DRAFT
The wingman maintains altitude by positioning lead's aircraft
on the horizon. The bearing line is achieved when the front
tip of the vertical stabilizer meets and covers the lead's
outside wingtip (Figure 26). The wingman anticipates
intercepting the bearing line by shallowing his AOB. He
must reduce his AOB prior to reaching the rendezvous
bearing to avoid going acute.
When the wingman arrives on the bearing line, he should
begin to align his fuselage with the lead's. The wingman
keeps the lead on the horizon as he moves up the bearing
line. When the wingman is on the bearing line, he will see
the lead's vertical stabilizer intersect with the lead's
outboard wingtip. If he becomes acute, the lead's outboard
wingtip will appear forward of the vertical stabilizer.
Conversely, if he is sucked, the lead's wingtip will appear
behind the vertical stabilizer (Figure 26). When the wingman
can discern the lead's wingline, transition to and fly up the
wingline (30-degree bearing line).
Once on the bearing line, the wingman can discern whether
he is going to go acute or sucked by the relative motion of
lead on his canopy. If the lead aircraft is sliding aft in the
canopy then the wingman is going acute and needs to
decrease angle of bank and reduce power. If the lead
aircraft is moving forward in the canopy, the wingman is
going sucked and needs to increase angle of bank and add
power.
The wingman then holds the lead stable on bearing and
altitude and monitors airspeed, not allowing his closure rate
to exceed rendezvous airspeed by more than 10 KIAS. If
the wingman does not hold the lead on the horizon, his
airspeed control will be more difficult. The wingman
monitors his airspeed until close enough to visually discern
relative motion. As in Figure 27, when the wingman is on
the bearing line, 100 ft away (three wingspans), he begins
the join-up by increasing stepdown to 15 ft. At this point,
closure rate should be controlled to the point that any small
throttle movement will produce an immediate effect on
closure rate. He must stay on the bearing line as he
increases stepdown. Otherwise, leaving the bearing line too
soon creates excess nose-to-tail. The wingman pauses
momentarily on the lead's radius of turn while maintaining
both 10 ft of nose-to-tail and 15 ft of stepdown. At this point
the wingman's power should be set to maintain rendezvous
airspeed. He continues crossing below and behind the lead,
after which he moves up into the parade turn away position,
adding power as he moves outside the lead's radius of turn.
On cruise and division formation flights, the wingman will
not pause on the lead's radius of turn.
DRAFT
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