FLIGHT SCHOOL
Basic Manuevers | Hazards
| Advanced Manuevers
Getting your bearings
Bearing
In the 3D world of space flight, the three axes of a ship are
combined to create two particular planes. The longitudinal axis fore
to aft is the X axis and the lateral axis left to right
is the Y axis. These combine to create XY plane or azimuth. Combine the
X axis with the Z axis up and down creates the XZ plane or
elevation. These are used in determining an object's bearing, or direction
from your vehicle at a specific point in time. An object with a bearing
of 025 Mark 035 can be found 25° to starboard and 35° above the
craft's XY plane. In other words, up and to the right. To roll the ship
45° to port would move the position of the object. Its bearing would
become changed. What was 35° above is now 10° below the XY plane.
What was 25° to starboard is still 25° to starboard. Now the object
will pass slightly below and still to the right of the craft.
Heading
Heading is the course your vehicle is on at any given point
in time, and is calculated in a similar fashion to bearing. The difference
is that your heading is calculated from some common reference point like
the planetary magnetic pole or the planetary system's primary star. In
some cases, standard galactic navigational references will be programmed
into your flight computer, and you will use the same methods that large
starships use. Which reference point is used will be determined by the
type of vehicle you are in, and the tactical mission you are expected to
perform. Obviously, a pilot flying a low level atmospheric bombing mission
isn't going to need galactic reference points! It is important to understand
the difference between heading and bearing. Heading is what direction an
object is traveling and bearing is where that object is in relation to
you.
Rotational Movement
Any aerospace vehicle or starship movement can be described
as a combination of three primary movements: roll, pitch, and yaw. Every
vehicle has three rotational axes (pronounced AX-eez) that are 90°
from each other. These axes are referred are named by their direction:
longitudinal, lateral, and vertical.
Pitch
The lateral axis is the pivot point about which a craft pitches. Pitch
can best be described as the up and down motion of the nose of the craft.
To increase pitch would to climb in altitude. The lateral axis runs left
to right through the center point of the craft, parallel with the planet
surface when in horizontal flight, perpendicular to and intersecting the
roll axis.
Roll
The longitudinal axis is the pivot point about which a craft rolls.
The movement associated with the roll is best described as the movement
of the wing tips, one up and one down. This axis runs fore to aft through
the length of the craft. This axis is parallel to the primary direction
of the craft, which is considered to be forward.
Yaw
The vertical axis runs from top to bottom of the craft, intersecting
the other two axes at the same point. The movement associated with this
axes is yaw. Yaw can be best described as the change in craft heading to
left or right along the primary direction of the craft. To turn the craft
about the vertical axis, thereby turning the direction the craft is facing,
is considered yaw.
Launch/Takeoff
Planetary Airfield. After taxing to the end of the runaway,
begin your takeoff with full power forward thrust. As the lift is generated
under the wings, the craft will begin to rise from the strip. Pull back
gently on the stick once this begins and continue your ascent at a moderate
rate. Climb too steeply and the craft will stall out, too shallow and you
risk hitting any nearby structures.
Shuttle or Hangar Bay. After getting clearance from Flight Control, activate the maneuvering thrusters enough to raise the craft 1 to 2 meters from the deck and then maneuver the craft to the bay doors. After clearing the doors, maneuver to the port or starboard side of the ship, as pre-designated by ship protocols. Once you are clear of the vessel and released for maneuvering by the Flight Control Officer, engage your engines and move away.
Launch Tube. Once clearance has been granted to your ship, begin the standard launch sequence by disengaging the docking clamps and initializing the launcher. Remember to keep your head pressed firmly against the back of your seat, as rapid acceleration sometimes overcomes the inertial dampers ability to completely neutralize the forces at work. Keep the stick straight until clear of the tube outer hatch, and once clear of the no-fly zone, engage your engines and begin maneuvering.
Climbing
To start a climb, increase thrust. You will begin gaining altitude
gradually. To climb rapidly, increase your thrust, and activate maneuver
thrusters. Don't bring the nose up too far or your craft will stall. To
achieve the best climb rate, use full thrust with the nose of your craft
at about 30 degrees .
Decent/Diving
To descend without gaining speed, decrease your thrust. The
reduced thrust will allow gravity to pull your craft towards the surface.
You can also descend rapidly by entering a dive. Maintain full thrust and
activate maneuver thrusters towards the surface. Your craft will increase
speed and lose altitude rapidly. Be careful not to dive too steeply. The
resulting high speed may cause damage to your vehicle, by distorting or
destroying the wing lifting surfaces.
Turning
Bank your craft by rolling to one side and activating your maneuvering
thrusters. The more you bank, the greater the turn rate. However as you
turn, you lose speed and altitude. Watch these factors to maintain a well
coordinated turn.
Landing
As in all cases, the number of landings should always equal the number
of takeoffs. In the case of craft with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL)
capabilities, landing is merely a slow decent to the airstrip. In the case
of normal aircraft, it is a matter of a slow decent to the airstrip, flaring
the wings as air speed drops, and allowing the craft to stall and drop
the last one or two feet to the pavement.
Hazards
There are many dangers inherent to aerospace flight, some of
which are universal and some apply only in an atmosphere. Here is a list
of some of the more common hazards you will need to understand before you
fly for the Corps.
Stalls
A stall is caused when you increase the angle of attack on the
wing, usually by pulling up sharply on the nose of the aircraft. Airflow
strikes the bottom of the wing and is disrupted too much to generate lift,
causing the aircraft to fall. The pilot must force the nose back down,
then attempt to level the flight to begin developing lift under the wings
again. All of this takes time, which is why low altitude stalls usually
result in a crash.
Spins
A spin is an aggravated stall that occurs when one side of the
aircraft stalls before the other. Normally this happens when a craft is
maneuvering near the critical angle of attack and then stalls, as in a
steeply banked turn. The stalled side will lose lift and drop, while the
lift and drag on the other side will induce the craft to rotate. The result
is a corkscrew descent, which may turn into a "flat spin" where
neither wing is able to generate any lift and the control surfaces are
unable to influence the craft's attitude. Once a flat spin occurs, it almost
always results in an uncontrollable crash, as the pilot is unable to get
the nose down and regain lift under the wings. Pilots are trained to take
immediate action in the case of a spin, in order to prevent a flat spin
from developing.
Flameout
With conventional engines, there is always the possibility of
one or more engines failing, either from damage or excessive speed in a
descent. Restarting a failed engine may or may not work, and a flameout
in a critical maneuver can cause a crash. Fortunately, flameouts rarely
occur, thanks to modern engines and redundant power systems.
FOD
Foreign Object Damage, or FOD, refers to some object striking
and damaging the aircraft. This is usually through an engine intake or
along the leading edge of a lifting or control surface. This destroys the
aircraft's ability to generate thrust or lift, resulting in a crash. Other
times it may mean an object striking the canopy, blinding the pilot by
shattering the windscreen or penetrating to injure him. Aircraft are particularly
vulnerable to this during takeoff or landing, when airspeed and lift must
be carefully controlled. Ground fire, birds and debris (including tools
left in or around the aircraft by careless technicians) can all cause an
aircraft to suffer FOD.
Airframe Failure
High speed dives or other high stress maneuvers can cause an
aircraft to stretch, distort or simply come apart under the strain. Obviously,
this leads to bad things.
Blackouts, Redouts and Grayouts
High speed dives force blood towards the top of the pilot's
body, causing his vision to "red out" as he is forced into unconsciousness
by blood pressure. The opposite occurs during high speed climbs, like the
pull out at the bottom of a steep dive. Blood is forced towards the pilot's
feet, causing him to "black out" from loss of blood pressure
to the brain. High speed turns and rotational movements can cause a similar
effect, known as a "gray out", where the pilot doesn't lose consciousness,
but is dazed and incapable of taking effective action to regain control
of the aircraft, sometimes for several minutes. This is less of a problem
with modern inertial dampening fields, but in high speed aerospace maneuvering,
the effects of inertia and gravity can still be felt. Twentieth century
pilots wore a flight suit that inflated and deflated to limit the blood
flow to and from the upper and lower portions of the pilot's body. The
MAST system force field works in much the same way.
Break
A break is a very tight turn at a high angle of bank. Simply
bank hard to one side. Once the craft has rolled 45-70 degrees, apply slight
nose up maneuvering thrust to sharpen the turn. If you should start to
lose altitude, increase nose up thrust or reduce your bank angle to raise
your nose. A break is useful when you want to quickly change direction.
It can be used when you see bandits that you wish to attack, or as an evasive
maneuver.
Barrel Roll
When performing a barrel roll, your craft will cut a corkscrew
path. To execute a barrel roll, bank sharply in one direction while applying
slight nose up thrust. To maintain rotation about the roll axis. Maintain
this bank as your craft inverts (at the top of the roll). A barrel roll
can be used as a defensive maneuver when the enemy is on your tail. A perfect
barrel roll is possible without a loss of altitude, but it is very difficult.
Immelmann
An Immelmann is a climbing half loop combined with a 180 degree
roll. The result is a reversed direction at a higher altitude. At the beginning
of this maneuver, your craft should be flying level at high speed. Begin
by increasing your thrust and applying hard nose up thrust. As your craft
reaches the top of the half loop, it will be inverted. Roll left or right
in order to roll your craft till it is upright. Upon the completion of
an Immelmann, your craft should be at a higher altitude and traveling in
the opposite direction from your initial heading. The Immelmann can be
a useful pursuit maneuver when you pass beneath an enemy traveling in the
opposite direction.
Loop
A Loop is a full 360 degree rotation in pitch. Gain plenty of
speed before beginning a loop (a loop is often proceeded by a dive). Increase
thrust to full and apply hard nose up thrust. The craft should be upside
down at the top of the loop. Maintain hard nose up thrust and complete
the loop, flying level at the end of the maneuver. The craft should be
traveling at its initial heading but at a lower altitude.
Split-S
A Split-S combines a half roll with nose up thrust to perform
a half loop. First, roll your craft 180 degrees so that the craft is inverted.
Then stop the roll and apply hard nose up thrust to execute a half loop,
returning the craft to level flight. This maneuver reverses the craft's
direction while losing altitude. Although it can be used to engage an enemy
flying beneath you in the opposite direction, the Split-S will greatly
increase your speed.
Wing Over
In a Wing Over, your craft behaves somewhat like a marble rolled
up a ramp; gravity draws it back down to the bottom. Begin a steep climb.
As the craft nears a stall, use full thrust to yaw the craft either left
or right until its nose is pointing down in the opposite direction of the
climb. This is a tricky maneuver, but it is useful after a diving attack,
allowing a quick return for a second pass.
Scissors
The Scissors maneuver is composed of a series of extreme banks
from side to side. You can perform the scissors maneuver by alternating
hard right and left thrust. When a target is scissoring, an attacker can't
maintain a steady target lock; and, if the scissoring craft is more maneuverable
than a rear attacker, the scissors can slow the target down and force the
attacker to pass him.
Skid
A skid appears as a lateral slide with a gradual loss of altitude.
While dipping one side, apply opposite thrust to prevent yaw. (Your heading
shouldn't change significantly). The craft will "skid" in the
direction of the dipped side as altitude is lost. A skid can be used to
lose altitude without incurring a large increase in speed or a drastic
change in heading.
Chandelle
A Chandelle is a slow-climbing turn through 180 degrees. Beginning
from level flight, thrust to the left or right and gently apply nose up
thrust to increase elevation. Don't bank too steeply or you will perform
a break turn (and lose altitude). Maintain this rising turn until you have
turned 180 degrees. When you have completed this maneuver, you have reversed
direction and gained altitude.
Material on this page ruthlessly plagerized from the SFMC's Aerospace Branch Manual by Matt Kelley and available from SFMC Academy.
WebPage designed & maintained by Kevin "MAC" Nulty
