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Aircraft interception: Difference between revisions
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National intercept procedures can be found in AIP + copyediting
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(National intercept procedures can be found in AIP + copyediting) |
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[[File:Intercepting a Rockwell B-1B Lancer.png|thumb|300px|Intercepting a [[Rockwell B-1B Lancer]]. Note the distance and angle to the intercepted aircraft. This position would be typical for the first phase of an interception.]] | [[File:Intercepting a Rockwell B-1B Lancer.png|thumb|300px|Intercepting a [[Rockwell B-1B Lancer]]. Note the distance and angle to the intercepted aircraft. This position would be typical for the first phase of an interception.]] | ||
'''Aircraft interception''' is when one aircraft moves up to another aircraft. Most often this relates to when a military aircraft is intercepting a civilian aircraft that is entering restricted or prohibited airspace, aircraft having communication failures or aircraft that can not otherwise be identified. For those cases there is internationally standardised procedures. | '''Aircraft interception''' is when one aircraft moves up to another aircraft. Most often this relates to when a military aircraft is intercepting a civilian aircraft that is entering national airspace without a filed flight plan, entering restricted or prohibited airspace through misnavigation, aircraft having communication failures or aircraft that can not otherwise be identified. For those cases there is internationally standardised procedures. | ||
== Interception in FlightGear == | == Interception in FlightGear == | ||
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* Be polite, other pilots are more likely to be friendly if you are friendly. | * Be polite, other pilots are more likely to be friendly if you are friendly. | ||
* Don't expect other pilots to have a clue about the procedures below, and accept that they may not be interested. | * Don't expect other pilots to have a clue about the procedures below, and accept that they may not be interested. | ||
* | * Do not fire upon, ram, redirect or stray into an intercepted aircraft. While it wont crash it is very annoying to its pilot. | ||
* At any time the intercepted aircraft may tick the "Ignore" box. | |||
* At any time the intercepted aircraft may tick the "Ignore" box | |||
=== Challenges === | === Challenges === | ||
==== Getting to know your aircraft ==== | ==== Getting to know your aircraft ==== | ||
Getting to know your aircraft is part of the process to acquire skills used when intercepting aircraft. Military pilots have access to a flight manual that almost always include charts for optimum climb (usually for both fastest climb and fuel efficient climb), time to altitude, fuel to altitude and endurance for different mission profiles. | Getting to know your aircraft is part of the process to acquire skills used when intercepting aircraft. Military pilots have access to a flight manual that almost always include climb schedules and charts for optimum climb (usually for both fastest climb and fuel efficient climb), time to altitude, fuel to altitude and endurance for different mission profiles. By taking notes you might develop rules of thumb for those performance data. | ||
==== Screenshots ==== | ==== Screenshots ==== | ||
Taking good screenshots of the interceptions is a bit fun, and can probably be more fun if you are two intercepting pilots. | Taking good screenshots of the interceptions is a bit fun, and can probably be more fun if you are two intercepting pilots. | ||
== | == Procedures for interception of civilian aircraft in real life == | ||
There is a set of standard procedures defined by ICAO that includes radio communication and visual signals both for night and day. There are procedures both for the intercepting aircraft and for the intercepted aircraft. These are defined in annex 2 to the convention on international civil aviation, ''Rules of the air'', and are repeated in the [[Aeronautical information publication]] (AIP) for each country in section ENR 1.12, ''Interception of civilian aircraft''. Note that there might be some national differences. | |||
There is a set of standard procedures defined by ICAO that includes radio communication and visual signals both for night and day. There are procedures both for the intercepting aircraft and for the intercepted aircraft. These are defined in annex 2 to the convention on international civil aviation, ''Rules of the air''. | |||
=== Intercepting aircraft === | === Intercepting aircraft === | ||
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Interception manoeuvres for visual identification is split into three phases. | Interception manoeuvres for visual identification is split into three phases. | ||
*'''Phase I''': The intercepting aircraft moves up on the intercepted aircraft to about 300 metres distance from behind and slightly above. The flight leader or lone intercepting aircraft takes a position slightly ahead, above and normally to the left of the intercepted aircraft while maintaining a distance of about 300 metres. | *'''Phase I''': The intercepting aircraft moves up on the intercepted aircraft to about 300 metres distance from behind and slightly above. The flight leader or lone intercepting aircraft takes a position slightly ahead, above and normally to the left of the intercepted aircraft (or to the right if the intercepted aircraft is a helicopter) while maintaining a distance of about 300 metres. | ||
*'''Phase II''': The flight leader or lone intercepting aircraft gently moves in close enough to identify the intercepted aircraft type and identity and get other information required, while the rest of the intercepting aircraft continues to stay well clear of the intercepted aircraft. | *'''Phase II''': The flight leader or lone intercepting aircraft gently moves in close enough to identify the intercepted aircraft type and identity and get other information required, while the rest of the intercepting aircraft continues to stay well clear of the intercepted aircraft. | ||
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=== Intercepted aircraft === | === Intercepted aircraft === | ||
When intercepted the pilot of the intercepted aircraft should: | When intercepted the pilot of the intercepted aircraft should: | ||
# Follow instruction given by intercepting aircraft, interpreting and responding to visual signals as mentioned below | # Follow instruction given by intercepting aircraft, interpreting and responding to visual signals as mentioned below | ||
# | # Notify ATC if possible | ||
# | # Try establishing radio contact with intercepting aircraft or intercept control using 121.5 MHz or if that is not possible 243 MHz, stating the aircraft identity and the nature of the flight | ||
# | # Set the transponder to 7700 (emergency) unless instructed otherwise | ||
If instructions from ATC and intercepting aircraft differs, the pilot of the intercepting aircraft should ask for clarification while continuing to follow instructions from the intercepting aircraft. | If instructions from ATC and intercepting aircraft differs, the pilot of the intercepting aircraft should ask for clarification while continuing to follow instructions from the intercepting aircraft. | ||
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== Some background on radars | == Reasons for interception in real life == | ||
=== Civilian aircraft === | |||
While interception of civilian aircraft is a last resort, interception is often the only means available to identify an aircraft that have not filed a flight plan and/or have no transponder and can not be contacted. Apart from identification interception is as well often the only means to redirect an aircraft that is straying into limited airspace or is believed to be involved in illegal activities. | |||
;Identification | |||
:Visual identification of aircraft that can not otherwise be identified. | |||
;Redirection | |||
:An aircraft may be intercepted and through visual signals or radio communication on emergency channels be requested to change route and possibly to land at an specific airport if an aircraft | |||
:*is straying away from a route, | |||
:*are entering a danger, restricted or prohibited area, | |||
:*are suspected to fly illegally or is smuggling goods or persons, | |||
:*enters a countries airspace without permit an fails to follow instructions to leave the airspace or land at a specific airport, | |||
:*enters a countries airspace at different positions or routes than permitted, or | |||
:*is a hazard to other aircraft | |||
=== Military aircraft === | |||
There is of course also the case of military aircraft intercepting other military aircraft. During the Cold War many interceptions of intelligence, surveillance and spying aircraft from both the the western and eastern block where made. Interceptions where also sometimes made to redirect aircraft that actually tried to probe the opponents airspace. And of course there is interception to shoot down enemy aircraft. | |||
;Identification | |||
:Visual identification of aircraft that can not otherwise be identified. Sometimes done well outside of sovereign airspace or air defence identification zones (ADIZ's) to identify aircraft appearing in regular patterns and and with regular timing. | |||
;Redirection | |||
:Redirection of opponent aircraft trying to probe sovereign airspace to test air defences. | |||
;Shooting down | |||
:Shooting down opponents aircraft trying to attack your territory. | |||
== Some background on interception and radars == | |||
On the [[MPMap|multiplayer maps]] FlightGear anyone will see some information about an aircraft. Callsign, type of aircraft, altitude and speed are all readily available. | On the [[MPMap|multiplayer maps]] FlightGear anyone will see some information about an aircraft. Callsign, type of aircraft, altitude and speed are all readily available. | ||