Task Saturation and Prioritisation - By Stephen "HotDogOne" French
"If the rare occasion arises where aircraft malfunction
/ emergencies make it impossible to perform your five basic priorities
it is time to eject." MCHII F-16 USAF FLIGHT MANUAL
Before you fly, you should always review your priorities that you follow
for flight, think through the mission, plan what you are going to do in
certain situations and finally make sure your up to it, its no good flying
the mission if you do not feel like it. This will accomplish nothing for
you or your flight.
Priorities
Priorities are split into two sections.
q Things you have to do
q Things you would like to do
There are five basic things that fall into the need to do category on
all flights, not just on combat missions.
These are:
q Maintain aircraft control.
q Never hit the ground or anything attached
to it.
q Never hit anything in the air.
q Never run out of fuel.
q Never let anything fired from the air
or ground hit your plane (Yes it includes naval units)
Your next priorities fall into the would like to do category:
q Complete the mission objectives.
q If you cannot accomplish the above, return
safely to homeplate.
Task Prioritisation
Although the Falcon is relatively simple to fly, fighting in her is not.
In a combat environment you will have many tasks that need to be performed
to accomplish your mission. Task prioritisation will help to reduce the
workload on you, and allow you time to accomplish the important thing,
prosecute and destroy your target.
Your tasks when flying will be all related to the CROSS CHECK- that is
keeping a good SA and knowing your status and that of wingmen etc... and
accomplishing the five basic priorities.
q Situational Awareness- This means knowing
What is going on around you, where threats are etc... This information
must be 'collected' through various ways, these can include :
q Your Mission Briefing
q Your Visual Cross Check
q Radio Communications
q Radar
q AWACS
q Wingmen
q RWR
During your preparation for the mission, start to build a mental picture
of what is going on, where things are located, look for Enemy SAM sites,
where CAP's are located, where there are concentrations of enemy activity
that you should stay away from. You must also be aware of all the resources
you can use to build up your situational awareness. This is VERY important.
In flight I split SA into two areas - NEAR PICTURE and BIG PICTURE. By
splitting the two 'areas' it is easier to maintain SA. Always 'filter'
in the information you picked up from the briefing into the relevant
PICTURE
NEAR PICTURE -
This is achieved through using primarily the Visual lookout, back this
up with close range radar check, and AWACS calls. This information is
what is affecting what you are doing NOW.
Always maintain a good visual look out, You must always consider that
your radar, AWACS and Wingmen are fallible, this is not an insult to
anyone, but it means that you will cross check more often. A good Visual
lookout is one that covers all area's. The following lookout 'scheme'
is the USAF model and the one that I use, however, if flying Online with
others, make sure you are all using compatible methods of visual look
out so that all areas are constantly checked.
Remember, different formations lead to slight alterations
in visual look out, the above is for a basic battle formation and provides
maximum six o'clock coverage for both fighters.
Sector 1
This is the main part of the visual lookout, this section is further
divided into two parts, Near Rocks, and Far Rocks (1, and 1A respectively).
NEAR ROCKS are any terrain formations that will affect you in the next
10-15 seconds, FAR ROCKS are terrain features that will affect you in
the near future. Pilots that look ahead at the 'far rocks' are smooth
in their manoeuvring to maintain position, and in their navigation because
they see mountains and valleys and make corrections for them. (Especially
important when leading a flight at low-level)
Sector 2
This sector is to check INSIDE the flight, and the LEADS six o'clock
area or to check the wingman's six o'clock area. This and Sectors 1,
1A are the basic cross section check, and when task prioritisation becomes
important, these are the ones that you should keep in your visual scan.
Also when looking at this sector makes sure you are in formation
Sector 3
This area is not as important as sectors 1,1A and 2, this area should
be bought into the cross check when there is sufficient time to do so.
Sector 4
This sector is the last place for you to look, this area of 'battle
space' is covered by others in you flight during there cross check.
As with sector 3, scan this area when time permits.
Sometime in the future I will write another article specifically on SA
and how to achieve and maintain it.
BIG PICTURE -
This is what is going on around you, and is 'created' by using information
from all sources, take info from your radar, radio comms and you wingmen
(assuming your flying with humans) AI wingies don't tend to report much
to you, apart from engaged defensive which btw, if followed by a bullseye
and altitude indicates the location the enemy, and not you as most people
think ( the altitude is your current altitude ).
q Formation Integrity - This is simply
maintaining position in the flight. This task is accomplished at the
same time as the visual lookout. Keep in mind that you will need to constantly
adjust to stay in formation. (More on formation flying at another time).
q Avionics Manipulation - Playing the piccolo,
this is using your radar, and other instruments that you have. The plan
below shows various ways of each flight member using the radar to cover
all forward areas for the flight
This diagram shows the basic radar config. for a flight
This diagram show the different height area scans for a flight.
Other things like weapons configurations for attacks should be selected
before take-off or in times of low task saturation, thus minimising the
amount of workload on the run-in to the target.
You should include cross-checking TIMING, FUEL and STATUS OF SYSTEMS
in your basic cross-check.
q Ordinance Employment - You will be required
to fire your weapons when in flight, This should never take preference
to accomplishing the FIVE basic HAVE TO DO's. Weapon employment WILL
add to you task load, when you start to prosecute an attack on a target,
then drop off the LIKE TO DO items from your list, keep to the basics
at all times when flying.
You must constantly balance all of the above based upon your survival,
that is the most important priority. Drop off items in reverse order from
that of the list, You must ALWAYS maintain a good Visual Lookout, then
think about the formation (If your life is in danger by staying in formation,
then don't, but make sure you inform your lead of your departure from
the flight).
Well that concludes the brief talk on task saturation and mission prep.
