Pipper to Bull Tracking

Weapons

Weapons Delivery Principles And Procedures

Wind-corrected tracking is the method you can expect to use on all of your weapons flights after

Wep-06. As Figure 30 shows, wind-corrected tracking requires that both the initial and final

aimpoints be offset. For this reason, the roll-in point must also be offset so that when you roll out,

your pipper will be on the initial aimpoint. As the pipper tracks toward the final aimpoint during

tracking, your heading should be parallel to the run-in line. If there is a crosswind, your pipper will

track diagonally and not parallel to the run-in line.

NO WIND

PIPPER-TO-BULL

WIND-CORRECTED

Bull's Eye is

Final Aimpoint

Probable Hit

Roll-in Point

Figure 30: TYPES OF TRACKING

Experience will help you judge how far laterally to offset your roll-in and initial aimpoint so that the

pipper will track smoothly to the final aimpoint by release altitude. If you find that the crosswind is

causing you to drift more or less than expected, you can correct by making slight heading changes.

However, be sure that your wings are level when you release—any bank will invalidate the sight

picture.

Another technique for the wind-corrected method is to roll in, simulating a no-wind (straight) pipper

track to the computed final offset aimpoint and make small wing dips into the wind, controlling the

pipper track to the release point. Ensure that release is accomplished in a wings level attitude.

PIPPER-TO-BULL TRACKING

The pipper-to-bull tracking method will be introduced for the sake of simplicity on the first three

simulator events and first flight. It is slightly easier than the wind-corrected method because it uses

the bull’s eye as the final aimpoint. The object of pipper-to-bull delivery is not to hit the target, but to

obtain a consistent grouping of hits. Figure 21 shows what the path of the pipper should be. The

procedures for pipper-to-bull tracking are exactly the same as those given above for wind-corrected

tracking, except that the bull’s eye is the final aimpoint.

(4-03) Original

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