Pilot and UAV Station
Pilots-in-the-Loop - ‘Instructor pilots’ and real pilots
The IFACTS solution can be used with the IFACTS ’Easy-to-Fly’ aircraft controlled by the instructor who acts as a pilot; or it can be used with a real pilot controlling a flight simulator connected to IFACTS, or it can be used in a combination with both.
‘Easy-to-Fly’ pilot station
The ‘Easy-to-Fly’ pilot station makes a large number of aircraft available to the operator (‘pilot’), e.g. 4-ship formations. Each aircraft can be defined by the instructor with its own individual configuration and control. All ‘Easy-to-Fly’ aircraft have realistic flight and weapon delivery characteristics.
The aircraft configuration includes F16 cockpit with HUD, Full screen HUD, LANTIRN targeting POD, and mouse controlled panels with functions for input or modification of data (coordinates, flight and weapon data etc.). Controls are available for Flight control, LANTIRN control, Flight path control, Attack control, and for many different weapon types, including flares, dumb bombs and laser guided weapons.
The Flight control includes flight patterns such as Race track, Wheel and Figure8. LANTIRN functions include slewing, TV and thermal vision, zooming, laser marking, and more. Attack control is used for setting up different attack patterns.
From theory to mission readiness
The 'Easy-to-Fly' pilot station was a specific requirement from JTAC instructors who expressed a need for simulation “from theory to mission readiness”. The concept is to use ‘Easy-to-Fly’ during the initial training of JTACs, or when no pilots are available. Then later, when the students are more qualified, real pilots operate 3rd party flight simulators connected to IFACTS. And finally, when the student is even more qualified, training proceeds to live controls.
3rd Party Flight simulators
IFACTS operate through HLA or DIS with 3rd party solutions such as flight simulators. As described above real pilots can participate in the training. They operate real flight simulators, either part-task trainers or full-mission simulators. In the Danish solution IFACTS is networked with the F16-ACT desktop flight simulator.
