Harrier Vets Relearn Flight Rules to Master the F-35 Landing

Former AV-8B Harrier pilots transitioning to the F-35B must unlearn decades of Harrier-specific muscle memory as the F-35’s automated flight controls, sensors, and ship-landing aids change how landings are performed; Harrier-style deceleration and hovering instincts can push the F-35 upward or forward, so pilots rely on extensive simulator work and new, data-driven approaches to deceleration, hover, and ship-matching landings on amphibious ships.