Tactical Formation
Flight Procedures
MANEUVERING TURNS
The three types of maneuvering turns—engaging, hard, and break—are executed during engage-
ments with the enemy.
Engaging Turn (Energy-Sustaining)
Executed at MRT, 14 units AOA, and slightly nose-low, the engaging turn allows the pilot to maintain
his energy package while maneuvering for an engagement. Engaging turns employ an efficient turn
rate and radius and may include trading altitude for airspeed. Engaging turns are employed when
the pilot detects the bandit outside the bandit’s weapons range.
Hard Turn
Executed at MRT and 17 units, the hard turn compromises between turn rate increase and energy
bleed-off. Use it defensively when the bandit becomes a threat and offensively to obtain a firing
solution.
Break Turn
The break turn is a maximum-g, defensive turn executed at MRT and 19-21 units AOA. Designed to
defeat an employed weapon or to destroy a bandit’s firing solution by forcing an overshoot. It results
in maximum instantaneous turn rate with maximum lift, but rapid energy bleed-off.
LOOSE DEUCE EXERCISE
This training command exercise (Figure 13) teaches you to “talk and fly” at the same time in a
structured tactical sequence. It is practiced with two aircraft maneuvering against a simulated
bandit. You establish engaged and free fighter roles, maneuver through the positions associated
with those roles, swap roles, and practice tactical communications to develop proficiency at preserv-
ing energy and communicating effectively during basic tactical maneuvers.
START
The loose deuce exercise starts with the section in combat spread when the lead spots a simulated
bandit and calls out a tally report of an imminent threat, thus setting the stage for the wingman to
react (Figure 13). The lead calls for the wingman to turn into the bandit to avoid a shot by the
bandit—for example, “Murph, hard right.” The lead follows the initial movement call with position of
the bandit—“Bandit, right, four high.” You, as the wingman, simultaneously execute the turn and
respond to lead’s call with your call sign, bandit in sight, and role definition—“Murph’s tally, I’m
engaged.” The lead calls back confirmation of his role, “Torch’s free.” Now that the tactical roles of
engaged and free fighter are identified, the formal roles of lead and wingman are dropped during the
engagement.
Although the engaged fighter (wingman) has a tally, the free fighter (lead) is better positioned to
direct the fight and calls the initial bandit overshoot. Once the engaged fighter has turned hard into
the threat, the bandit overshoots and reverses to neutralize the attack of the free fighter. The free
fighter becomes the new engaged fighter (lead) when he calls: directive action, bandit information,
role change, position, and the bandit position in relation to himself—for example, “Reverse, bandit
overshot, I’m engaged at your left seven, bandit’s on my nose 1/2 mile.” At this time, the new free
fighter (wingman) reverses to get a tally on the bandit and a visual on the engaged fighter who is in a
turn away, low and inside. Now that you are the free fighter, acknowledge sight of both aircraft, and
identify your role by calling, “Tally, visual, I’m free.” You now move into a high-cover position
approximately 2,000 ft behind the engaged fighter outside his turn with approximately 2,000 ft of
vertical separation.
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