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A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained to engage other aircraft and typically pilots a fighter aircraft. Fighter pilots undergo specialised training in aerial warfare, dogfighting (close range aerial combat).

Contents 1 Offensive 2 Defensive 3 Defense against missiles 4 G Forces 5 See also 6 External links

Modern medium and long range active radar homing and semi-active radar homing missiles can be fired at targets outside or beyond visual range. However, when a pilot is dogfighting at short-range, his position relative to the opponent is decidedly important. It is in these cases where pilots have to employ Bf 109 E pilots who could simply execute a steep dive (resulting in negative g-force) to escape attack, because fuel would be forced out of the Spitfire's carburettor fed engine, starving it. More typically these variables are simply the aircraft's speed, rate of climb or turn-radius, e.g. the defensive aircraft would execute a tight turn that the attacking aircraft might not be able to follow.

The same principle applies today, but other factors such comparative missile range (pilot with greater range for his missiles would chose to fire these missiles before being in range of his opponent) and capability or even ground based missiles defences must also be taken into account.

Some air combat maneuvres (the basis for the sport of aerobatics:

• Basic
  • Split S
  • Immelmann turn
  • Thach Weave
  • The_Scissors
  • Chandelle

• Complex
  • Pugachev's Cobra
  • Herbst maneuver

Pilots are trained to employ specific tactics and maneuvres when they are under attack. This attacked can be at close range from another aircraft or in reaction to an surface-to-air (SAM) air-to-air missile (AAM). This maneuvring has become less important in modern times due to the improved ranged and capability of modern air-to-air missiles and radars which are better countered by electronic countermeasures.

Many early air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles had very simple infrared homing ("heat seeking") guidance systems with a narrow field of view. These missiles could be avoided by simple turning sharply and which essentially caused the missile to lose sight of the target aircraft. Another tactic was to exploit a missile's limited range by performing evasive maneuvres until the missiles had run out of fuel.

Radar homing missiles could sometimes be confused by surface objects or geographical features causing clutter guidance system of either the missile or ground station guiding it. Pilots have to be aware of the potential threats and learn to distinguish between the two where possible.

When performing rapid turning movements in a dogfight or when avoiding missiles, pilots are exposed to high g forces. G forces are expressed as a multiple of the normal gravitational force, i.e. a force of 2G is equivalent to twice normal Earth gravity, e.g. everything would feel twice as heavy. Modern fighter aircraft can make much sharper turns and sustain a lot more stresses or g-forces. With the advent of the jet engined aircraft these capabilities exceed that of the human body.

When executing a "positive G" maneuvre like turning upwards the force pushes the pilot down. The most serious consequence of the this is that the blood in the pilot's body is also pulled down and into their extremities. If the forces are great enough and over a sufficient period of time this can lead to blackouts (called g-induced Loss Of Consciousness or G-LOC) , because not enough blood is reaching the pilot's brain. To counteract this effect pilots are trained to tense their leg, arm and abdominal muscles to restrict the "downward" flow of blood. Modern flight suits, called g-suits worn by pilots also contract around the extremities exerting pressure and achieving a similar effect.[1]

• Fighter aircraft
• Military aviation
• Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag
• James White (fighter pilot)
• Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Barron)

Women Fighter Pilots

• Women Fighter Pilots
• History of the CFPA

Museums

• New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum