{"id":28122791,"date":"2026-10-15T10:55:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T08:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/landing-signal-officer-lso-paddles-carrier-landing-grades-explained\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T11:12:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T09:12:59","slug":"landing-signal-officer-lso-paddles-carrier-landing-grades-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/landing-signal-officer-lso-paddles-carrier-landing-grades-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Landing Signal Officer: The Pilot Who Grades Every Carrier Landing"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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One holds a radio handset and a small switch box. If the approaching jet is drifting low, he tells the pilot. If the jet is about to land somewhere it should not, he presses a button and red lights tell the pilot to go around. Afterwards, he grades the landing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He is the landing signal officer, or LSO, and the Navy's nickname for him has stuck since the 1920s: \"paddles\". For an aviator flying a jet onto a ship at night, the LSO is the last check before the deck.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 28px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.7\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li><strong>Role:<\/strong> Naval aviator who supports the safe recovery of aircraft on a carrier<\/li><li><strong>Nickname:<\/strong> \"Paddles\" (US Navy), \"batsman\" (Royal Navy)<\/li><li><strong>Origin:<\/strong> USS Langley, the first US carrier, in the 1920s<\/li><li><strong>Tools today:<\/strong> Radio handset, pickle switch, wave-off and cut lights, optical landing system<\/li><li><strong>Grades:<\/strong> OK underline (5), OK (4), Fair (3), Bolter (2.5), No Grade (2), Technique wave-off (1), Cut (0)<\/li><li><strong>Training:<\/strong> LSO School, NAS Oceana, Virginia<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">From Waving Hats to Waving Paddles<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">US carrier aviation began aboard USS <em>Langley<\/em> in 1922. The ship's executive officer, Kenneth Whiting, is credited with watching landings from the deck and signalling pilots by holding a sailor's white hat in each hand. That turned into the brightly coloured paddles of the Second World War, when LSOs used them to show an approaching pilot whether he was high, low, fast or slow, and when to cut power and drop onto the deck.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/lso-uss-lexington-1943-cut-signal-steichen.jpg\" alt=\"Landing signal officer aboard USS Lexington signals cut in 1943\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The assistant LSO aboard USS Lexington (CV-16) gives an incoming pilot the \"cut\" in November 1943. Photo: Edward Steichen \/ U.S. Navy, public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the 1950s, mirror and then Fresnel-lens optical landing systems let pilots see their own glide path, and the LSO's job moved from hand signals to the radio. The paddles are gone, but the nickname and the platform stayed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 6px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i_T553zdPic\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">A 1963 US Navy training film on the work of landing signal officers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What the LSO Does Today<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today's LSOs are carrier pilots themselves, selected from junior aviators in Navy and Marine Corps squadrons. On the platform, the controlling LSO watches the approach, glide slope and angle of attack and talks to the pilot by radio about power, glide path and centreline. A backup LSO watches line-up and whether the landing area is clear. In his hand is the pickle switch, which controls the lights of the optical landing system, including the flashing red wave-off lights that order a go-around.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><em>&ldquo;I was going to be an LSO and do my best to keep my friends safe.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Cmdr. Bryan \"RJ\" Roberts<\/strong> &mdash; officer in charge, US Navy LSO School, to US Navy public affairs, 2018<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roberts decided to become an LSO after a friend was killed in an accident in 1998, hours after both had finished carrier qualifications aboard USS <em>John F. Kennedy<\/em>. He went on to wave the first F-35C landings on a carrier and the first arrested landings on USS <em>Gerald R. Ford<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Grade Sheet Every Pilot Fears<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every carrier landing is graded and debriefed. The scale runs from an \"OK underline\" for a perfect pass (5 points), through \"OK\" (4) and \"Fair\" (3), to a bolter, when the hook misses every wire and the jet has to fly off again (2.5), \"No Grade\" for gross but safe deviations (2), a technique wave-off (1) and a \"Cut\" for an unsafe pass (0). Pilots aim for a specific target wire, and the grades go up on the squadron board for everyone to see.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/landing-signal-officers-uss-harry-s-truman-platform.jpg\" alt=\"Landing signal officers on the platform of USS Harry S. Truman as a Super Hornet lands\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">LSOs watch from the platform as an F\/A-18F Super Hornet lands aboard USS Harry S. Truman in 2007. U.S. Navy photo \/ public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LSOs learn the job step by step: a field qualification for practice landings ashore, the formal course at LSO School at Naval Air Station Oceana, then squadron, wing, training, staff and force qualifications. The best air wing LSOs are among the most respected pilots on the ship.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><em>&ldquo;being a paddles ultimately shaped a large part of my career and who I am as a naval aviator&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Cmdr. Bryan \"RJ\" Roberts<\/strong> &mdash; officer in charge, US Navy LSO School, 2018<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 6px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7FTT5CXjOVU\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">Growler Jams shows how landing signal officers grade a carrier landing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 6px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KY5VtHMz3Ck\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on the role of the landing signal officer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources: Wikipedia (Landing signal officer); US Navy public affairs (Hanging up RJ's paddles, 2018); US Navy \/ National Archives photographs; Smithsonian NASM<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What does a landing signal officer do on an aircraft carrier?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A landing signal officer (LSO) is a naval aviator who supports the safe recovery of aircraft on a carrier. From a platform beside the landing area, the LSO talks to approaching pilots by radio, controls the wave-off lights and grades every landing.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why are landing signal officers called paddles?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">In the early days of US carrier aviation, LSOs used brightly coloured paddles to signal approaching pilots whether they were high, low, fast or slow. The paddles were replaced by optical landing systems and radios from the 1950s, but the nickname \"paddles\" stayed.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How are carrier landings graded?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">LSOs grade every carrier landing: OK underline for a perfect pass (5 points), OK (4), Fair (3), Bolter (2.5), No Grade (2), Technique wave-off (1) and Cut for an unsafe pass (0). Grades are debriefed and posted for the squadron.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who can become a landing signal officer?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Landing signal officers are carrier pilots selected from junior aviators in US Navy and Marine Corps squadrons. They train through a field qualification, the LSO School at NAS Oceana in Virginia, and progressively higher squadron, wing and staff qualifications.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is a wave-off on an aircraft carrier?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A wave-off is an order from the landing signal officer for an approaching aircraft to abort its landing and go around, signalled by flashing red wave-off lights and the radio. It can be ordered for an unsafe approach or a fouled landing area.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What does a landing signal officer do on an aircraft carrier?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A landing signal officer (LSO) is a naval aviator who supports the safe recovery of aircraft on a carrier. From a platform beside the landing area, the LSO talks to approaching pilots by radio, controls the wave-off lights and grades every landing.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why are landing signal officers called paddles?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In the early days of US carrier aviation, LSOs used brightly coloured paddles to signal approaching pilots whether they were high, low, fast or slow. The paddles were replaced by optical landing systems and radios from the 1950s, but the nickname \\\"paddles\\\" stayed.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How are carrier landings graded?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"LSOs grade every carrier landing: OK underline for a perfect pass (5 points), OK (4), Fair (3), Bolter (2.5), No Grade (2), Technique wave-off (1) and Cut for an unsafe pass (0). Grades are debriefed and posted for the squadron.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who can become a landing signal officer?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Landing signal officers are carrier pilots selected from junior aviators in US Navy and Marine Corps squadrons. 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It can be ordered for an unsafe approach or a fouled landing area.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/bolter-aircraft-carrier-missed-arresting-wire-explained\/\">Bolter: What Happens When a Carrier Jet Misses Every Wire<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/f-35c-first-landing-launch-ford-class-uss-john-f-kennedy-cvn-79-2026\/\">F-35C Lands on a Ford-Class Carrier for the First Time: USS John F. 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