Objectives

CHAPTER TEN

BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS (BFM)

Since your objectives can change given your degree of offensiveness or defensiveness, it is

important to be flexible in your game plan execution.

Among other things, you must keep sight in this dynamic environment. The bandit will pass the

merge and go very close to your six o'clock (your aft visibility limit). You need to regain sight

or the end will be quick.

Remember, you cannot fight what you cannot see. Several techniques that will help you keep

sight are: lateral separation, body position, plane of pass, padlocking your eyeballs on the

bandit, and the position of your aircraft at the pass.

Body position may seem like a very small consideration; however, twisting into the direction of

turn and leaning forward for a better look around the headbox may be the difference between

keeping sight and losing the bandit. Discomfort and strain are part of BFM. Don't give up if it

should hurt, you have to want to see your adversary.

Do not take your eyes off the bandit at the pass. The smaller the bandit the more critical this

statement becomes. There is no reason to come inside the cockpit at the pass. Airspeed etc.

should be set as you approach the merge. If a check is necessary, do it when the bandit is

committed in their turn and is giving you a planform view. At this point, you can check

airspeed, "G", or altitude, but not when the bandit is tail on or his direction of turn is still in

doubt.

Objectives

Once we have determined we will engage our bogey, we need to analyze the engagement:

Determine Flow. (Detailed in the "First Move Options Exercise" section.)

Evaluate the Bandit. (How well is the bandit executing their fight?)

3. Define Roles (Soon Offensive and Defensive roles will appear and we need to execute our

training for those roles).

With an understanding of the scenario, the fighter will have three clear objectives:

Max performance of our Aircraft.

Keep sight of the bandit.

Avoid hitting the deck.

10-50

BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS (BFM)