Air Combat Maneuvering
Flight Procedures
Here is an example of voice comm that could occur during a multi-switch engagement:
Free fighter: “Luther, break right, bandit right 5.”
Engaged fighter: “Tally, Luther’s engaged.”
Free fighter: “Chunk’s free pulling for shot.” (After seeing bandit switch)—”Switch—Bandit’s
switched, coming to me, right-to-right.” (Bandit acknowledges)—”Chunk will engage north.”
New free fighter: “Luther’s free extending.”
Engaged fighter: “Chunk confirms flat scissors 360.”
Free fighter: “Luther turning in, tally two.”
Engaged fighter: “Heads up Bandit’s nose low, switch switch, Bandit coming to you from the left.”
Free fighter: “Tally, left-to-left, Luther will engage flat scissors 270.”
New free fighter: “Chunk’s free, extending.”
Engaged fighter: “Luther confirms flat scissors 270.”
Free fighter: “Chunk’s turning in, tally two.”
New engaged fighter: “Luther on the left.”
Free fighter: “Tally visual—Fox-2, Bandit on the right.”
Visual Forward Quarter
An abeam attack occurs when the bandit attacks the section from the 2-5 or the 7-10 o’clock position.
When this happens, you will find yourself in one of two situations. Either you will sight the bandit abeam
with sufficient separation to employ a Tac turn to meet him head-on, or you will sight the bandit close-in
rendering a Tac turn impossible, requiring a hard or break turn into the bandit.
In the first situation as in Figure 43, Part 1, where you have enough separation, the fighter with initial
visual contact calls for a Tac turn into the bandit. The Tac lead (eyeball) keeps his tally and maneuvers
for a close aboard pass attempting to bracket the bandit by forcing him between the section. This
bracketing technique will force the bandit to split his concentration between the fighters, while allowing
the fighters to gain the initial offensive advantage. Employing bracketing is the most basic strategy a
section can employ. Failure to bracket the bandit gives the bandit a better opportunity to maintain sight
and overall situational awareness. The wingman (shooter) early turns for a shot. In Figure 43, Part 2,
after the close aboard pass, the eyeball (now the free fighter) will extend to set up a counterflow tactic.
The shooter (now the engaged fighter) will force the bandit into a predictable flight path by maintaining
the offensive advantage and taking shots of opportunity. After separation is accomplished, the free
fighter (eyeball) turns back into the fight and eventually shoots the bandit on the cold side. Once the
free fighter is in position for a shot, it may be necessary to call for the current engaged fighter to pitch
off in a direction that will safely clear him from interfering with the missile shot and to avoid a midair
collision. This situation is especially dangerous if the new free fighter delays his counterflow turn and
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