 |
| CHAPTER 4 |
| Navigation |
 |
| Navigation is basically the art of finding your way from one place to another using various references such as landmarks,compass, stars and maps. In the real world finding your way on a map from the air can be rather difficult. due to wind speeds at different altitudes, head & tailwinds, drift and ground speed - all of which have to be figured in. Here in AH we have things a little easier as all you have to do is look for the little airplane symbol on the map to see where you are and which way you are going. But how do you tell your fellow squad mates exactly where you are or follow commands to go a specific direction? That is what we will cover here in the first section. |
|
| 4.3 MAP READING |
| As you can see the picture to the left is one grid taken from an Aces High map, Grid 10,7 to be exact. I have overlayed the orange lines and numbers to easier help you understand how the system works. If you will look down, these are the same positions as the numbers on the key pad on your computer's keyboard. Each grid on the AH map is divided into 9 equal squares. Each square is given a number based on the keypad layout.EXAMPLE: If I call out a position of 10,7,9 that would be in the upper right hand corner in grid 10,7. For most situations this is accurate enough. But on the occasion you need even more accuracy you would add a 4th number to your position above to get 10,7,9,5. To get this divide the "9" square in the above example into a further 9 squares as you did the bigger grid... so 10,7,9,5 would be dead center of the 9 square on the 10,7 grid. DISTANCE: Each Grid on the AH maps is 25 miles x 25 miles. Square 10,7,9 would be 8.33 miles. Sub-Square 10,7,9,5 would be 2.77 miles. |
| First lets cover the controls on the keyboard that opertate the map. ESC KEY: This key will bring up your kneeboard where you can view the map. INSERT KEY: This key will zoom the map up to closer view the area around where you are located. DELETE KEY: The key will reduce the map size back toward the regular size on the kneeboard. |
| 4.2 MAP CONTROLS |
|
|
| 4.1 READING THE COMPASS: |
 |
|
| CHAPTER 5: FORMATION FLYING |
| RETURN TO CONTENTS PAGE |
 |
 |
| FIGURE 1: MAGNETIC COMPASS |
| FIGURE 2: REPEATER COMPASS |
|
 |
| Here in AH we have two means of telling which direction we are going - the map which is described below and by useing the compass on the dashboard. In our fighter aircraft we have two types of compass - the MAGNETIC COMPASS (Figure 1) and the REPEATER COMPASS (Figure 2) The basics working princables are that the magnetic compass uses a magnet to point to North where the repeater compass uses a gyroscope to tell North. In AH you will rarely use the maganetic compass as it is just much easier to use the repeater and there is no chance one will get knocked out by battle damage. The Repeater is set up like any regular compass with North, South, East & West marked on the gauge and a revolving needle that points which position you are going. The RED end of the needle is your direction. However it is also divided into 360 degrees to more accurately keep on a specific course. EXAMPLE: The compass in Figure 2 is pointed North or 360 degrees. East would be 090, South would be 180, West would be 270 and North again would be 0 or 360. EXAMPLE 2: If your flght leader told you to come to course "060" you woulf turn your aircraft to the right till the red end of the needle stops on the "6" or 060. |