During Case II recovery, if the ship is not in sight at miles, both aircraft shall be vectored into the bolter/waveoff pattern and action taken to conduct a Case III recovery for the remaining flights.

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On carrier recoveries, pilots switch to different procedures based on whether the ship can be seen at a safe distance. If, during Case II recovery, the ship is not in sight by a defined distance, the plan changes to protect safety and maintain orderly traffic flow.

That distance is five miles. When the ship isn’t visible at five miles, both approaching aircraft are directed into the bolter/waveoff pattern. The bolter pattern is the maneuver used when an approach cannot be completed due to not catching a wire or not meeting a stable landing, so the aircraft go around and rejoin the pattern. A waveoff is the formal abort of the landing attempt to prevent an unsafe final approach.

At this point, actions are taken to conduct a Case III recovery for the remaining flights, meaning the rest of the aircraft follow an alternate recovery profile designed for situations where the ship remains out of sight. This keeps traffic separated and allows the air department to land or re-sequence the remaining aircraft safely once the ship can be located or the recovery plan is adjusted.

The five-mile threshold is the standard for transitioning from Case II toward Case III. The other distances aren’t the established switch point, so they don’t fit the procedure.