Battlefield Operations: Falcon 4.

0 Allied Force

CHAPTER 1: LEARNING HOW

TO FLY
Part 1 of this Flight Handbook consists of a number of training missions. The missions themselves are
located in the Training section of the game, and the mission descriptions and instructions are contained
here in the manual. The missions are task-oriented and teach very specific skills. They provide all the
instruction you will need to complete each learning objective, but there is one caveat. The training
missions use a building block approach. If you try to fly one of the advanced missions without first
learning the skill sets from the earlier missions, you may have difficulty.

Overview
These training missions are designed to teach you how to fly the F-16 in the same way as a real F-16
pilot learns to fly his jet. FalconAF is the most realistic flight simulation ever built, and features scalable
levels of difficulty to aid new pilots. The skills and knowledge required to use the F-16's systems are
not easy to learn, and will take time and effort to master. For this reason, it's suggested you follow this
step by step training regimen.

Training Mission Setup

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All of these training missions assume a specific setup. Please follow these instructions for all of the 30
training missions:

1. Select Setup from the main menu.

2. Click the Simulation tab at the top of the window.
3. Select "Ace" from the Skill Level option. This will set the Flight Model, Avionics, Weapons
Effects, Autopilot, Air Refueling and Padlocking to the proper options.
4. On the right-hand side of the window, turn Labels on by clicking in the box. Note that the Skill
Level changes to Veteran.
5. Click the Graphics tab at the top of the window.
6. Make your Graphics selections based on your processor, video card, available RAM, etc. See
Chapter 16: Setup for recommended settings.

How To Load A Training Mission

To load a training mission, first click Training from the main menu. The list of training missions will then
appear. Click on the training mission you want to start and click the Commit button in the bottom right-
hand corner. Under Mission Schedule on the next screen, the training mission will be selected and you
will see the default name ("2nd Lt. Joe Pilot") next to an aircraft icon. If you have previously created a
pilot in the Logbook, you will see the name you created instead. Click the Fly icon in the bottom right-
hand corner to start the training mission.

Freeze Mode
You can always press SHIFT-P at any time during the training mission to "freeze" the game. Unlike
the regular pause mode ( P key), freezing the game lets you operate all the F-16 avionics and
instruments, most notably the radar. Note that the mission clock keeps ticking in Freeze mode. If you
are supposed to be at a specific location at a specific time, the time you spend in Freeze mode counts
against you.

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Mission 1: Basic Aircraft

Handling
The objective of this mission is to learn how to control the F-16. When you complete this mission, you
will have a feel how the fighter responds to controls, and what it can do. There is no point taking a
multi-million dollar aircraft up against the bad guys if you can't control the jet. This mission is the first in
a series of aircraft handling training missions patterned after the Air Force's real F-16 training syllabus.
In the real syllabus, this sortie is called "TR-1" or "Transition Sortie 1." Keep in mind, however, that
when a pilot first starts to fly the F-16, he or she already knows how to fly other jets. Since you may be
an experienced real life pilot, or a 3 year old who has accidentally hit the wrong icon, we're going to
take it slow and start with the very basics. If you feel you've seen all this before, move on to the next
mission.

Controlling the plane in FalconAF and in the real F-16 is really not very difficult. Fighting in the jet,
however, is another matter. Modern fighters like the F-16 are a dream to fly but devilishly hard to fight
in. Today's fighters barrage the pilot with information which, when combined with increased speed,
creates a tempo of air combat that is close to the limits of human capability. Along with the challenge of
sensor fusion and tempo, modern fighters also feature a violent high-G environment. G force is the
force that acts on the jet when it turns. It's like the old example of swinging a bucket of water on the
end of a rope. The water stays in the bucket because of the force pressing the water towards the
outside of the arc. The G force on an aircraft is essentially the same thing except greater in magnitude.
The G forces of modern air combat would turn the fighters of old into kindling (or paper clips). The
fighter pilots of yore, of course, faced challenges of their own. Their primary challenge was the sheer
difficulty of just flying their aircraft. Older aircraft were simply a lot harder to fly than the F-16. Skills
such as flying an F-86 close to its maneuvering limit, manual bombing in the F-105 and marksmanship
in a P-51 demanded great flying skill.

The F-16, in contrast, has a flight control computer that limits Gs and other critical flight parameters to
help keep the pilot out of trouble. In addition, the F-16 Fire Control Computer puts the bombs on the
target. In general, the F-16 is just easier to fly. This doesn't mean the pilot has to sit back and just
press a button occasionally. There are challenges a plenty, and like any aircraft landing is going to
keep you busy.

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Since FalconAF flies like the real jet, it should be relatively easy to fly. Just because flying the jet is
easy, however, does not mean that it is effortless or that there is no learning curve. This mission will
help you master flying so you can go on to the more complex and demanding air combat tasks. We will
also cover a few displays and instruments that are also shown in other parts of this manual. Everything
you need to fly this mission will be presented here.

The HUD Basics

Begin the training mission by selecting 01 Basic Handling under the Training section.
Press the COMMIT button, in the next screen press FLY. Once in 3D world, press SHIFT-P to
freeze the game while you look around the cockpit.

FalconAF features several views, but we will start with the cockpit. Press 2 on the top row of the
keyboard to make sure you are in the 2-D Cockpit view. This cockpit not only looks exactly like the real
F-16 cockpit but also features the same functionality. The most obvious cockpit feature is the HUD
(Head-Up Display). The HUD is located at the top of the cockpit and is by far the most useful of all
cockpit displays. Here is a list of the parts labeled in Figure 1-1 and what they are used for in the HUD.

Figure 1-1
z The flight path marker is the most important indicator on the HUD. This symbol shows the pilot
the jet's flight path or vector. If you use your joystick to place the flight path marker on a point
over the ground and hold it there, the jet will impact the ground on that exact spot. Hopefully,
you won't be doing that very often. The flight path marker can be used in a very similar way to fly
to a precise point on a runway. The F-16 can be flown in level flight or precise climbs and dives
using the flight path marker.
z The gun cross is the small cross symbol at the top of the HUD. This is an important reference
since it represents where the nose of the aircraft is pointing. There is a difference in where the
aircraft is pointing and the direction in which the aircraft is moving. The Angle of Attack (AOA)
indicates the difference in vertical degrees (nose up or down) between gun cross (where the
aircraft is pointing) and the flight path marker (where the aircraft is going). The difference
between the gun cross (the nose of the aircraft) and the flight path marker is a measure of your
current AOA.
z The pitch ladder provides a level flight reference along with a reference for climbs and
descents. The long solid horizontal line in the middle of the HUD is the 0° pitch line. It can be
easily differentiated from the other pitch ladder lines because it has no number associated with

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it. The dashed pitch ladder lines show descents in 5°

increments while the solid lines show climbs.
z The airspeed scale is on the left side of the HUD.
Since this scale shows airspeed, 400 means that
you are going at 400 knots (nautical miles per hour).
The airspeed scale has a C next to the tick mark,
which stands for calibrated airspeed.
z The altitude scale is on the right side of the HUD.
This scale usually shows aircraft altitude in hundreds
of feet above sea level, also called MSL (Mean Sea
Level). The scale shows attitudes in thousands of
feet normally, so if the scale shows 16,0, that is
16,000 feet above sea level. When you get "down in Figure 1-2
the weeds", below 1,200 feet from the ground, the
altimeter changes to different altitude display in the HUD. This scale shows hundreds of feet,
when the sliding bar is next to "2", you are 200 feet above the ground. Keep in mind that this is
the ground directly underneath your jet and not the ground that is in front of you. As you climb
and get above 1,500 feet, the scale goes back to the normal sea level scale. There is an
indicator next to the altitude readout, that shows B when the barometric altimeter is being used
(MSL display), and a R when the radar altimeter is in use (AGL display). Additionally, you will
get the B when the radar altimeter is switched off, or when your jet is not reasonably parallel to
the ground.
z The heading scale at the bottom of the HUD shows aircraft heading. The scale simply shows
aircraft heading in degrees. A heading of 270 would be 270°.
z The HUD G meter in the top left corner of the HUD shows current G forces acting on the jet,
whereas the G meter at the bottom left corner of the HUD, just above the NAV symbol, shows
the maximum G force you have pulled so far during a given flight. See Chapter 25:
Aerodynamics and G Forces for a detailed explanation of G Forces.

Hud Control Options

Figure 1-1 shows all the various indicators on the HUD display called up, which is the way you normally
fly in both FalconAF and the real F-16. Not all fighter pilots use the HUD the same way. You can
configure your HUD display to suit your needs just as the real pilots do.

Press H to change the scales of the HUD. The first time you press H , it will remove the analog scales,
leaving digital readouts of the altitude, speed and heading. The second time the analog scales come
back, but left to the altitude scale you will see an AOA indicator. Additionally the readout of the heading
scale changes. Press H a third time to return to the default HUD display.

Press SHIFT-CTRL-ALT+C to change the HUD color. Since the ground can be colored green, this
option can be very useful. This option is not available in the real jet. Real F-16 HUDs are only green.

Press SHIFT-CTRL-ALT+S to modify the appearance of the heading scale.

SHIFT-CTRL-ALT+P changes the pitch ladder and flight path marker.

The HUD displays a lot of other information related to weapons usage and we will talk more about HUD
displays like diamonds and timing cues in the training missions to come.

Basic Cockpit Instruments

We should discuss a number of cockpit instruments and displays before getting airborne. Make sure
you are in the 2-D Cockpit view, as shown in Figure 1-3.

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Figure 1-3
The ADI (Attitude Director Indicator) provides an artificial horizon and an aircraft symbol so you can tell
the attitude or orientation of the aircraft relative to the earth. The airspeed indicator shows the aircraft's
airspeed in hundreds of knots. When the needle is on the 4, you are going 400 knots. The altimeter
shows the MSL altitude (altitude above sea level) of the aircraft on the round dial. The digital readout
on the inside of the dial shows the altitude in feet. The white needle on the dial displays the hundreds
of feet of the current altitude. For example, when your aircraft is between 10,000 and 11,000 feet and
the needle positioned on the 8, you are at 10,800 feet altitude MSL.

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Figure 1-4
The AOA indicator is a tape that shows the angle of attack of the aircraft.
In order to generate lift, the jet needs to have a positive angle of attack or
fly at a positive angle into the relative wind (airflow). The F-16 has a
limiting AOA of 25° positive and 5° negative limit. Remember that the
AOA is the angular difference between the gun cross and the flight path
marker. Figure 1-4 and 1-4a shows AOA, both in the HUD and on the
gauge. The HSI (Horizontal Situation Indicator) is a very complex gauge
we will cover in Training
Mission 12. For now, all
you need to know about
the HSI is that it can be
used to indicate aircraft
heading. The round moving
dial on the HSI shows
N/S/E/W for north, south,
east and west. When the
aircraft turns, the dial
moves to indicate the
change in aircraft heading. Figure 1-4b
Figure 1-4a The RPM gauge on the right upper console shows the revolutions per
minute of the turbine blades at the core of the engine. RPM is shown as
a percentage, with 100% being the fastest the engine can go and 0% being an engine that is not
turning at all. 70% is idle power. RPM is directly tied to throttle position, which controls how much thrust
the engine produces.

Training Mission Overview

This mission starts with the F-16 in the air. Your goal on this mission is to get used to flying the jet and
using the keyboard to control your various views.

Initial Conditions

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z Airspeed: 400 knots

z Altitude: 7,500 MSL and level
z Throttle Setting: Mid-range

Mission Description
1. Press SHIFT-P to freeze the game. While we are frozen, let's go through the different view
options. Access the views by pressing the number keys at the top of the keyboard. Press 1 to
switch to the HUD Only view. The Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) are the boxes visible at the
bottom (or top) of the display. Change the MFD displays by pressing [ for the left MFD, ] for
the right MFD, SHIFT-[ for the top left MFD and SHIFT-] for the top right MFD.

Press 2 to put you back in the default 2-D Cockpit view. This view is mouseable, which means
that you can use the mouse to flip switches, turn dials and move around the cockpit. There are
three kinds of mouse pointers that are used in the 2-D cockpit. The red diamond indicates that
you cannot interact with a cockpit control or dial. The green circle means that you can interact
with a cockpit control or dial (by flipping a switch, etc.). The green arrow means that you can
click to change your 2-D Cockpit view to look left, right, etc.

Press 3 to enter the 3D or Virtual Cockpit. In Virtual Cockpit, use the hat switch on your joystick
or press the arrow keys on the numeric keypad to move your view around the cockpit. Holding
down right mouse button and moving the mouse pans the view smoothly as well. This view is
very important because it is very useful in air combat and in maintaining your situational
awareness (SA). Situational awareness is understanding where you are in relation to the world
around you and, understanding where threats are in relation to you. Practice using the Virtual
Cockpit while the simulation is in Freeze mode. If you hold down left or right arrows, notice that
your view will stop near the ejection seat. Since you cannot see past the ejection seat in the real
F-16, FalconAF has the same view limitation. You will hear a banging sound of your helmet
hitting the headrest when you reach that limit. If you want to rotate your head (the view) to the
other side of the cockpit, press left or right on the numeric keypad again and you will move the
view to the other side of the cockpit.

Press ALT-` to access the Satellite view, which is an overhead view of the world. To get a
closer look at the world, press L . Press L again to return to normal view. You can also press 1
and 7 on the numeric keypad to zoom the view closer in or further out.

FalconAF has additional views, but they will not be needed in this mission.

2. Bring up the 2-D Cockpit by pressing 2 . Press SHIFT-P again to unfreeze the game.
3. Set the RPM gauge on the right console to 85% by using the throttle on your joystick or press +
or - to set the throttle.

4.
Figure 1-5
5. Move your joystick left to start an easy left turn. Bank the wings to tilt the world about 60° and
then pull back on the stick until your G meter reads 2.0. Figure 1-5 shows how to move your

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joystick and get the turn started. Notice that when the wings are banked, the jet will turn or
change heading. In the 2-D Cockpit view, you can watch the HUD heading scale move and you
will see the aircraft banked on the ADI.
6. To keep the aircraft in level flight, ensure that the flight path marker is on the 0° pitch line of the
HUD. Do this by gently pulling back on the joystick until you get the flight path marker where you
want it.

Figure 1-6 shows the flight path marker on the level or 0° pitch line. Practice making level turns
to the right and left. Turn on the smoke by pressing CTRL-S to trace your path through the sky.
Use the Satellite view ( ALT-` key) to watch your turns from outside the aircraft. When you are
done, return to straight and level flight. Bank opposite to the direction you are turning until the
HUD 0° line is horizontal. Then move the flight path marker until the horizontal lines of the flight
path marker align with the 0° line on the HUD.

Figure 1-6
7. Next, we will practice climbs and descents. To climb, align the HUD flight path marker with the
5° pitch line. Notice that the aircraft starts to climb and that both the cockpit and HUD altimeters
show increasing numbers and that your airspeed decreases (if you're not climbing, add more
power). In addition, the movement of your flight path marker lags slightly behind your control
inputs. After climbing 1,000 feet, level off for a few seconds by aligning your flight path marker
with the level line. Notice that your altitude remains constant with the flight path marker on the 0°
pitch or level line.
8. Practice a descent by pushing the joystick gently forward. Do so until the flight path marker is
aligned with the -5° pitch line. Your altitude will now decrease and your airspeed will increase.
You must always manage your energy when flying. Climbs trade airspeed for altitude, whereas
descents trade altitude for airspeed. After descending 1,000 feet, level off by placing the flight
path marker on the HUD level line.
9. After accomplishing level turns and some straight ahead climbs, start combining turns and
climbs together. For example, make a level turn until you are flying due west, or 270 on your
HUD heading tape. When you are heading west, start a climbing turn until you are flying due
east or 090 on the HUD heading tape. Try to climb 2,000 feet precisely. Set up parameters of
your own to practice maneuvering the jet precisely.
10. Next, try doing level turns at low altitude, which is flying below 1,000 feet AGL. During these
maneuvers, experiment with different HUD altitude options (Auto, Bar and Radar). Switch
between these modes by switching to the lower right console (press 2 times 6 and 2 once) in
the 2-D Cockpit view. The HUD control panel on this console next to the control stick is a 3-way
toggle switch that selects the HUD altitude options. Make sure you know which way your aircraft

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is going while you're looking down in your cockpit. It's easy to crash when you're close to the
ground and not looking outside.

Slow Speed Awareness

The next series of maneuvers we are going to practice are
called HARTs, which stands for "Horn Awareness Recovery
Training." These maneuvers are used to train the pilot to
recognize and recover from a nose high attitude. When the jet
is above 45° nose high and the airspeed goes below 170
knots, the low speed horn comes on. Actually, it is a
combination of high pitch (nose relative to the horizon) and
airspeed. Figure 1-7 shows the low speed warning horn chart
used by the F-16. You don't have to memorize the chart. Just
be aware that if you get nose high and slow, the horn will come
on.

Figure 1-7
Use the following steps to practice HART maneuvers:

1. Climb to 15,000 feet and level off. Set the throttle to 85%.
2. Pull hard back on the stick and start an easy 5 G to 7 G pull-up straight ahead, to set the flight
path marker 70° nose high using the HUD pitch ladder. Since the flight path marker will lag the
gun cross, use the gun cross initially to set your pitch. The flight path marker will catch up with
the gun cross when the AOA is reduced. The AOA initially will be high because you are pulling
Gs, but it will come back down as you ease the pull to set your pitch angle at 70°. Figure 1-8
shows the climb.
3. The horn will come on at about 170 knots. When
you hear the horn, start a roll to inverted flight.
Make sure you roll the aircraft slowly to avoid
losing control. Stop the roll when you are upside
down. You can tell you are upside down by
looking at the HUD pitch scales. When the
vertical legs connected to the ends of the pitch
bars are pointed up, then you are inverted.
4. Once the jet is inverted, start a smooth pull back
on the joystick to get your nose down below the
horizon. Once the nose of the jet is below the
horizon, stop pulling on the joystick and let the
nose fall through the horizon. Keep the jet Figure 1-8
inverted (upside-down).
5. When the airspeed gets to 150-200 knots, roll the jet upright and start a 3 G to 4 G pull to level
flight (with the flight path marker on the 0° pitch line).
6. Try the exact same procedures except this time pull the nose of the jet up to 90° nose high. Use
the Orbit view (number key 0 ) to watch how the aircraft performs at very low airspeeds.

This first training mission will help you practice controlling the jet using basic cockpit and HUD
symbology. When you have turns, climbs and the HART maneuvers down pat, move on to the next
mission.

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Mission 2: Takeoff
In this training mission, you will learn to fly the jet off the ground. Taking off in the F-16 is simple, and
you only have to follow a few procedures. First, be aware that in FalconAF you are part of a realistic
runway environment that includes an active ground taxiway environment. You must constantly be
aware of air traffic control and other flights. All the runways in the Balkans and Korea are busy
launching and recovering aircraft, so you must listen up for ATC (Air Traffic Control) radio calls directed
at your flight. For this training mission however, it is just you and your flight wingman. When taking off,
you are not required to ask the tower for permission to take off. As you move down the taxiway, the
tower will clear you for takeoff. When you take off, you are generally combat configured, with bombs or
missiles beneath your wings. Combat configurations are heavy. Because of the weight, you should
accomplish all of your takeoffs with maximum afterburner. Things happen fast when you are taking off
in full afterburner--and that is both good and bad news. The good news is that you don't have much
time to get creative and mess up the procedures. The bad news is that if you don't use the correct
takeoff procedures, bad things will start happening very fast.

Training Mission Overview

Load training mission "02 Takeoff" from the Training section and click the Commit button. Make
sure you are placed in the lead, upper left-hand aircraft (the #1 plane). Do so by clicking on the plane
icon.

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Next, determine the callsign of your flight. Click the Briefing icon on the bottom of the screen. The third
section, labeled "Package Elements," shows the name of your flight. In this case, your flight is Cowboy
1. In the section labeled "Ordnance," your aircraft is highlighted in green. In this case, your aircraft is
Cowboy 12 (One-Two). Listen out for this call-sign, as ATC will be talking directly to you! Close the
Briefing window by clicking the "X" in the upper right-hand corner. Then click on the Fly icon in the
lower right-hand corner. While you are waiting for the simulation to load, make sure that the throttle on
your joystick is in the idle position

Initial Conditions
z Airspeed: 60 (which is the lowest reading in Realistic Avionics and will change once your
airspeed is above 60 knots)
z Altitude: On the runway
z Throttle Setting: Idle
z Configuration: Gear down
z Avionics: NAV

Mission Description
In this training mission, you can choose where to start. If you just want to get on with the action, choose
the TakeOff option. This will start the mission at the point where your aircraft is positioned on the
runway, ready to take-off. If you choose this option, jump forward to the Take-off section.

Alternatively you could choose Taxi. This positions the aircraft just off the runway waiting for
permission to move to the takeoff position. If you choose this option, jump forward to the Taxi part of
this section.

If you want the full realism of climbing into a cold jet and bringing it to life yourself, choose a ramp start.

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This involves an extensive checklist of commands that need to be run through to bring this hunk of iron
into life.

If this is your first run through, try starting with take-off and jump forward to the section marked take-off.

Ramp Start
The ramp start - picture this scene - you have just walked up to your F-16. You've been around doing
an external check. You've kicked the tires and chatted with the crew chief, who has now helped you
climb into the cockpit and strapped you in. Its time to get this show on the road.

Its a little more involved than just turning the key, and some of it depends on what your mission is for
this hop. It will probably take a good 10-15 minutes to complete the full cold start procedure. Some of it
will go quicker as you learn where the various switches are, but no matter how practiced you are, it
takes a while. We will just go through the basics here that gets you started. Watch out, because your
lead will be starting his aircraft, too. You will probably hear that power up first, as he will likely be a bit
quicker than you.

To guide you in finding the switches, we will be referring to the following diagram to show you where to
find the vital parts. These will be given in brackets like this (C).

Figure 2-1
1. Set the parking brake - we don't want the jet to roll off once the engine is running! (C) The
parking brake means you don't have to keep your feet on the toe-breaks, and can concentrate
on the rest of the procedure. Beware though, the parking break will disengage automatically
above around 85% RPM.
2. Set the switch on the ELEC panel (B) to MAIN PWR to power the systems. This takes two clicks
to achieve. The first gets you to battery power, and the second to main power, although as yet
you have no main generator running. You will be running on batteries until the engine is up to
speed, so while you have plenty of time, equally don't take too long. This will activate various
warning lights on panel (D) including ELEC SYS, SEC ON and SEAT NOT ARMED on the
warning panel (F). You should also get HYD OIL on the right eyebrow panel, to your right. This
is all perfectly normal, these lights should extinguish themselves as the relevant systems come
on line.
3. Go to the external lights panel (B), and set the master switch to NORM and turn anti-collision
lights to ON. Switch the position lights on Wing Trail and Fuselage to BRT and set them to
FLASH. This lets those around you know that the aircraft is becoming activated. There are few

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worse ways of starting a mission than by sucking your crew chief into your engine inlet.
4. Next, we are going to need some fuel. Set MASTER FUEL to ON and ENG FEED to NORM on
panel (B).
5. Check that the Emergency Power Unit (EPU) switch is set to NORMAL (B). You may be needing
the EPU if things go bad in the air, as this is your backup for electrics and hydraulics.
6. Check that the Fuel Readout Switch (FUEL QTY SEL) is set to NORM (E).
7. Set the AIR SOURCE to NORM. (G) This helps get fuel moved around the aircraft.

Now we are ready to attempt to start the engine. The engine is a big old thing, and it has to be spinning
quite fast before it will actually light off. To get it up to a speed where fuel can be introduced and lit, it
will need some help. To achieve this you will make use of a much smaller jet engine, called a Jet Fuel
Starter (JFS). This engine is easily started by hydraulic pressure, and once running can be used to
bootstrap the main engine.

1. First, we don't want any suprises, so ensure your throttle is at idle.

2. Set the JFS on panel (B) to START2. It clicks over and should drop back on its own eventually.
This causes stored hydraulic pressure to start spinning the JFS, which in turn starts to spin up
the main engine. The JFS alone will probably get the engine up to a maximum of 25% RPM.
3. The RPM needle begins to move (D) as the main engine starts to spin up. As soon as RPM
indicates over 20%, advance the throttle to mid way.
4. Next toggle the idle detent switch on the throttle (C) (or Shift-I). The engine RPM will start to
increase. Once the RPM gets above about 30% return the throttle to idle. The engine should
continue to spool up to its idle speed of about 70% RPM.
5. Check that the JFS has switched itself OFF (B). If not - switch it off manually.
6. The HYD OIL warning light should have gone off somewhere between 25% and 70% RPM.
Verify the lights are off. (D)

Now you should have a functioning engine, and you can start with the other parts of bringing the
aircraft to life starting with the avionics power.

1. Using the switches on panel(G), turn on Fire Control Computer (FCC), Stores Management
System (SMS), Up Front Controls (UFC), Multi Function Display (MFD), Global Positioning
System (GPS) and Data Link (DL).
2. Set the Intertial Navigation System (INS) to ALIGN NORM on panel (G). The gyroscopes will
begin to spin up. The INS will be fully aligned after about 8 minutes. We will describe the INS in
detail in a later lesson.
3. From panel F, power on the left and right hardpoints, turn on the Fire Control Radar (FCR) and
set Radar Altimeter (RDR ALT) to Standby (STBY). The RDR ALT takes a few minutes to warm
up so its good to get that going.
4. On panel F enable the flight path marker by setting the ATT/FPM switch from OFF to FPM.
5. Use the SYM knob on panel D to turn on the HUD (press multiple times to increase brightness).
6. Check panel D for the INS status in the DED and/or HUD. The first line shows status and
remaining time. For example it may read starting at "0.0/99". The INS will be fully aligned
when the status reaches "10.0".
7. Look at panel F to check that no flags are shown anymore on the ADI, VVI or AOA displays.
8. Check panel A that trim is reset.
9. Adjust audio volumes on panel B for COMM1, COMM2, MSL and THREAT audio as desired.
10. On Panel C power on the Electronic Warfare System (EWS): Set THREAT WARN AUX, EWS
PWR, EWS JMR, EWS CHAFF, EWS FLARES to ON. Then switch EWS MODE to MAN. Arm
the ejection seat.
11. Once INS is fully aligned, enable it by switching to NAV on the avionics power panel G. The
alignment takes a while. You may use the CAPS LOCK key to speed things up a little. Don't let it
run at accelerated time for long or you may miss your take-off time!
12. Set RDR ALT to ON on panel F so that you get some altitude information when in the air.
13. On panel C switch the landing lights ON and the PARKING BRAKE to OFF.
14. From panel D, enable Nose Wheel Steering (NWS) to taxi [Shift-/ (hold shift and the key left of
the right Shift key)].

There - nothing to it really is there! Finally, you must request permission from ATC to taxi to the
runway. Press T and select the option "Request Taxi", and within a few moments ATC will respond
with taxi instructions. To navigate to the assigned runway, it can be helpful to check the airbase maps
or use the satellite view to zoom out a little until you gain familiarity with the layout. Once on the go,
maneuver and stop your aircraft just before moving onto the runway and read the next section titled

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Taxi.

Taxi
If you choose the Taxi option, you should be positioned on the taxiway, just a little way off from the
runway. Soon after the cockpit view has appeared, ATC will conveniently remind you of your taxi
instructions. Maneuver and stop your aircraft just before moving onto the runway. It is important that
you do not venture onto the runway just yet, as ATC will be sure to penalise you in your mission
summary for reckless control of your aircraft on the ground.

Once positioned, press T and choose the option "Request Takeoff." During this exercise, ATC will
always give you clearance since there is nothing else waiting to use the runway. But once in the
campaign, listen carefully to the instructions ATC read out to you. If they call a "Hold Short"
order, another aircraft is about to land and moving onto the runway at this time could be career limiting
in a number of ways! The correct action is to simply wait until the path is clear and ATC gives you order
to "position and hold." Don't worry about your flight leaders when you are flying as wingman, they will
orbit above allowing you time to takeoff.

Following the "position and hold" order, taxi onto the runway, position your aircraft just
behind and on the other side of the runway to your leader and apply the wheel brake to stop the
aircraft. At this point ATC will grant takeoff clearance and you are on your way.

Note that when requesting take-off permission, ATC gives you instructions to "Taxi", then you are
in the wrong place - probably at the wrong end of the runway - a good time to turn around and try
somewhere else!

Take-Off
You should now be on the runway. When the mission starts, you will be #2 in a two-ship formation with
your flight leader on the runway ready for takeoff.

1. Your callsign for this mission is Cowboy 11. Listen for Cowboy 11 to be cleared for takeoff by
ATC. The next radio call will be similar to "Cowboy 11 cleared for takeoff,
depart heading 360". Flying the assigned departure heading moves your aircraft
safely out of the busy airbase environment in campaign.

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Figure 2-2
2. Increase your throttle to full afterburner by pressing SHIFT-+ .
3. Fly the jet straight down the runway using the joystick or rudder pedals to steer. It requires very
small changes to the nose wheel steering to effect the jet's direction, don't over steer the jet. Pay
attention to both the centerline of the runway and the airspeed gauge in the HUD.

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Battlefield Operations: Falcon 4.0 Allied Force

Figure 2-3
4. When the airspeed gets to 150 knots, pull the gun cross up to the 10° line in the HUD. Hold this
pitch attitude until the jet flies off the runway. Warning: do not exceed a 14° pitch angle or you
will scrape the afterburner nozzle on the runway.
5. As soon as you are airborne and climbing, raise the landing gear by pressing G . This will
happen quickly, so be ready to raise the gear as soon as you get airborne. Warning: do not
exceed 300 knots with the gear down while flying or you will damage the landing gear.

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Battlefield Operations: Falcon 4.0 Allied Force

Figure 2-4
6. Confirm the gear are up by switching to the lower left console D (press 4 on the numeric keypad
followed by 2 on the numeric keypad). When the gear are in transit either up or down, the red
light will be illuminated in the gear handle. When the gear are down and locked, you will see
three green gear lights and the red light will go out in the gear handle. When the gear are safely
up, the gear handle will be in the up position and the lights in the gear handle and on the panel
above it will be extinguished.

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