Low Levels / MTR's

[///AMG]

I found a good thread by MikeD on this, but it was locked so I am starting another.

I'm planning, stripping charts and doing "arts and crafts" for my first set of low levels coming up in the next couple of weeks. We're basically crossing the country using the MTR structure, mostly clock/map/ground method (though a couple hops will be using the INS/GPS). Any tips/advice from you experienced tactical aviators out there? I'm really looking forward to it, though I want to make sure I have my stuff in one sock before I head out there. Thanks!

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by ///AMG

I found a good thread by MikeD on this, but it was locked so I am starting another.

I'm planning, stripping charts and doing "arts and crafts" for my first set of low levels coming up in the next couple of weeks. We're basically crossing the country using the MTR structure, mostly clock/map/ground method (though a couple hops will be using the INS/GPS). Any tips/advice from you experienced tactical aviators out there? I'm really looking forward to it, though I want to make sure I have my stuff in one sock before I head out there. Thanks!

You can copy/paste stuff from the old thread to here if you like too.

First off, pre-study the route. I don't just mean when you're drawing the width/altitude of the particular route between points, but get an idea of not only the individual turn points, but whats between them.....prominient stuff that can confirm that you're headed where you want to and not just paralleling the black line, or not even on it for that matter. Get to know not only what your leg timing needs to be, but what your elapsed times at each turn point. This isn't stuff you want to be studying heads-down when you're cruising along at 420 or so, down in the weeds.

Old school clock/map/ground is good stuff. Big things are to keep speed in check. Don't stare at the HSI when flying a heading; take the heading you need, then pick a point out distant ahead to fly it to. That allows you to keep your head outside because:

- you're close to the ground, and want to avoid it, even though it has a 99.6% Pk
- You want to be able to catch intermediate checkpoints along you're route that will confirm that you're on time (or not) as well as on course. Confirmers, if you will.
- You want to be able to take the time to use funnel-in features to help find your turn point.

Don't get flustered. If you fly speed on, course on, and can't find your turn point; then turn on timing, and keep looking. But caution to not get tunnel-visioned or to glom onto things. Most of the VR/IR routes out west have some good landmarks, the ones out east are a little more trickier.

[///AMG]

Thanks for the tips Mike! I had the first sim on friday, and it was a blast...first time I can honestly say that about a sim. Got to do a practice pop up on a bridge with rockets and that was legit

[germb747]

I hooked a low-level one time because I was 1nm left of course, so I turned 15 degrees right for 4 minutes (instead of 1). Had it confused with the timing-correction forumla. That'll learn 'em!

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by germb747

I hooked a low-level one time because I was 1nm left of course, so I turned 15 degrees right for 4 minutes (instead of 1). Had it confused with the timing-correction forumla. That'll learn 'em!

LOL! Thats the thing, IPs/guys come up with these formulas for timing heading corrections, etc, when the last thing you (at least I) want to be doing is public math when down in the weeds. To me, I'm not so worried about being right on the black line (ie, don't care if I'm parallelling it), so long as I know that I'm doing that (ie- know where I am on the route leg), and know where to make an easy timing correction. Again, for EXACT timing, staying the black line is best. But for just flying the route and getting the nav points correct, etc, most of these MTRs are X width on either side of the black line. For civilian guys, the line you see on the sectional is only the centerline of VR/IR XXX, the actual route-width between legs may (for example) be 4 nm left of centerline and 2 nm right, then the next leg may be 5 nm right of course, and 3 nm left, etc, etc.

[Hacker15e]

I just got done with T-38 PIT, and during the low level phase I was inundated with these hip pocket formulas for drift corrections and timing corrections and such.

My first thought was, "holy smokes, I have 2000 hours in fighters and I can barely remember and apply these formulas while I'm low and fast...how the hell can we expect UPT students to do it?"

Second, I thought "I have a lot of time rooting around down low in big gray jets, and never once have I used one of these formulas". Even in the T-38A where there was no "green goo" to help me out, I simply flew the planned ground and kept SA on the black line, and I was never more than a couple seconds off. In the T-38C and the F-15, we've got an INS, an EGI, and in the Eagle we have radar update points, overfly update points, pod update points, etc...so many points that it's damn near impossible to really get off the timeline, even WITH an air-air engagement, a SAM threat reaction or two, etc.

So, I feel for the UPT student who has to do all that crap. Glad it's not me getting that gradesheet (anymore)!

AMG, my biggest bit of advice for you galavanting across the country in the MTR structure would be to KEEP YOUR EYES OUTSIDE. I've had more near midairs on MTRs than anywhere else. I know that when I was a Private Pilot, I had little respect for those dull gray lines on the Sectionals that depicted MTRs. Based on what I've seen out there, I am not alone in that bad habit. Clear like a mofo.

I'm sure you've probably seen this one before, but this is a T-38 from Randolph that nearly gained a Twin Commanche hood ornament on one of the MTRs in Tejas. There are blowups of two frames of this HUD video hanging on the wall of the squadron down there, and the airplanes couldn't have missed by more than 50 feet (with a closure rate of 350 knots).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLVtstYAZLY