Flight Procedures
Air Combat Maneuvering
The free fighter’s extension responsibilities were described above during the single-switch scenario
involving tactics against a one-circle fight. A more difficult scenario, shown in Figure 42, arises when
the free fighter must extend for weapons separation and then reengage when his wingman is
involved in a two-circle fight. The scenario is especially deceiving since a two-circle fight can be
mistaken as a switch. If the engaged fighter calls engaged in a two-circle fight, the free fighter must
gain additional separation while keeping the fight 90 degrees to his aircraft. The free fighter must
avoid the tendency to pull inside the two-circle fight, which would eliminate necessary separation for
a shot. If the bandit continues in the two-circle fight, the result will be similar to the counterflow
where the free fighter will have a 90-degree cold-side shot. Should the bandit decide he cannot
continue in the two-circle fight and switches off late to the free fighter, the free fighter would delay his
turn but still meet the bandit head-on, allowing the previously engaged fighter room to maneuver for
a shot.
Chunk
Cont. 4
Luther
4 Cont.
Bandit
?
Cont. 4
WRONG
Chunk
4
Cont.
Luther
4 Cont.
Not enough separation
Bandit
Cont. 4
for shot
Figure 42: TWO-CIRCLE END GAME
Page 70
(10-98) Original
Previous Page
