OCU Ground School

Aircraft: F/A-18C OCU Graduate Pilots
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Roon
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OCU Ground School

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Ground School Intro



Standard Operating Procedures. (SOP's).

SOP's for the OCU course are the RAFAIR SOP's for F18 published on the RAFAIR website. These versions have been researched from original documents on the F18 from the US Navy and distilled down to suit the SIM environment and RAFAIR's purposes.
It is strongly advised that OCU students download and familiarise themselves with these procedures as best they can as it will aid them in understanding and completing the course efficiently. The SOP's will be referred to throughout the course.

Communications (COMMS)

The OCU course will encourage a more professional use of the comms system. Whilst very easy to use and versatile, radios in the modern combat environment can be used as a tool to track and monitor aircraft position and intent by ELINT units on both sides of the battle.

Radio transmissions will generally be kept to a minimum and use the conventions and brevity codes published in SOP's. In addition, students will learn signal communications that can be used within a formation, such as wing flashes and rudder waggles that the Lead Pilot can use to adjust formation positions whilst avoiding giving away positional information en route.

Terminology

Standard terminology will be used in all flights as and where necessary. However explanations during a lesson/flight will always be given in the clearest terms possible to aid the student.

Weather States.

Pre-flight briefings, planning sessions and debriefs will be given using weather states as used by the RAF. This is a colour-code based system that is simple to learn and is very efficient in use.

Checks

Sometimes flying seems to consist of an endless series of checklists for every eventuality. Startup, Takeoff, Landing, Fencing In, Low Level and AAR, to name a few, are vital to the safety and success of any flight. OCU students are encouraged to commit as many of these to memory as possible before commencing the course as they will be used extensively throughout.
Sometimes stuff is supposed to fall off....sometimes not.
I still can't be sure which... :?

Officer Commanding F18 OCU
Wing Commander Ade Rhoney - RAF Air UK
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