F/A-18C Hornet Syllabus

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Basic Section

Basic Flying

Starting Up

• Cold Start using Quickstart Checklist

Basic Navigation

• Navigate visually between two points using the compass and an empty F10 map
• Waypoint Navigation
• TACAN Navigation
• Using SA page to find wingman
• Course Line
• Autopilot BARO hold
• Standard Climb (Military Power, use pitch to maintain 300 kts IAS)
• Waypoint Handling
  • Setting coordinate system (MM:DEC vs MM:SEC) and PRECISION
  • Creating waypoints (HSI, UFC, POSITION/ELEVATION)
  • Inserting waypoints into sequences (HSI, SEQUFC, INS)
• BRA calls
• Understanding Radials and determine what radial you are on relative to steerpoints and TACAN stations
• Bullseye usage
  • Setting a WP as Bullseye (HSI, DATA, A/A WP)
  • Reading own and cursor bullseye position in Radar

Landing

• On-speed Flying
  • Level Flight (Pick an altitude, dirty up and go on-speed maintaining altitude)
  • Turning (Perform ~30 degree bank turns maintaining altitude)
  • Careful climbing and descending (around 500 feet/minute)
  • Quickly going from ordinary flight (around 350 kts IAS) to on-speed flying.
• Landing (~500-700 feet/minute, no flare, extend speed brake if full stop)
• Traffic Pattern Touch'n'Go Practice (maintain on-speed, climb to 1500', turn downwind to end up ~1.5 NM from course line, turn final and descend when wingtip passes runway threshold)
• Overhead break (Approach in runway direction, 300 kts IAS, 1500'. Break over runway, enter downwind and land as explained above) http://wiki.masterarms.se/index.php/Fil:OverheadBreak.png

Basic Mission Procedures

• Checking in
• Fence In / Fence Out procedures
• Switch channel procedure
• Jettison Settings
• Joker/Bingo Settings
• Formation Takeoff (2-ship)

Basic Combat

Basic Air-To-Air

• RWS Radar Mode
  • Setting Range, Azimuth (i.e Width), Bars, Elevation and Target Aging Setting
  • One TDC depress for LTWS soft lock, two presses for STT hard lock
• Boresight Acquisition Mode (Sensor Switch Up)
• Vertical Acquisition mode
• Fire AIM-120C Amraam (~10-20 NM)
• Fire AIM-9X Sidewinder (~2-4 NM)
• Raygun / Buddyspike procedures
• Fox and Splash calls
• Fire AIM-120C Amraam in TWS mode against multiple targets
• Fire AIM-9X using JHMCS with uncage button for off-boresight shots
• Crank and Short skate maneuver

Basic Air-To-Ground

• General Purpose Dumb Bombs (Mk 82, Mk 83, Mk 84)
  • Configuration (MFUZE (Nose), QTY, MULT and INTERVAL settings)
  • Standard CCIP drop (Start from 8000', roll in, ~30 degree dive angle, 400-500 kts, drop at ~4000' and pull up) Examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVuLCGKKqvI
• High angle gun strafing (Start from 8000', roll in, ~30 degree dive angle, 400-500 kts, fire short burst at ~3000' and pull up)
• Fire HARM in SP and TOO modes
• Targeting Pod Usage (Designation and Laser)
• Drop JDAM in TOO mode
• Drop GBU-12 LGB in AUTO mode (self lasing using T-pod)
• Fire AGM-65E Laser Maverick (self lasing using T-pod)

Basic Defence

• Drop Flares and Chaff in Dispenser Bypass mode
• Putting EW symbology in HUD
• Evade enemy missile by putting it on your 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock (Evaluate in TacView)

Advanced Section

Advanced Flying

Aerial Refueling

• Use radio menu to contact correct tanker
• Locate and form up on tanker's left wing (echelon left formation)
• Hooking up and receiving fuel, straight and through turns
• Moving to right side after refueling (echelon right formation)
• Instructions on the aerial refueling procedure

Carrier Ops

• Learn CASE 1 Recovery
  • Jabbers Youtube Video, explaining how to fly a CASE 1 Recovery
  • Aim for 40+ score, no 1-wires and no settle in Bankler's CASE 1 Recovery Trainer, a DCS mission giving you feedback on how well you're flying the pattern
  • Perform ball call
• Learn CASE 1 Departure (fly BRC at 300 kts IAS 500' until 7 NM before climbing and forming up)
• Learn to fly the full CASE 1 approach as a wingman, holding formation through approach, port-hold, commencing and initial
• Learn to fly the full CASE 1 approach as a lead, including communicating with Marshal and Tower
• Learn CASE 3 Departure
• Learn CASE 3 Recovery

Advanced Navigation

• Geometric Rejoins
• High Aspect Intercepts (Tutorial 2)

Advanced Departure and Approach Procedures

• IMC/Night time Radar Trail Departure
• IMC/Night time Radar Trail Approach
• Standard Instrument Departure (SID)
• Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR)

Advanced Mission Procedures

• Standard Procedures and Communication (Video tutorial)

Advanced Formation Flying

• Fly the following formations as wingman in a 2/4-ship flight:
  • Finger Four Left/Right
  • Echelon Left/Right
  • Fighting Wing
  • Tactical Line Abreast (Combat Spread)

• Formation transitions in a rapid and safe manner

• Formation Turns as wingman in a 2/4-ship flight:
  • Tactical turns (Tac 45, Tac 90)
  • Check turns
  • Cross turns
  • Hook turns

Advanced Combat

Advanced Air-To-Air

Air-to-air combat is an incredibly complex concept which requires constant learning through study and practice. More guides and tutorials to come.

• CAP patrol track as wingman in a 2-ship flight
• BVR combat as wingman in a 2-ship flight
• ACM combat as wingman in a 2-ship flight
• BFM combat (understand one circle and two circle fights respectively, basic offensive BFM, basic defensive BFM)

Suggested studying:

• The Ops Center By Mike Solyom is a good introductory source to BFM

Advanced Air-To-Ground

• Attack ground targets with all air to ground weapons in the basic syllabus as wingman in a 2-ship flight
• SEAD patrol track as wingman in a 2-ship flight
• Low level 10 degrees offset pop-up CCIP attack profile
• Time-On-Target (TOT)
• Close Air Support (CAS) Keyhole, Type 2 procedure