Poll - Mission lessons learnt; Navigation and mission complexity

[Wee Neal 0414]

Hi all
This is more questions, looking for feedback for how we should look at missions and development of the Squadron

One of the points I have taken onboard during our debriefs is our mission prep during the briefing phase. At the moment we have a verbal brief, jump in the pit and set up the aircraft and zoom off. What we miss out is the proper navigation and mission analysis. I am thinking here of proper route cards and route analysis by flight leads etc. If we do this as we have been trained, this will really add to the development of multicrew and our skill sets. However this will mean more prep time. So if I pose some thoughts for feeback:

a. Start an initial briefing with FL at say 1915hrs to allow them time to create detailed route cards etc?
b. Start at 1930hrs and ask everyone to do mission anlysis and route card - but an abridged process, which is considered in mission planning?
c. Less realistic prep- What we are doing now? This could be a slippery slope to my mind.

I think we need to agree how we progress with our skills; it is a game, but one we all enjoy and I believe we should aim for continuous improvement, without killing everyones interest.

Please feel free to be free with your thoughts!!
Cheers

Neal

[Flyco]

Neal, I have just posted in tonight’s mission topic about briefs.

There is a tendency to cover all aspects of a mission, for all units involved, at a fairly high level. In practice the average ‘Squadron Joe’ doesn’t’ give tuppence (in old money) about the ‘big picture’. Yes he needs to know what other forces are involved and how he fits in, as well as the reason for the mission etc. However, he is primarily interested in what he personally is doing.

I don’t like the idea of getting all the necessary info down in the 15 minutes before take -off. I believe that the mission maker should delegate to each of the different flight leaders the task of producing a single page brief. There are several examples of such a layout around, some better than others, and each should be tailored to the individual aircraft type and task. For example, there is no need to include a slot for AAR details for the UH-1H.

What should go on such a card is:
Flight details - C/S, ac number, position in flt, weapons & fuel load, start time and check in frequency etc.
Route details - T/O & departure, route with IAS, ht, time at WPs and IP and TOT.
Load out - Weapons, fusing, proposed delivery technique and order etc.
Weather inc wind-speeds, cloud.
Comms and an aids
Other forces involved and any interaction.
Recovery inc diversions, min fuels, etc.

As I say the content will vary by ac type and task. I have one I use for the A-10, and I write down all the relevant details, either before or during the brief. And, yes, I do use a written knee pad - strapped to my knee and completed in pencil, so that the rain doesn’t wash off any details as I am walking to the aircraft (old habits die hard).

If you wish I will draft one for the Huey.

[0405 Andrew]

Personally I like B.

I think that if you're planning on flying a mission, the least a pilot can do is read the brief if available. I hold Paul as a shining example of engagement, he reads it, if he doesn't understand it he asks. There's nothing worse for a mission designer to hear "I'm coming in blind, I've not read the brief". To be frank, it's a little demoralizing if the brief has been up a few days. If the brief has been read, a simple read through should be adequate prior to the mission.
I'm now a fan of the slides format for getting info over.

Briefs do need to be clear, and maybe missions need to be quite simple for now.

[Chris]

As I said in discord, best to chat..... it is so much easier but no matter.

I feel people get get stuck by Pidgeon holing everything.

Primary feedback you should be looking at are from the Flight Leads and then only if they are approaching the mission cold and not 'tested it' many times. The experiences of a follow the leader pilot to flight lead and nav will be huge.

Briefings can have any formats and given at short notice (minutes, verbal) or weeks (op order)

In essence the thrust of flycos response is correct.

Going back to basics each planned flight leg (TO & Landing) requires

1) a Map Recce of the LZ, looking for best approach bearing bearing ion mind op factors and terrain leads ons etc,
2) RP including suitable angle from prev ACP to RP
3) ACP
4) SP
5) PZ

This rarely happens now once people left the training prog.

In daylight in most terrain this can be done quickly for each leg using the F10 map and user marks so 5 mins...
Longer complex routes have more legs then you run out of brainpower then you need it in the KB
Add big formations and TOT or NVGs then add a stopwatch and a full route card - you need an hour to prepare
Multiple routes, sidewinds novices enemy all add up to big FUF and need more planning.

So what do you do... there are many options BUT KISS and flexible and no missions are the same. Unless you always go the route card route you cannot Pidgeon hole things too much.

So, going back to last night, add a radio failure and you need dead reckoning.... how many here have worked out a dead reckoning route card for multirole legs at night (limited visual marks) and calculating a 30 know crosswind with rising hills.... I have, it takes time and skill...

As I said it was better to chat.... but KISS and flexible.

[Neil Willis]

I think the answer is all of the above.

We can have early starts when the mission demands it, brief planning when the emphasis is on good navigation, or a quick brief and jump in when the mission is a quick and dirty affair.

I am definitely one to allow mission planners to decide what hoops we should jump through. My one wish is that if it is a mission that involves more demanding route finding, that we get to familiarize ourselves with the route through some planning. That gives everyone a much better picture of the terrain, and allows us to pick out useful features etc.

You guys are doing a great job, and naturally it is a learning process for everyone at this stage, including mission planning. Just keep doing what you're doing, and we'll give you all the support you need.

As for reading briefings, the key is, we will get much more out of missions if we know what we're doing.

As an aside regarding multi crew activities... Can someone pull together a workable arrangement for switchology to get the intercom working well with SRS, and communicate it to everyone so we can resolve the difficulties we have had with configuration and comms please? If we can get all that working well, we will have plenty of options for mission planners to choose from.

Thanks.

[Chris]

As an aside regarding multi crew activities... Can someone pull together a workable arrangement for switchology to get the intercom working......

I#ll do a INT SRS dummies guide

[0405 Andrew]

Well done Chris,