Radar Training Flight Procedures

INTERCEPT PROCEDURES TEXTBOOK

Radar Training Flight Procedures

Upon check-in with "Seabreeze," the warning area (W-155) controller, you will be under

positive control. Seabreeze will assume responsibility for keeping the aircraft in the assigned

area and clear of other aircraft. Ultimate responsibility of the aircraft, however, still remains

with the aircrew.

Before the intercept begins, the GCI controller will provide information about other aircraft,

enemy and otherwise, in the area of operations where the fighter is on CAP (Broadcast control).

There are three essential transmissions given by a GCI controller that can help build aircrew SA

and prepare them for the upcoming intercept. They are:

1. Bogey heading and maneuver - Caping, mashalling, turning hot, etc.

2. Composition and altitude - an estimate of the size and makeup of aircraft that may

become a factor to the fighter aircraft.

3. Picture call: defines the position of the other aircraft in relation to either a known point

(Bullseye) or the fighter's nose (BRA). Bullseye - bearing and range of bogey from a

reference point such as a lat/long, geographical reference, or NAVAID. BRA Bearing

(from the fighter's nose), Range, and Altitude of the bogey/group.

Once the fighter commits on a bogey/group, the fighter will be the primary provider of bogey

information, with GCI/AIC filling in the gaps with information that the fighter may not be able

to see (Tactical control). Typically, at some predetermined range, the format of the calls will

switch completely to the BRA format so as to provide the best possible SA for the aircrew during

their intercept. Some of the transmissions may appear repetitious during training but they are

required for the air controller and will help out when the missiles and enemy aircraft are real. At

VT-86, GCI will provide Broadcast BRA control and transition to Tactical BRA once the fighter

is headed down range towards the bogey. During phases where bogey heading is not required

(unknowns and advanced), controllers will provide Broadcast bullseye control followed by

Tactical bullseye and eventually, Tactical BRA control.

There are two procedures for acknowledging calls from GCI/AIC. The first is

communications (comm) cadence, where the fighter responds to all controller calls over the radio

to show that they have heard and understood the information being passed to them. The second

is comm priority, where only controller / aircrew with new information speaks, thus minimizing

the amount of radio traffic. This can be important in an environment with many players, as

frequencies can become jammed with too many people saying too many things. At VT-86, the

students will practice comm cadence to ensure that the student is listening to every call made by

the controllers. Once flying in real world scenarios, comm priority will be the norm,

Acknowledge all calls from the controller