN training system which of course introduces the new pilot to carrier landings early but having been in the RAN Fleet Air Arm trained initially with the RAAF (Air Force) I got to carrier landings late and only with the A4G - so bear with me. OK?
Anyway after demonstrating competence at day FCLP the newbie then goes through a series of back to back night FCLP preferably two sorties per night to really get some practice / continuity with a long debrief after each sortie or at end of both. Also the LSO might say some pertinent things when aircraft is downwind if needed.
The A4G in the RAN required about 100 FCLP landings before going to the carrier, most of these are done at night. The airfield was completely blacked out except for the temporary portable limpet lights defining the carrier landing area. This temporary light set up was in the landing zone in the left lane of the runway provided by the mirror. [FSXNP 'screenshot JPGs above clearly show this setup.] In the case of NAS Nowra replicating HMAS Melbourne this was a very small size indeed. The implications are not known until the new pilot sees the carrier for the first time on his way to landing on it for the first time.
All the pilot can see is this dimly lit landing area and when on finals the mirror. Nothing else matters. It is dark. Just like it is dark at the ship at night but for FCLP purposes this concentration is great training for the only thing that matters. Meatball, Line Up and Airspeed (Optimum Angle of Attack).
Yes there are artificial circuit height restrictions for night flying and 35 years ago there were no precision approach instruments for night deck landing but ashore doing night FCLP the conditions were adequate for day deck landing on the carrier - if that all makes sense?
Having demonstrated competence over the night FCLP sessions the newbie goes to the carrier in the daytime for at least two touch and goes on the carrier before being asked to put the hook down. Often this may happen only on the second sortie for various reasons (ship availability / sea conditions / whatever). However for an RAN pilot this is a big day because the pilot wings are only confirmed after the first arrest and catapult. Until then the wings are provisional only. The first arrest and cat is a big deal in many ways.
Why all this explanation? FCLP is serious work. Mess up FCLP and you will not go to the carrier. As simple as that. The LSO makes allowances for whatever the conditions are for the mirror setup (he can check the glideslope angle and make adjustments for a strong wind on the night for example) but otherwise he uses his knowledge and experience to grade the pass - just like he would at any other time either ashore or afloat.
Yes there are no wires so the approach itself is graded being the most important aspect. There are subtleties about runway approaches compared to carrier approaches that would vary from aircraft type to type, so notating a wire is sort of irrelevant for FCLP anyway as it was practiced for the A4G (I can't comment on USN). Believe me, doing initial FCLP at night the approaches are all over the place with major errors that need to be refined so that they become minor deviations to be acceptable. No need to worry about 'wires'.
"OK Pass" has a clearly defined criteria as have the other grades. The LSO manual has these along with the symbols or shorthand used for LSO notation recording the pass (usually written by the LSO helper in the LSO logbook). This is the record for the debrief afterwards. No need to argue with the LSO unless he has your side number incorrect. Otherwise what is in that book is what happened.
The graphic shows only the 'LSO pass score' record notation - already we can see that there is an everyday OK pass but there is also the mythical PERFECT PASS where OK is underlined. Good luck with scoring that one.
