Landing Signal Officer

The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (February 2010) WWII era LSO using "paddles" to communicate with landing aircraft Landing signal officers aboard USS Independence. The LSO Platform, in this configuration, was approximately 2.5 feet below flight deck level. A Landing Signal Officer (LSO) is a naval aviator specially trained to facilitate the "safe and expeditious recovery" of naval aircraft aboard aircraft carriers.[1] Originally LSOs were responsible for bringing aircraft aboard ship using hand signals. Since the introduction of optical landing systems in the 1950s, LSOs assist pilots by giving information via radio handsets. Contents 1 "Paddles" 2 Early years 2.1 US vs UK LSOs 2.2 Imperial Japanese Navy 3 Optical landing system 4 US LSO Qualifications 5 Wave Teams 5.1 Air Wing LSO 5.2 Controlling LSO 5.3 Backup LSO 5.4 Deck... (see more)