Need a bit of help I think.

[AG-51_Sparky]

I've been flying Razor's "Tank and trap 103" mission and I'm evidently a little confused on how to set my HSI up to put myself on the proper radial from the carrier. If someone could either explain it to me or show me some squad night I'd sure appreciate the help. I've been tanking from both the SB-3 in front of the boat and the IL-78 behind the boat. Does it make a difference how you do it from each location?  I got it right from the SB-3 but wrong from the IL-78. I want to be able to do it solely by instruments, no peeking at F10 to see if I'm in proper radial.

[AG-51_Sabot]

Should be on Sat

[AG-51_Razor]

Sparky, what is it that you got right? The tanking or the approach back to the boat?

[AG-51_Sparky]

Sparky, what is it that you got right? The tanking or the approach back to the boat?

 


The tanking goes fine. And the approach to the boat goes ok. It's the radial from the carrier, when ATC tells me "260 degrees at 21 miles angels 6 approach at 39 minutes with final bearing of 75". When you're in the pitch black getting that info and you're at least 30 miles behind the carrier, I need to know how to set up my HSI to get me to 260 degrees from the carrier using instruments only. When you're behind the carrier you could be directly behind it, 45 degrees to the left or right of directly behind it, where ever, I'm having trouble knowing how to get to the 260 radial from the carrier.  The rest of it I'm ok with.

[AG-51_Sparky]

Also, another question. I discussed this with Animal and Sabot the other night. I told them how I began my approach to the final bearing at about 15 mile from the boat even though your marshall distance is 21 miles and they told me they headed to the final bearing line from the 21 mile mark immediately. Here is where I got my info to fly to the 15 mile mark before flying to the final bearing line. Which method should we use? I don't want to cause a mid air collision because I'm using a different method than everyone else...

[AG-51_Razor]

Think of the boat being in the center of the compass rose and the lines that go out are called "Bearings". So if you are instructed to hold on the 260 bearing at 21 miles, you should set up your HSI by putting the reciprocal of 260, 080 into the course line. This will result in the arrow pointing at the boat. You approach the holding point on a heading of 080 and when arriving at the 21 nm mark, begin a left turn to the outbound course of 280. Depending on your "Expect Approach Clearance" time, you manipulate your legs and turns so that you will arrive at the holding fix at exactly the time given. You are doing all of this at 250 kts. At the fix and at the time, you begin your descent at I don't remember what rate to 12 or 1500 feet then level off. I think you are right about turning to get on the final bearing at 15 miles but I can't say for certain. While heading down, I generally change my course indicator to reflect the final bearing.

A good rule of thumb is to think of Bearings as being FROM something and a COURSE is always TO something.