Operational Navigation Flight Training Instruction
Two-Plane Road Reconnaissance
SHACKLE TURN
Used to cross the wingman from one side of combat spread to the other as learned in the TACF syllabus.
More important to the road recce mission, it is used to maneuver the section through 30 to 60 degree
heading change (learned as an off heading shackle in TACF). It is also extremely useful to quickly redress
a formation that is out of position off target. The shackle is the preferred method of bracketing a target
that is located laterally off the route because it eases the burden on the wingman to regain position. It also
positions the aircraft to hit the pop cone together so that the high/low profile will occur as planned.
To execute the shackle to swap sides from good position, use the same procedures as in TACF, 14 unit
turn for 45 degrees of heading change, rollout until the aircraft cross, then immediately resume the
heading rather than waiting two seconds as was done in TACF. Use this same procedure to correct for a
formation that is wide but on good bearing. The reason you do not delay after the aircraft cross, is to
maintain the 4,000 ft combat spread. (Figure 8)
Figure 8: SHACKLE TURN
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