From The Cockpit: Defensive BFM

FighterSweep Fans, the moment has arrived. This is our very first “organic” From The Cockpit video, featuring two Lockheed-Martin Block 42 F-16CMs dueling over the desert in the Southwest.

So what are we looking at here? The camera is in the cockpit of of the Instructor Pilot’s jet, and as you can see from The Patch on his left shoulder, this IP is a graduate of the United States Air Force Weapons School. This day’s lesson consisted of 9K, 6K, and 3K setups for Defensive BFM, or Basic Fighter Manuevers.

What is Defensive BFM? Simply stated, you are in the WORST position a fighter pilot can ever be in. It’s the proverbial “Knife Fight in a phone booth,” where your bandit has somehow obtained a position of advantage at or near your six o’clock and has entered his gun WEZ (weapons engagement zone).

When you think of Defensive BFM, think of very High-G, difficult maneuvers that are executed while straining your neck to watch what the bandit behind you is doing. There’s no magic move, so to avoid getting yourself killed, you’re going to have to work really, really hard.

Something to keep in mind? If you fly perfect Defensive BFM and your bandit happens to fly perfect Offensive BFM, your family is going to be planting flowers next to your name in a garden of stone. That’s a fact. So your objective is to cause problems for your bad guy and force him to make a mistake. If he doesn’t, all you can do is make him work really hard to kill you, try to force an overshoot, regain a position of advantage, and own his ass.

Sounds simple, right?

It’s neck-straining, gut-wrenching, breath-stealing, rivet-popping brutal. So from the comfort of your easy chair, strap into the Viper and ride along with this experienced IP while he tries to teach his student to kill him–and stay alive at the same time.

Fight’s On!

– Written by Scott Wolff for FighterSweep.com