Forum: F-16 Procedures

Elite 1K Joined: Aug 19, 2004 - 09:19 AM Posts: 1092

Visibility is pretty good for the F-16 pilot using an 11° AoA approach. If a 13° AoA approach is used, the -1 manual states that visibility can be somewhat of an issue, although not a huge one. Videos and pictures can be deceiving when judging things like angle of attack, pitch angle, etc. One thing to remember is that the glid slope angle (2.5°, right?) is negative, and so your angle of attack equates to a less severe pitch angle as you can see in the above photo (from the Falcon 4 PC simulation).

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Yeah right...the F-16 has great visibility and the avionics are "in the air".

The only problem is at adverse weather operation.
At touchdown speeds the rain is a factor.
The water stays in front of the canopy exact at the point of the HUD.

But generally, yes...its bubble canopy and the right posit of glare shield makes it great.

@hubli

I also used to think that due to high angle of attack or nose up, how fighter pilots can see runway on short finals. but i came to know that they actually can see the threshold point. unless viper pilot goes beyond 15 degree angle of attack. i am only talking about VFR.

when your viper gears are down, you will see a square bracket at the bottom of HUD like this "[" you have to place your flight patch marker in that "[" and you are good for landing, cuz that "[" shows 3 degree glide slope. i think in other American fighters same bracket "[" exists.

ynmian wrote:

...when your viper gears are down, you will see a square bracket at the bottom of HUD like this "[" you have to place your flight patch marker in that "[" and you are good for landing, cuz that "[" shows 3 degree glide slope. i think in other American fighters same bracket "[" exists.

The "[" you refer to is the AoA Staple (cuz it looks like an uncrushed office staple). It's an AoA reference only and is unrelated to showing the glide slope. With the flight path marker at the top of the staple, you're at 11 AoA, center is 13, and the bottom is...well...if you're there, you're too slow!!. Wink

I've covered this in other threads but to set the glide slope on a visual approach (let's say 2.5º), you fly the jet on course until you see your intended touchdown point at -2.5º on the HUD pitch ladder (the first set of dashed lines). You then put the FPM 2.5º down in the HUD and keep it there to maintain the glide slope.

@LinkF16SimDude

I thought that With the flight path marker at the top of the staple means 15 degree AoA.

In Falcon 4.0 AF, here is what I do for visual approach, I fly straight and level, as soon as runway threshold gets closer to -3 degree on pitch ladder, I put my path marker in the staple. i mostly use 2d cockpit, I have to look down for FPM (using hat switch). I wish I had that gauge in front of me all the time.

Can you please send me the link of your other thread or another interesting thread specifically related to Falcon 4.0 AF.

Forum: F-16 Procedures

A question on landings