Seeking Advice on Keyhole CAS Procedures and Offset Waypoints in the F/A-18C

[Gideon312]

Hi everyone,

 

I’ve been practicing keyhole CAS procedures in the F/A-18C Hornet and need some advice on improving efficiency, especially when setting up a racetrack pattern around a designated Point A. Here’s my specific scenario:

• Point A is located 5 NM north of point E (I.e. centerpoint of the keyhole).

• I need to establish a west-east racetrack centered on Point A.

• The racetrack is 4 NM long (2 NM west of Point A, 2 NM east of Point A).

• I have no problem creating an offset waypoint for Point A, but I’m looking for suggestions on how to quickly set up the racetrack and ensure I’m flying it at the correct distance while keeping my sensors on target.

[Phantom711]

You‘re overthinking the racetrack pattern there too much. This is not an IFR holding. You can just eyeball it on the SA page. If you were given A5, just be roughly in the north and NOT CLOSER than 5NM to E.

In terms of system usage, I wouldn‘t even bother to make A5 a dedicated point. I would just put in E and then use the CRS line accordingly in order to stay north.

P.S.: Since it sounds like you are quite dedicated, check out my sig! We are looking for new Hornet pilots.

Edited December 25, 2024 by Phantom711

[Gideon312]

7 hours ago, Phantom711 said:

You‘re overthinking the racetrack pattern there too much. This is not an IFR holding. You can just eyeball it on the SA page. If you were given A5, just be roughly in the north and NOT CLOSER than 5NM to E.

In terms of system usage, I wouldn‘t even bother to make A5 a dedicated point. I would just put in E and then use the CRS line accordingly in order to stay north.

P.S.: Since it sounds like you are quite dedicated, check out my sig! We are looking for new Hornet pilots.

Thanks for the quick reply!

 

You’re absolutely right that I might be overcomplicating things by treating the racetrack like an IFR holding pattern. I’ll give the SA page approach a try and focus more on maintaining situational awareness rather than precise system setups.

 

Using the CRS line with E as the reference point is a great suggestion—I hadn’t thought of simplifying it that way. It’s a lot less work and still gets the job done effectively.

 

I appreciate the feedback, and I’ll definitely check out your sig! Always looking to fly with like-minded Hornet pilots. Thanks again for the advice!