FLIGHT TRAINING INSTRUCTION T-45 WEAPONS/STRIKE - Cnatra

CHAPTER ELEVEN T-45 WEAPONS/STRIKE
Low Pullout
Going below the release altitude during the pullout from the dive can be the result of any one, or
a combination, of the following situations. Recall the breakaway cross on your head-up display.
If a 1.5-second reaction time followed by a 1 g/second pull to a sustained 4 g's would allow your
aircraft below 1,000 feet AGL, you will get a large "X" in the center of your display. If you see
it, pull up immediately. Do not depend on the cross as a cue; pull off when you are supposed to.
The cross is not generated in dives of less than 15 degrees.
Excessive Airspeed at Release
Failure to monitor power settings, roll-in airspeeds, and dive angles can easily result in excessive
airspeeds at release altitude. Disregarding any of these variables not only creates a dangerous
situation because of a resultant low pullout, but detracts considerably from the pilot's ability to
bomb effectively. Be a professional and strive to arrive at the release point on airspeed. Not only
will your runs be safer, but your hits will be more accurate.
Dive Angles Steeper than Optimum
Not only does a steeper dive angle result in a lower than normal pullout, but it usually causes a
faster run. The pilot thus introduces two variables into the bombing solution merely by being
steep. Learn to recognize steeper than optimum dive angles early in the run with the help of your
HUD, and make the appropriate correction when it won't cost you too much valuable tracking
time.
Target Fixation
Every pilot would like to get a bull's eye on every run, but unfortunately, some have become so
engrossed in achieving hits that they have flown into the ground by fixating on the target and
disregarding their release altitude. This is especially a problem with forward firing ordnance
where it is easy to "follow" the projectiles' flight path. Last-second corrections usually result in
both a false sight picture and a loss of altitude. Ensure the proper Target Placement Angle is set
at the checkpoint, not just the planned dive angle. This will aid in acquiring a release solution
close to the planned release altitude. Adhere to your mandatory abort criteria for being Steep or
Shallow.
Bottom line. If the run is that bad, abort and go around to try again. Continually scan the
altimeter; don't become another statistic.
Correcting by Releasing Low
We have told you several times not to correct for errors by releasing low. The primary reason is
safety. But there is another reason not to go low, a reason connected with the combat job you are
learning. That reason is fuse arming delay, which involves a time delay set into the fuse to allow
safe separation of the bomb from the aircraft. A bomb with a timed fuse must fall for a set length
of time before the fuse is armed. Consequently, going low for release may not give sufficient
11-2 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS