Air-t-Air gunnery at DECIMOMANNU During live range campaign held n Decimmannu airbase by VAAFSE frces air-t-air live fire range can be dne int D40 zne as shwn by the picture belw: Air-t-air gun range is usually dne using a slw-mving aircraft that mantains a target pattern int the range simulating a dart r sck twing aircraft. On the target pattern a sectin f 4 (2 in the initial training phase) aircrafts acting as attackers can sht n the twed dart r sck.
TOWING AIRCRAFT ROUTE AND PROCEDURES (see plan map n next page) Target aircraft (TANGO) simulate a dart r sck twing aircraft. TAKE-OFF AND CLIMB - TANGO will take ff using rwy 35R, after take ff make a left turn fllwing radial 262 frm DEC VOR and climbing at 230 kts until FL 120 until INDIA POINT n radial 262/38 NM frm DEC VOR. ENTERING INTO THE RANGE - Leaving INDIA steers heading 325 and cntacts with MIRTO radar (if available) t receive last weather cnditin int D40 zne and the clearance t enter int the range. - Once cleared and reached CHARLIE Nrth n radial 303 /48 NM frm DEC VOR, steers heading 180 mantains 230-250 kias and FL 120 r upper pending n weather cnditins but nt abve FL 150 in rder t mantain VMC during pattern. DURING TARGET PATTERN - Mantain SIERRA TRACK and steady flight parameters until reaching CHARLIE Suth then turn left steering 360 - Mantain NOVEMBER TRACK and steady flight parameters until reaching CHARLIE Nrth t begin anther pattern if s requested. EXITING THE RANGE - Leave the range frm CHARLIE Suth, steering tward ALPHA SOUTH and cntacting DECI TWR fr further landing instructins. RADIO CALL PROCEDURES - When called by attacker leader, TANGO will reprt his psitin in: ALTITUDE: Flight level TRACK: SIERRA r NOVEMBER POSITION: RDL/DIST frm DEC VOR FLIGHT CONDITION: IMC r VMC (range is clsed if track cannt be flwn in VMC) - Spntaneusly call attackers leader when he is reaching the end f SIERRA/NOVEMBER track, at pattern end attackers must leave the range, hwever TANGO can extend a bit the pattern leg in rder t let attackers t finish their pass. SAFETY AND LIMITED OPERATIONS - AA range is clsed if twing A/C cannt mantain VMC between FL 10 and 150 during all the pattern track. - Upn twing pilt decisin pattern TRACK can be reduced in lenght in rder t mantain VMC but nt belw 20 NM. - Twing pilt acts als as range directr when attackers are n firing pattern, he can push away attackers frm firing pattern fr safety reasns.
TANGO (twing a/c rute) FERRARI (attacker a/c rute) Range exit rute RANGE IP (FL 150) 320 /38 NM DEC VOR CHARLIE nrth 305 /44 NM DEC VOR SIERRA TRACK 180 325 330 37 NM INDIA POINT 262 /26 NM DEC VOR NOVEMBER TRACK 360 CHARLIE suth 243 /44 NM DEC VOR
ATTACKERS ROUTE AND PROCEDURES (see pictures n next and previus page) Traditinally attackers frmatins have italian racing cars name such as: FERRARI, MASERATI, ALFA, etc. TAKE OFF AND CLIMB - Take ff frm rwy 35R climbing t FL 150, heading 330 until range IP n 320 / 38 NM frm DEC VOR OVER RANGE IP, ENTERING ON RANGE - Call TANGO t btain his psitin, track and range entering clearance. - Pending n TANGO psitin and track leads tward first pass OFF putting FERRARI frmatin n right hand echeln. - Here we can have several cases: A -TANGO is n SIERRA track at beginning, the mst favrable case, leader leaves IP and prceed suthbund until first OFF psitin B - TANGO is n SIERRA track nt at beginning but nrthern than radial 280 frm DEC VOR, in this case leader behaves like abve but may be TANGO wuld extend the suthbund leg a little bit beynd CHARLIE Suth in rder t permit attackers t finish their pass C - TANGO is n SIERRA track but suthern than than radial 280 frm DEC VOR, in this case leader shuld prceed suth bund cnsidering t begin ht passes when TANGO begins NOVEMBER track. D - TANGO is n NOVEMBER track at beginning, same as C case abve E TANGO is n NOVEMBER track but suthern that radial 280 frm DEC VOR, in this case leader shuld prceed t enter n range but may be TANGO will extend the nrthbund leg beynd CHARLIE Nrth in rder t permit attackers t finish their pass. E - TANGO is n NOVEMBER track but nrthern that radial 280 frm DEC VOR, in this case leader shuld cnsider t hld ver range IP until TANGO enter n SIERRA track then acting as case A abve. INTO THE RANGE - Refer t the picture n next page, cmpulsry radi calls are IN and OFF, ther indicatins can be dne upn request. - COMMON ERRORS ON GUN PATTERN: On descending curve f pursuit stay t behind the target, this makes yu sht t lse and n tail psitin, best sht psitin is at target 8 clck On IN stay t much n target head (t clse t target) this makes a curve f pursuit t step and impssible t achieve right shting psitin On OFF make a climb dwind t step and clse this favs t be n target head EXITING FROM RANGE - Leaving the range attackers leader prceeds with t rejin frmatin, range exiting shuld be dne leaving CHARLIE Suth tward ALPHA SOUTH cntacting Deci TWR fr further landing instructins, this applies als when the range was dne fllwing NOVEMBER track, in this case the leader, after leaving the range, turns right t steer 180 staying abve FL120 and prceeding tward CHARLIE Suth. SAFETY RULES - Maximum number f passes are 4 each attacker frmatin, in special cases and when s requested TANGO can clear mre than 4 passes, hwever attackers shuld reprt WEAPON SAFE and leave the range befre TANGO reach CHARLIE pints.
AIR-TO-AIR GUN RANGE CIRCUIT OFF again, 6 Target speed: 230-250 kias Target altitude: FL 120-150 pending n weather cnditins since it mantain VMC IN target altitude + 4000 250-280 kias 4 Right turn, pull dwn 30 hard turn 60/70 bank Release pull, level wing and pass behind target target shuld be n sight here, rll back t left lead pursuit, aim in frnt f target, sht at 450-480 kias 5 1.5 2 NM Left break, pull up 30 hard turn 60/70 bank full engine BASE target altitude + 4000 250-280 kias 3 2 1 OFF target altitude + 500 350 kias DOWWIND rll back right climbing t BASE - 120 FROM RANGE IP fr the first pass