THEORETICAL TRAINING
To be successful in air combat is not an easy task. Fighter pilots of all countries practice for many
years to achieve the skills necessary to get the maximum performance out of their aircraft. Though it
is impossible to model every aspect of flight training, it is nevertheless important to understand some
principles of combat aviation.
Indicated Air Speed and True Airspeed
As a rule, when flight altitude decreases, the air density increases. The denser atmosphere
contributes to a greater lift force, but the drag component increases as well. The thinner air at high
altitudes reduces aircraft lift, but drag will decrease. This contributes to higher airspeeds at high
altitude. An aircraft traveling at 700 km per hour possesses different flight characteristics when flying
at 1,000 km per hour. The actual speed at which aircraft flies through the air mass is called the true
air speed (TAS). TAS automatically compensates for air pressure and density. Related to TAS,
Ground Speed (GS) is the aircraft's actual speed across the earth. It equals the TAS plus or minus the
wind factor.
Most modern aircraft have airspeed indicators that take into account air density and humidity
changes at different altitudes. When these changes are not taken into account, the aircraft velocity is
called Indicated Air Speed (IAS). For the pilot, the IAS is the basis for defining maneuvering
capabilities of an aircraft; it is usually displayed on the HUD and dash.
THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR SHOW THE AIRCRAFT’S INDICATED AIR SPEED
Velocity Vector
The total velocity vector indicator is a common feature on western HUDs; it is also called the Flight
Path Marker (FPM). The velocity vector indicates the actual flight direction of the aircraft, which may
not correspond with where the nose of the jet is actually pointed. If you place the velocity vector on
a point on the ground, eventually, the aircraft will fly directly into that point. This indicator is
important tool for pilots and can be used from combat maneuvering to landing approaches. Modern,
highly maneuverable aircraft like F-15C can fly at high angles-of-attack (AoA) - when the aircraft flies
in one direction but the longitudinal axis is directed in another.
Angle-of-Attack (AoA) Indicator
As described above, the velocity vector may not coincide with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. The
angle between the velocity vector projection and the aircraft’s longitudinal axis is termed angle-of-
attack. When the pilot pulls the control stick back, he generally increases the aircraft angle-of-attack.
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