Bullseye
-
I know this is not practical in real life … but I made a simple bulls-eye chart (radials and concentric circles) on 8.5"x11" laminate sheet. I reference this sheet during flight. I drop a coin on the sheet for my location and another coin for enemy bulls-eye. Lets you almost immediately figure out approx. bearing and range to bad guys. I’m too old to do that kind of complicated math in my head
…what makes you think guys might not do that in RL?
But another thing is that you get used to it once you’ve used it for some time…like reading a VOR/TACAN needle on the reverse course…or using an HSI or RMI…etc.
-
…what makes you think guys might not do that in RL?
But another thing is that you get used to it once you’ve used it for some time…like reading a VOR/TACAN needle on the reverse course…or using an HSI or RMI…etc.
I spend my life calling request picture, and then using the cursors to assist with the SA to work out where the hell the hostiles are. Normally followed in swift succession of being jumped, looking madly into the deep blue, and then wondering why everything is getting quiet before pulling the big friendly handle.
Other peoples mileage might vary.
-
I spend my life calling request picture, and then using the cursors to assist with the SA to work out where the hell the hostiles are. Normally followed in swift succession of being jumped, looking madly into the deep blue, and then wondering why everything is getting quiet before pulling the big friendly handle.
Other peoples mileage might vary.
…if you’re not dying, you’re not learning. Always debrief yourself and think about how you got to the end state…then don’t do that again. That works, but you have to do it a LOT…I think I have over 4000 FAF missions in my logs, and yet am still just now getting used to using bullseye as “natural” because I didn’t use it from the beginning.
Another trick to it is that you don’t really need to do any math or try to figure an exact position from the call - what you really want to learn is the fastest turn to get your sensors - radar, TGP, eyeballs, etc. - on or into a target sector. Once there you let the jet do the math. There is a lot of assisting information on the displays, and it also takes a bit of time and practice to learn to scan and read it all in such a manner as to be able to make a quick decision from it.
You’ll get it!
-
Dont feel too bad about having to repeatedly request picture. If the AWACS actually gave us picture when we asked for it, rather than bogey dope? That would be great.
Another trivia item: they should never include the term picture, while providing the picture. The brevity term is a request for a picture, and the ABM should not be asking for it. Although, precommit, MULTIPLE GROUPS can be a valid picture.
-
… Why?
But you’ve answered yourself to that question :
Not “why are they named” but rather “why multiple bullseye locations”?? I’m assuming this is for very big theatres? Are there other reasons? ie, in the Gulf war, were there multiple locations used?
-
I cannot say definitively the reasons the USAF use multiple B/Es… but I can come up with a few that influence why I think they are a good idea.
For one, if they refer to specific locations, then pilots familiar with the area will be able to work out locations much faster and more intuitively, using the closest B/E as appropriate. For KTO, using a single B/E for the whole theater is masochistic. Using a series of them across the front lines would make life much easier - for the same reason above.
Additionally, if you use a single B/E and the enemy have access to your comms, then your position data is compromised entirely. If you use multiple ones, then only a portion of your position data is compromised. This is likely less of a concern with Secure Voice though.
-
-
-
Yep, like I suspected, for bigger theatres.
If it’s a challenge for simmers to deal with one bullseye location, I can only imagine the mental gears grinding to a halt when having to remember and reference 3 or more bullseye locations!!
In North Korean theatre, we can consider at least two bulls.
Having more is even better so be able to move them significantly periodically.
-
Merci
In North Korean theatre, we can consider at least two bulls.
Having more is even better so be able to move them significantly periodically.
-
Yep, like I suspected, for bigger theatres.
If it’s a challenge for simmers to deal with one bullseye location, I can only imagine the mental gears grinding to a halt when having to remember and reference 3 or more bullseye locations!!
I’d have to think it’s a bit like knowing which city block you’re on…and where the cross streets are/go. I never really got the hang of one that either…
-
If RL pilots uses multiple Bullseyes, how does RL MFD or HUD show bullseye information on there HSI,FCR? Do they show two bullseye information at the same time? or does pilot need to select which bullseye information to display on the HUD from DED page or something? Can pilot change “active bullseye” by HOTAS?
-
-
Familiarizing yourself with the theatre should be part of your mission planning.
Suppose you are working a DCA mission…
Find out the B/E of the center or so of your anchor.
Then look at where you expect the threats to be coming from… And figure out what is the BE “over there”If you are doing a North/South DCA CAP ivo 215/40, and you expect threats to be coming from the north…
Then you should expect to hear your threats from something along the lines of 270/35 or maybe a little further north, 290/40
something along those lines…
So when you hear 285/37 you aren’t surprised, and you also already know “oh yeah, that’s northish of me”
So when you are flowing south at 215/40 and your radar is out at 190/60, you already know which way 285/37 is…In this scenario You shouldn’t expect to be hearing about threats anywhere really east of the Bullseye (headings 0-180) at any distance (although all kinds of stupidity can happen…)
You can do similar for about anything, like a strike or escorting a strike, and so on.
Just put it in your pre-mission cross-check to understand where you are going to be flying in relation to B/E,
where your sensor is going to be in relation to your jet’s B/E position
and where you expect your threats to come from.the AI AWACS does an absolutely crappy job of a few things…
1. It doesn’t tell you track direction. When it leaves track direction off it does NOT mean that group is “hot” on you
2. It doesn’t tell you necessarily the biggest threat… it tells you “nearest group” which may not be your primary concern, likewise closest threat isn’t necessarily “most important threat”
3. It doesn’t tell you how many, nor what sort of multiple formation might be out there…Personally I find the AI AWACS essentially useless for everything except a Dec,
or if you want it, nearest group/nearest threat (I don’t even ask for picture anymore, I pretty much just ask for nearest threat) -
If RL pilots uses multiple Bullseyes, how does RL MFD or HUD show bullseye information on there HSI,FCR? Do they show two bullseye information at the same time? or does pilot need to select which bullseye information to display on the HUD from DED page or something? Can pilot change “active bullseye” by HOTAS?
They only use one at a time, in general…and the way the information is shown depends on the platform - but for the Viper it’s like it’s done in BMS. Yes, the pilot can change/select the bull, and how he does that also depends on the aircraft involved, but again - for the Viper it’s like in BMS. Which one to use when and where is a briefing item.
-
Okay so its because farther the target positions from the bullseye, a degree makes larger distant differences. right?
No. It’s to keep players working in a specific place informed in relation to that specific place…again, stop thinking in terms of getting an absolute position but in terms of getting sensors/noses/eyes pointed to a specific direction within a given AOR. You may have a different bull for each AOR; and that would not only help maintain SA but also to manage air traffic.
-
If RL pilots uses multiple Bullseyes, how does RL MFD or HUD show bullseye information on there HSI,FCR? Do they show two bullseye information at the same time? or does pilot need to select which bullseye information to display on the HUD from DED page or something? Can pilot change “active bullseye” by HOTAS?
In the F-16, you can have a single bullseye. Pick the appropriate one to program for your mission.
If you really needed to (and this applies to BMS as well), you could reprogram the location of the bullseye by altering the coordinates of STPT 25.
-
If RL pilots uses multiple Bullseyes, how does RL MFD or HUD show bullseye information on there HSI,FCR? Do they show two bullseye information at the same time? or does pilot need to select which bullseye information to display on the HUD from DED page or something? Can pilot change “active bullseye” by HOTAS?
I don’t think it’s something you change often or quickly. In the F-16 you can pick which steerpoint is the BE. By default it’s 25 but you can set it to a different one (AI won’t change with you) on the bullseye DED page. Provided you have a steerpoint with coordinates in mind it’s quite simple. I don’t know of any airplane that displays more than one BE at a time. Maybe on some fancy map displays it will show all the BE-type locations with the currently selected one a bit more selected-y.
EDIT: You can make your BE reference not STPT 25 right?
-
I didnt think so, but its not an area Ive studied in detail? Will have to check.
Edit: Interesting! Seems like our BE symbol in BMS may not be prototypical for all F-16s. Evidently you can set whichever STPT you like to be BE with the MISC>BULL DED menu.
-
So will it be a possible situation in RL that lead call “Flight, set bullseye to STPT26” and wingmen follows the order?