Air Combat Training School DRAFT

"For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill." Sun Tzu - The Art of War

Air Combat Training School (ACTS) is a flight training programme that teaches virtual pilots essentials about flight dynamics, aircraft systems, offensive & defensive flying and combat techniques.

The course content has been professionally written by Jonathan Duke, Lieutenant Royal Navy.

Jonathan is a SAR pilot on 771NAS at RNAS Culdrose.

He also volunteers to fly Grob Tutor for the RAF (5 Air Experience Flight, RAF Wyton), and fly's civilian aerobatics in an Extra 200.

Former RAF Air Traffic Controller, 2004-2007 RAF Fast-Jet trainee pilot, 2002-2004

Jonathan has over 700 hours on mixed types, including Firefly Grob Tutor Tucano T1 Hawk T1 Squirrel HT1 Griffin HT1 (Bell 412EP) Sea King Mk 5

Using Jonathan's experience, this training programme has been written for the virtual pilot in mind. It follows a strict training regime similar to that of the British Armed Forces; Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.

The concept of ACTS was born in 2005 when Chris Ellis, a virtual pilot of over 22 years and director of Virtual European Air Operations (VEAO), created a team of virtual aerobatic pilots called the Virtual Red Arrows. The VRA is one of the leading virtual aerobatic display teams in the community displaying at many public events around Europe and virtual air shows throughout the year. Chris wanted a training programme for pilot recruits that was similar to the RAF Fast Jet Training Programme that could be learnt and applied in the virtual world of flight simulators.

There have been many versions and incarnations of ACTS since then and this programme is the culmination of many techniques learnt and used in the real world and virtual world alike.

There are no assumptions that the virtual pilot knows principals of the course content and it is presumed that every virtual pilot will start from the beginning of the school working their way through the programme content until graduation.

There are many virtual squadrons that exist in the community, each having their own training programmes and criteria to join a squadron. This school is aimed to enhance those programmes and not to replace it.

We hope you enjoy the school, it's content and it's teachings to help you to become a better virtual combat pilot.

Chris Ellis VEAO ACTS Founder

Contents ______3 Aircraft Used in ACTS ______4 British Aerospace Engineering BAE Hawk T.1A ______4 Eurofighter Typhoon ______5 Software ______7 Flight Simulator ______7 Voice Communications ______7 Videos and Media______7 VKA Teaching Techniques ______8 Visual______8 Kinaesthetic ______8 Audio ______8 ACTS Syllabus ______9 BASIC FLYING TRAINING, HAWK T1A ______9 SYLLABUS CONTENT AND COURSE STRUCTURE______10 SORTIE 1 – BASIC EFFECTS OF CONTROLS AND CIRCUITS (1:30 ______11

Aircraft Used in ACTS

British Aerospace Engineering BAE Hawk T.1A The Hawk T.1A is a modified Hawk T1, which was intended to replace the Hawker Hunter in the RAF's Tactical Weapons Units. A total of 89 aircraft were converted to carry two underwing AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and a centreline Aden gun pod. During the 1980s, the RAF began using TWU Hawks in the Mixed Fighter Force (MFF) concept; the intention was to attach three or four Hawks to a Phantom or Tornado interceptor, which would guide them using its powerful radar onto enemy targets.

This is also the variant used by the RAF's Red Arrows display team; the underbody gun pod is replaced by a similarly shaped fairing used to carry oil for the display smoke system.

General characteristics Crew: 2: student, instructor Length: 12.43 m (40 ft 9 in) Wingspan: 9.94 m (32 ft 7 in) Height: 3.98 m (13 ft 1 in) Wing area: 16.70 m² (179.64 ft²) Empty weight: 4,480 kg (9,880 lb) Useful load: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) Max takeoff weight: 9,100 kg (20,000 lb) Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Adour Mk. 951 turbofan with FADEC, 29 kN (6,500 lbf) 29 kN

Performance Maximum speed: Mach 0.84 (1,028 km/h, 638 mph) at altitude Range: 2,520 km (1,360 NM, 1,565 mi) Service ceiling: 13,565 m (44,500 ft) Rate of climb: 47 m/s (9,300 ft/min) Thrust/weight: 0.65

Armament Note: all armament is optional. 1× 30 mm ADEN cannon, in centreline pod 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder or ASRAAM on wing pylons.

Copyright (C) VEAO Ltd 2012 Page 4 of 11 Eurofighter Typhoon The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed by a consortium of three companies, EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems, working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986.

Eurofighter Typhoon is being produced serially by the EADS, Alenia Aeronautica, and BAE Systems consortium. The aircraft are being procured under separate contracts, named tranches, each for aircraft with generally improved capabilities. The Typhoon has entered service with the Austrian Air Force, the Italian Air Force, the German Luftwaffe, the British Royal Air Force, the Spanish Air Force, and the Royal Saudi Air Force.

General characteristics Crew: 1 (operational aircraft) or 2 (training aircraft) Length: 15.96 m (52.4 ft) Wingspan: 10.95 m (35.9 ft) Height: 5.28 m (17.3 ft) Wing area: 51.2 m² (551 sq ft) Empty weight: 11,150 kg (24,600 lb) Loaded weight: 16,000 kg (35,000 lb) Max. takeoff weight: 23,500 kg (52,000 lb) Powerplant: 2 × Eurojet EJ200 afterburning turbofan Dry thrust: 60 kN (13,000 lbf) each Thrust with afterburner: 89 kN (20,000 lbf) each

Fuel capacity: 4,500 kg (9,900 lb) internal

Performance Maximum speed: At altitude: Mach 2 (2,495 km/h/1,550 mph) At sea level: Mach 1.2[230] (1,470 km/h/910 mph) Supercruise: Mach 1.1–1.5

Range: 2,900 km (1,800 mi) Combat radius: Ground attack, lo-lo-lo: 601 km (325 nmi) Ground attack, hi-lo-hi: 1,389 km (750 nmi) Air defence with 3-hr combat air patrol: 185 km (100 nmi) Air defence with 10-min. loiter: 1,389 km (750 nmi)

Ferry range: 3,790 km (2,350 mi) Service ceiling: 16,765 m (55,003 ft) Absolute ceiling: 19,812 m (65,000 ft) Rate of climb: >315 m/s (62,000 ft/min) Wing loading: 312 kg/m² (64.0 lb/ft²) Thrust/weight: 1.15

g-limits: +9/−3 g

Hardpoints: Total of 13: 8 x under-wing; and 5 x under-fuselage pylon stations; holding up to 7,500 kg (16,500 lb) of payload.

Missiles: Air-to-air missiles: AIM-9 Sidewinder AIM-132 ASRAAM AIM-120 AMRAAM IRIS-T MBDA Meteor

Air-to-surface missiles: AGM-65 Maverick AGM-88 HARM Storm Shadow (AKA Scalp EG) Brimstone Taurus KEPD 350 Penguin AGM Armiger

Bombs: 6x 500lb Paveway IV Paveway II/III/Enhanced Paveway series of laser-guided bombs (LGBs) Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) HOPE/HOSBO

Others: Flares/infrared decoys dispenser pod Chaff pods Electronic countermeasures (ECM) pods LITENING III laser targeting pod Up to 3 drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range/loitering time.

Avionics Euroradar CAPTOR Radar Passive Infra-Red Airborne Tracking Equipment (PIRATE)

Flight Simulator The flight simulator used for ACTS will be Digital Combat Simulator by The Fighter Collection and Eagle Dynamics.

The purpose of using this simulator for ACTS is that VEAO are developing the Hawk T.1A and Eurofighter Typhoon for use within DCS.

Within the Add-ons will be training lessons, missions and campaigns linked to the ACTS syllabus.

DCS gives us the ability for fully functional aircraft and systems within the simulator with fully clickable cockpits and integration with HOTAS and MFCD devices.

For lessons on the Typhoon a Voice Throttle and Stick (VTAS) system will be implemented therefore a microphone will be required.

Voice Communications Teamspeak is the chosen voice over IP communication software and a dedicated ACTS server will be available to students and instructors.

Videos and Media Training videos will be available within YouTube on a dedicated ACTS channel http://www.youtube.com/user/veaoacts. These will be mobile device enabled for playback on portable devices. Animated media will be available for the PC by utilising Macromedia Flash based web sites. Alternative media will be available for Apple devices until such time as Flash is integrated.

Copyright (C) VEAO Ltd 2012 Page 7 of 11 VKA Teaching Techniques Various teaching media will be used throughout the school utilising latest technology and devices. These will consist of soft/hard copy documents, reference charts, tables, etc. Macromedia Flash web sites showing 2d and 3d animations, Apple compatible media and lessons given by qualified instructors within the flight simulator.

The core principals of teaching techniques will be VKA, these being;

Visual On-screen manuals, reference information, computer based training and hard copy documents.

Kinaesthetic Flight time using your HOTAS or other joystick and throttle and MFCD panels.

Audio MP3 recorded media for playback and lessons taught by instructors, either real time or recorded.

ACTS lessons will use a mixture of these teaching techniques to greatly enhance your learning abilities.

BASIC FLYING TRAINING, HAWK T1A

Subject types: Performance, planning & briefing RT & Air Traffic Control

Basic Control & Technique: EoC Elevator, Aileron, Rudder, Throttle, Flap Lookout, LAI, LOI, PAT/APT, PAAT C, D, T Take-Off

General Handling (To include day and night): Stalling Circuits Spinning Aeros PFLs/RPFLs

Navigation: Planning, minima and regulation, nav geometry, navaid theory, MDR VFR Med Lev Clock-Map-Ground, Big-Small, Max Drift, Std Closing Angle, 1:60 VFR Low Lev Vert ext, MSD, weather avoid, tac avoid, abort, lost proc IFR Navaids, fixing, CAS, P-P

Instrument Flying: Selective radial scan, services, approaches, met, minima & regulation IFTO UAs Mals TACAN/Radar PFLs Part Panel Approaches

Formation: Briefing, phraseology, responsibilities, references, positions Form/Stream Echelon, Trail, Vic, FW, Tac Vis/Radar Break/Rejoin Turning join VRIAB HEFOM Leading

EOC Cx: Form lead LL tac nav to strike x2 tgt, LL abort, PD w split for app, o’shoot to ML nav P-P, GH & aeros, solo LL nav to bingo/chicken & mals

Serial Description Duration

1 Basic effects of controls and circuits 1:30 2 Circuit consolidation, Visual UAs 1:00 3 Spinning and Aerobatics 1:00 4 GH Check 1:30 5 Instrument Flying Intro (RVA) 1:00 6 IFTO, UAs, TACAN PFL 1:00 7 IF PD, CAS, ILS 1:00 8 Malfunctions, Partial Panel (ILS) 1:00 9 IF Check 1:30 10 Night famil, circuits 1:00 11 Night malfunctions 1:00 12 Medium Level VFR Nav 1:00 13 Low Level Intro 1:00 14 Mixed Profile VFR Nav 1:00 15 IFR Nav 1:00 16 Hi-Lo Nav 1:00 17 Final Nav Test (inc IF & Mals) 1:30 18 Formation intro, formations and joins 1:00 19 Adv Formation, IF split and approaches 1:00 20 Formation lead, fighting wing 1:00 21 Mixed profile (Nav, IF, GH, Form) 1:00 22 Mixed profile 2 (Form, IF, PD, GH, Nav) 1:00 23 End of Course Check 2:00

TOTAL 26:00

SORTIE 1 – BASIC EFFECTS OF CONTROLS AND CIRCUITS (1:30 approx)

Prerequisites: Flying: Nil Ground Briefings: CCGS; Perf, Planning and Briefing, Effects of Controls, CTD, Circuits, the airmanship cycle, checks

Situation: FL150 20nm SE of airfield W/V 260/10, CAVOK

Modules: Straight and Level – visual attitude technique Correct turn entry for 30*, 45*, 60* turns Lookout Attitude Instruments maintenance work cycle Rollout, dead wing check Routine Airmanship Cycle (FOEEL checks) Correct climb entry; power attitude trim Full power checks Correct level off; attitude, airspeed, (progressively adjust attitude & trim) power Top of climb checks Pre descent checks (FIRAC) Correct descent entry; power, attitude, airspeed, trim Correct level off; attitude, power, trim HASELL checks S&L stall Final approach stall Final turn stall Standard circuit join Landing