To The FUTURE
Jan/Feb 2018 ANDREW MCLAUGHLIN; Aust Aviation Magazine
"...To the future
A former classic Hornet pilot, WGCDR Clare provides an interesting comparison between the old and new aircraft.
“The F-35 actually flies very, very similarly to the Hornet, both classic and Super,” he related. “In fact, it’s probably more like the Super in the way it feels. The alpha (angle of attack performance) and the power is similar to a Super Hornet, although it’s got a little bit more power down low.
“But the situational awareness is quite amazing, the way the information is presented and what the jet is seeing around you,” he added. “It’s to the point where, you can almost get information overload, so you’ve got to know what you’re looking for and know how to find it. You’ve got to know what the little tricks are that could throw you off.
“And the networking between the aircraft is really important to the way we operate tactically. The helmet is quite interesting and with respect to all the information... there’s no HUD (head-up display), so all the information is presented in the helmet.”
The pilots’ helmets are individually fitted. The pilot gets a laser map of their head made, and then the helmet is built around that map. “It takes a little while to get used to because it’s projected in front of both of your eyes, so it takes a couple of flights to actually make sure those are lined up properly and you’re not seeing double and giving yourself a headache.”..."