In a similar vein, when an F18 is launched from a carrier deck the pilot holds a handle rather than the joystick. This is because the flight computer manages th

In a similar vein, when an F18 is launched from a carrier deck the pilot holds a handle rather than the joystick. This is because the flight computer manages the flight controls immediately after the catapult launch, and if the pilot was hands-on they would consciously or unconsciously provide conflicting inputs. Stack overflow link with more info: https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/44714/what-happens-during-a-carrier-take-off https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/44714/what-happ...