Air Combat Maneuvering
Flight Procedures
If an out-of-phase overshoot occurs but with insufficient angle off and lateral separation, use a rolling
reversal to establish yourself in a possible scissors.
Due to the risk of structural damage to the aircraft, negative g should be limited to one negative g in
training. In combat, you would use maximum negative g available.
1 V 1 ENGAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND TACTICS
You are in a neutral start situation any time you approach a bogey head-on, 180 degrees out-of-phase at
co-airspeed. This could happen as you initially encounter the bogey and maneuver to meet him head-on,
or it could happen after you have reengaged following a successful disengagement. Neither of you have a
tactical advantage at the head-on pass. However, both fighters will attempt to immediately get the
advantage as they pass. Any lateral separation at the pass gives one of the fighters an opportunity to gain
the advantage. To keep the bogey from gaining angles on you, pass with minimum lateral separation. In
the real world, remember to be aware of head-on weapons capability. There are really only two types of
fights that develop from this situation: a position fight and a rate fight.
In a position fight, Figure 26, you are attempting to gain an angular advantage over the bogey without
losing excessive energy critical to your maneuverability. By decreasing angle off early, you are attempting
to place the bogey in a defensive posture. The fight usually develops from one fighter reversing at the
pass scribing a single circle, commonly called a “one-circle” fight. This type of fight develops much
quicker than the rate fight, since you are sacrificing some energy to gain angles. A position fight works out
best when the bogey is not aggressive, or your aircraft turns much better than his. Tactics in this type of
fight usually depend on the use of oblique turns to decrease your horizontal turn radius. Normally, nose-
high, vertical moves allow you to minimize your horizontal turn radius resulting in greater angular gains. A
bogey countering with the same tactics usually forces you into a slow-speed, energy-depleting fight. Once
you are committed, it is difficult to change.
Figure 26: ONE-CIRCLE FIGHT
T-45C Revision 1
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