manoeuvring, then you’re seeing what
plays such a large role in the within visual
range [WVR] ght. We don’t think we’re
going to be in that situation [against an
adversary] but if we are in a dog ght it
becomes about who can get into the
missile parameters rst. To have that
post-stall agility means we can point
our nose and employ either missiles or
even the gun, and that’s a huge strategic
advantage, and the agility gives us that
advantage in a visual ght.’
So, the display translates to combat
capability — to an extent. ‘Any F-22 pilot
can execute those manoeuvres’, says
Dickinson, ‘they just don’t y them at
300ft above the ground. In high-aspect
BFM [basic ghter manoeuvres] there’s
a point where any one of those
manoeuvres may be applicable,
based on the picture you’re
seeing. You’re seeing real-
world dog ght techniques
in the display, and that’s
an important part of
trying to show the
taxpayer what the
jet can do.’
The one exception
is the tailslide.
‘That’s one of
the more
challenging
parts of
theroutine for a couple of reasons’, says
Dickinson. ‘It’s not a manoeuvre that’s
typically executed in normal F-22 ying;
it’s more for the airshow and again
designed to demonstrate the capabilities
of the jet.
‘I’m still amazed how the Raptor does a
phenomenal job of actually allowing you
to y it backwards, but still completely in
control despite being stalled. As a pilot,
you are typically taught not to point the
nose straight up and stall the aircraft and
just hold it there! So in our training work
up there’s some sorties where we’re just
instilling con dence that the jet can do
it — I mean, there’s not many jets that can
y backwards.’
Maj Dickinson says the tailslide can
be particularly challenging in windy
conditions. ‘The Raptor does a fantastic job
of analysing the wind, but when you get
above a certain angle of attack it locks in
the winds that were present at that angle
of attack, but if the winds then rapidly
change it can make it very sporty.’
Explaining further how he ies the
tailslide, Maj Dickinson adds: ‘As I go into
the tailslide I bring the engines back to
idle to get the jet slowed down, but as
I go through about 100kt I push them
back up to 100 percent mil power so both
engines are fully spun up to aid in the quick
recovery as I’m falling backwards towards
to the ground. They will continue to run
and as long as I push the nose over andEach element of
the display that
goes through the
vertical requires
a challenge and
response radio
call with the
safety observer.
Rich Cooper7064-71 Rock Display C.indd 70 28/09/2017 14:49