Phobetor Squadron SOP Manual
Joining the squadron
To join the squadron, you have to schedule a check-ride with a squadron commander. In your check-ride you will have a little chit chat, get briefed, and then fly a simple mission just like we do in our weekly events.
After the check-ride you can join the squadron under two different ranks: Cadet or Junior Ensign.
- Cadet is a rank for people who are not mission ready yet, but are good enough to participate in our trainings and are motivated to rank up.
- Junior Ensign is the starting rank for mission ready pilots, which requires more experience.
The rank you get is decided by a Commander during a check-ride, with input from a Lieutenant. The decision is objective and based on how well you know your systems, procedures, comms, and carrier landings.
Our general requirements are as follows:
- Be 16+ years old.
- Be available regularly for our training on Fridays and missions on Sundays, both starting at 20:00 CET / CEST.
- Own the hornet, supercarrier and Syria map.
- Have experience in DCS.
- Be familiar with the DCS F-18C.
- Be able to use SRS
Guidelines for becoming an Officer Ensign:
- Have experience with DCS AG and AA combat.
- Be able to understand general aviation comms as well as basic militarily comms.
- Be able to perform procedures like CASE I landings, formation flying, and AAR.
- Be able to use basic weapon systems. (E.G. Paveways, JDAM's, Dumbombs, AMRAAMs)
You can only be rejected if you do not fulfill our requirements, or are not fit for this squadron for any other reason. No hard feelings though, this just isn't the right place for you (yet). We might refer you to Take Flight, where they can train you the basics. After which you can join us.
Ranking up and gaining qualifications
To rank up you have to fulfill all the qualifications required, as well as a carrier grade. This is all kept track of in the member qualification sheet.
The requirements for rank-up per rank:
- Junior Ensign (JENS): should have all Red Qualifications with asterisks, and other Red Qualifications to be WIP.
- Ensign (ENS): should have all Red Qualifications and at least carrier grade D.
- Lieutenant (LT): should have all Yellow and Red Qualifications, and at least carrier grade C.
- Commander (CDR): should have all Gray, Yellow, and Red Qualifications, at least carrier grade B.
To get a qualification marked as "Yes", you first have to use the proficiency in a mission, training, or other private event with a commander (or lieutenant if it is a Red qualification) present to confirm.
By default your qualifications are marked as "No". If you tell a commander or lieutenant you think you are able to get a qualification marked off, they can put it as "WIP" until they are confirmed or put back to "No".
You can request a qualification check for any number of proficiency's in the "qualification-checks" discord channel. A commander will then help you to get it checked off. Either by scheduling a private session, or letting you use it in an upcoming mission or training.
Without a qualification you are not expected to be able to use the proficiency in a mission.
Carrier grades are explained here: https://bookstack.phobetor.site/books/phobetor-squadron-sop-manual/page/carrier-grades
Carrier Grades
A landing sequence will be graded with points, according to tactical paddles discord bot grade of your trap:
- cut | 0 pts
- — (no-grade) | 2pts
- (OK) (fair) | 3pts
- OK (good) | 4pts
- OK (excellent) | 5pts
In the unlikely case that a landing was attempted but ended up in a crash, 0 pts will be applied, unless the pilot was not at fault, in which case the landing will not be graded.
A point must be subtracted if at any point during the landing sequence, due to pilot error:
- The airframe was damaged.
- The pilot had a bolter.
- The pilot ignored a LSO wave-off call with enough time to react.
- The abeam distance was more than 1.5 nm or less than 0.9 nm (5460ft).
- The pilot impeded traffic.
NO points are deducted for wave-offs!
A point must be added if:
- The headwind component over deck (compared to final bearing) is less then 16 knots or greater then 32 knots
- The crosswind component over deck (compared to final bearing) exceeds 4 knots.
Only one point may be subtracted for each attempted final.
Using the average score taken from the best 4 out of the last 5 landings, pilots get a grade, namely:
- Grade D - 1 pts average. (minimum for ensign)
- Grade C - 2 pts average. (minimum for lieutenant)
- Grade B - 3 pts average. (minimum for commander)
- Grade A - 4 pts average.
You go down a grade if your average drops to 1pts or more below the required average for your grade.
Checkride Procedure
SA Page
EW Page
ATFLIR pod
MIDS
DCS SRS usage
HSI Waypoints
TACAN navigation
Autopilot
RWS
TWS
IFF
Formation Flying
Line abreast
Understanding of standard aviation comms
Understanding of military combat comms
Flight member communication
Manual Startup
Taxying on deck
Case 1 Departure
Case 1 landing
Safe BVR Engagements
Chaff/Flare usage
CCRP (AUTO)
JDAM/JSOW/SLAM - TOO
Paveway II
AIM-120