Bullseye

Learning objectives

1. Understand bullseye
2. Understand how to calculate the relative position and distance between two bullseye references

Learning files

• For help see this video by Fluffer.

BRAA

BRAA stands for Bearing, Range, Altitude, and Attitude. It is the easiest method to communicate the position of a contact on your radar to your flight members.

To give a BRAA position you’ll simply read off the direction you see the target in, its range and altitude (from the radar), and what direction it’s going.

Example BRAA bandit call: “Bandit, 030, 35 miles, angels 15, hot!”. In this situation there’s a hostile aircraft at bearing 030 degrees 35 nmi away that’s flying at 15000 feet coming towards you.

Bullseye

While BRAA is well and good for telling your flight members where something is, if you need to communicate the position of a bandit to another flight in your package your BRAA call won’t work. The target won’t be at the same bearing and range to the other flight as it is to you.

In order to solve this, we use a system called a bullseye reference. The bullseye is a fixed point on the map that is known to all flights. A position is then referenced like a BRAA, but relative to the bullseye instead of any plane.

For example, a call of “Bandit, BULLSEYE 235, 95 miles, angels 22” means that there’s a bandit 95 miles southwest of the bullseye, flying at 22000 feet. Where this position is relative to your plane depends on where you are relative to the bullseye. When giving a bullseye position you should always use the BULLSEYE proword in your message.

Getting used to the bullseye system can be difficult, but it's just a matter of experience.

Understand a bullseye reference

1. A bullseye reference is a direction and distance from a know fixed point
   1. E.g. 020 for 51 is 20 degrees and 51nm away from the bullseye point
2. The bullseye can be anywhere, but you need to know where it is to make sense of a bullseye reference point

Determining reference location based on geography

1. Bullseye is on a fixed location that makes sense in relation to your objective
2. You know your own location in reference to the fixed location
3. You can mentally calculate where a reference location is knowing these two points
4. Easiest to visualize and least amount of work
5. Requires you to know your location in reference to the bullseye

Determining reference location based on geometry

1. Bullseye is at an arbitrary location.
2. You do not necessarily know your physical location in reference to the bullseye.
3. Get the reference point in terms of the bullseye (e.g. 045 for 80).
   1. This usually comes from AWACS, but flight and package pilots often refer to bullseye locations, especially for hostile contacts.
4. Get your own reference point in terms of the bullseye (e.g. 180 for 65).
   1. You can find this on your HUD, your FCR, or your HSD.
5. Picture a compass in your mind.
6. Put the furthest reference point (i.e. the point that has the largest distance) on the outside of the compass; this will set the diameter of your compass and is required for the next step.
7. Put the closest reference point in the middle of the compass in relation to the radius of your compass.
   1. For example, if the first point is 045 for 80 and the second point is 180 for 65, the distance to the outside of your compass from the center (i.e. the radius) is 80 because it is the largest. The second point is at 65; since the radius is 80, you want to place the second point about 80% away from the center (65/80 = ~80%).
8. Identify the point that represents you.
9. Draw an imaginary line between the two points. This will give you the bearing to the reference. The length of the line will give you distance.
   1. So if you are at 180 for 65 and the target is at 045 for 80, the target is at a rough bearing of 30 degrees (to the northeast) and is approximately 70nm away.
10. Feel free to use your HSI as a visual aid, but soon you will be able to do this exclusively in your mind quickly with a good degree of accuracy.
11. Let's try it again: you are at 097 for 8 and the target is as 262 for 12
    1. The target is to the west of you at around 19nm.