A study of longitudinal handling qualities in the simulated carrier approach was performed at Princeton University in a North American Navion so equipped as to vary its static and dynamic longitudinal stability characteristics. Five Navy pilots flew "meatball" approaches in 24 configurations and gave ratings using the Cooper scale. Short-period dynamics with frequencies greater than 1.4 rad/sec and damping ratios greater than 0.2 were found to be satisfactory. Control sensitivity was variable and was found to be a critical parameter for some configurations. Stick force per g ranged to extremes and was found to be of little consequence in visual landing approach. A comparison is made with several proposed longitudinal handling qualities criteria, with little agreement. Further work in landing approach, as well as high-speed flight, is currently in progress at the Naval Air Test Center, using a variablestability F-8D. Short-period frequencies ranging from 0.2?r to 4?r rad/sec are being flown through typical tactical mission profiles. The handling qualities of higher-order dynamics, typical of augmented aircraft, are of prime interest, and data will be compared with numerous criteria that have been proposed for the longitudinal dynamics of aircraft.