Field Notes · Glossary 25 Aug 2026
What is a bolter?
The carrier term for an attempted arrested landing that does not catch the arresting gear—and continues back into flight.
On a carrier, an arrested landing is meant to transfer an aircraft’s forward energy into the ship’s arresting system. When the aircraft touches down but its hook does not engage the gear, it continues along the deck and returns to flight. That is a bolter.
The important part is what happens next: power is already coming in, the aircraft remains flyable and the pilot climbs away to enter another pattern. A bolter is an unsuccessful arrest, but it is also a planned condition with a practised response.
That combination is why the word travelled so naturally into flight simulation culture. It describes failure without drama and the immediate decision to fly the next attempt.