AV-8B Harrier Syllabus

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Intro Flight

The Intro Flight is a newcomer's first familiarization flight. Its purpose is mainly to make sure all technical things work, make the newcomer feel welcome, go through some radio stuff and have some fun. It's not that important to learn any particular skills during the flight. That can come later. However, during this flight, the following topics are briefly covered.

• Cold start
• Changing radio presets
• Checking in
• Jettison Settings
• Joker/Bingo Settings
• Dumb Bomb Configuration (QTY/MULT)
• Basic Formation Flying
• Formation Takeoff (2-ship)
• Fence In / Fence Out procedures
• Buddyspike procedures
• Fox 2 Launch
• "Fox" and "Splash" Calls
• Dropping Dumb Bombs
• Straight-in Landing

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
• AFC / ALT Hold
• Course Line
• Standard Climb (Max Power, use pitch to maintain 300 kts IAS)

Landing

• Runway Short Landing
• Traffic Pattern Touch'n'Go Practice (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 Combat

Basic Air-To-Air

• Fire AIM-9M Sidewinder (~2-4 NM)

Basic Air-To-Ground

• General Purpose Dumb Bombs (Mk 82, Mk 83, Mk 84) using DMT
  • 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
  • (Over-ambitious extra: Read up on "Z Diagrams" and "The Bomb Triangle" https://www.cnatra.navy.mil/local/docs/pat-pubs/P-1209.pdf)
• High angle gun strafing (Start from 8000', roll in, ~30 degree dive angle, 400-500 kts, fire short burst at ~3000' and pull up) Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdaBRMG5yN4
• 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)

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)

Intermediate Navigation

• Load CAS page with F10 information
• 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)

Intermediate Combat

Intermediate Air-To-Ground

• Drop JDAMSs on multiple targets using Waypoint increment
• Setup / Find / Lock targets with T-Pod
• Drop GBU-12 LGB in AUTO mode (self lasing using T-pod)
• Fire AGM-122

Advanced Navigation

• UTM Waypoints
• All Weather Landing System