Advanced Procedures

Initial State | Launch | Formation / Recover | In-Formation | Delay

There are five advanced procedures - Initial State, Launch, Formation/Recover, In-Formation, and Delay. Advanced procedures have very restricted site requirements and are used for very specialized flight operations.

Initial State

An Initial State procedure is used to define the state of the aircraft at the beginning of the mission. The site must be an Initial State.

Field	Description
Name	Enter a specific name for the procedure, if desired.
Start Time	Defines the start time of the mission.
Latitude	Defines the initial latitude of the aircraft.
Longitude	Defines the initial longitude of the aircraft.
Relative...	Click to define the initial position of the aircraft as a relative point. Specify the latitude, longitude, radial, and range in the window that opens.
Waypoint...	Click to define the initial position of the aircraft based on a waypoint, runway, or VTOL point in a catalog. This button is not displayed when working with the Catalog Manager.
Paste Initial State Procedure	Pastes values for the procedure's parameters from the clipboard; parameters can be copied from the Mission Profile.
Paste Profile Data	Paste altitude and airspeed values from the clipboard; parameters can be copied from the Mission Profile or Climb, Descent, Sequenced Climb, or Sequenced Descent performance models.
Altitude	Defines the initial altitude of the aircraft. The altitude is constrained by the lowest ceiling value of the active performance models in the current mission phase.
Airspeed	Defines the initial airspeed of the aircraft; select a reference from the drop-down menu - true airspeed (TAS), calibrated airspeed (CAS), equivalent airspeed (EAS), or Mach number.
Flight Path Angle	Defines the initial flight path angle of the aircraft.
Heading	Defines the initial heading of the aircraft; specify a True or Magnetic north reference using the drop-down menu.
Roll Angle	Defines the initial roll angle of the aircraft.
AOA	Defines the initial angle of attack of the aircraft; this parameter is applied after the roll angle.
Sideslip	Defines the initial sideslip of the aircraft; this parameter is applied after the roll angle and the angle of attack.

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Launch

A Launch procedure launches an aircraft from an STK Vehicle or STK Static Object site into the air. The aircraft's initial position and attitude are defined by the site, and the procedure can further be used to model the aircraft attaining a specific launch airspeed.

Field	Description
Name	Enter a specific name for the procedure, if desired.
Launch Time	Defines the launch time of the aircraft.
Position Point	Defines the launch position of the aircraft relative to the vehicle it is launching from; click to open the Select Position Point window to choose a different reference point from the Vector Geometry Tool. Click Reset to reset the point definition to the default.
Direction Vector	Defines the launch direction of the aircraft relative to the vehicle it is launching from; click to open the Select Direction Vector window to choose a different reference vector from the Vector Geometry Tool. Click Reset to reset the direction vector definition to the default. It is important to note that the aircraft's attitude throughout the launch procedure is defined by the site vehicle's attitude, and is not affected by the chosen Direction Vector.
Minimum launch airspeed	Select to define an airspeed objective for the procedure.
Acceleration G	Defines the acceleration of the aircraft during the launch.
Airspeed	Defines the airspeed objective; the aircraft will accelerate at the specified Acceleration G until it achieves this airspeed, at which point the procedure is completed.
Fuel Flow Source	Defines the fuel flow of the aircraft during launch; select from the following options: Takeoff Perf Model - uses the Takeoff performance model's setting. Cruise Perf Model - uses the Cruise performance model's setting. Landing Perf Model - uses the Landing performance model's setting. VTOL Perf Model - uses the VTOL performance model's setting. Aero/Propulsion - uses the fuel flow calculated by the aerodynamics and propulsion strategies defined in the active acceleration performance model; if the acceleration performance model is not set to calculate fuel flow, then fuel flow will not be calculated for this performance model, either. Override - manually specify the fuel flow in the Override Fuel Flow field.

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Formation / Recover

A Formation/Recover procedure is used to model the aircraft coordinating its flight with another vehicle object in the scenario. This procedure is only available to STK Vehicle sites. While in formation, the aircraft's position, attitude, and velocity will be derived from the site vehicle.

The procedure is comprised of three segments - delay, cruise, and formation. The delay segment is optional and is performed at the end of the previous procedure. The cruise segment is performed after the delay segment and flies the aircraft to the formation. The formation segment is the final part of the procedure and consists of two pauses and a transition during which the aircraft maintains formation with the site vehicle.

Field	Description
Name	Enter a specific name for the procedure, if desired.
Flight Mode	Select a flight mode from the following options: Forward Flight - models the aircraft in forward flight above the site vehicle. Hover - models the aircraft hovering above the site vehicle. Takeoff/Landing - models the aircraft taking off from or landing on the site vehicle. Weight on Wheels - models the aircraft resting upon the site vehicle. The flight mode governs aerodynamics and propulsion calculations during the procedure and the attitude of the aircraft during transitions.
Start Formation / Recover Time	Defines the time at which the formation begins. The Minimum Time and Maximum Time fields display the minimum and maximum times in the scenario at which formation between the site vehicle and the aircraft might be possible. You can manually enter a value in the Start Time field or click Find First Valid Start Time to have Aircraft Mission Modeler calculate the earliest valid formation time and populate the field with that value; specify search criteria in the window that opens. A first valid time cannot be found if another procedure in the mission has a fixed time and there is no delay between that procedure and this one.
Formation Point	Defines the position - relative to the site vehicle - that the aircraft will be locked onto while in formation; click to open the Select Position Point window to choose a different reference point. Click Reset to reset the point definition to the default. The aircraft will hold formation at this point without condition.
Altitude Offset	Defines the altitude distance between the aircraft and the formation point during either the First or Second Pause.
Fuel Flow Source	Defines the fuel flow of the aircraft while in formation; select from the following options: Takeoff Perf Model - uses the Takeoff performance model's setting. Cruise Perf Model - uses the Cruise performance model's setting. Landing Perf Model - uses the Landing performance model's setting. VTOL Perf Model - uses the VTOL performance model's setting. Aero/Propulsion - uses the fuel flow calculated by the aerodynamics and propulsion strategies defined in the active acceleration performance model; if the acceleration performance model is not set to calculate fuel flow, then fuel flow will not be calculated for this performance model, either. Override - manually specify the fuel flow in the Override Fuel Flow field.
First Pause	If the procedure is the first of the mission, the First Pause defines the amount of time that the aircraft will pause at a zero altitude offset; otherwise, it defines the amount of time that the aircraft will pause at the Altitude Offset.
Transition Time	If the procedure is the first of the mission, the Transition Time defines the amount of time that the aircraft will spend transitioning to the Altitude Offset; otherwise, it defines the amount of time that the aircraft will spend transitioning from the Altitude Offset to a zero altitude offset.
Second Pause	If the procedure is the first of the mission, the Second Pause defines the amount of time that the aircraft will pause at the Altitude offset; otherwise it defines the amount of time that the aircraft will pause at a zero altitude offset.
Display Step Time	Defines the time interval at which ephemeris is generated for display purposes.
Use Max Speed Computing Initial Turn Radius	Select to force the aircraft maintain its cruise speed when computing the initial turn, even if doing so will result in the aircraft making a turn large enough that it takes longer to complete than it would complete a slower, smaller turn.
Turn Factor	The Turn Factor is the maximum amount - expressed as a multiplier - that the turn radius will be increased to minimize the bank angle required to complete the turn. The factor is applied only to turns that are performed enroute to the procedure's first control point. The full circles that correspond (or are tangent) to the start/stop turns at the extended radius may not intersect if the factor is set high enough. This parameter is a limit and may not actually be achieved due to the requirement to generate an appropriate turn sequence. You can adjust the slider or enter the value manually in the box, with the minimum value being 1 and the maximum value being 10.
Flight Path Angle	Defines the flight path angle that the aircraft will have when it arrives at the beginning of the First Pause.
Radius Factor	The Radius Factor is the maximum amount - expressed as a multiplier - that the radius of a vertical curve will be increased to minimize the flight path angle required to complete it. The full circles that correspond (or are tangent) to the start/stop curves at the extended radius may not intersect if the Radius Factor is set high enough. This parameter is a limit and may not actually be achieved due to the requirement to generate an appropriate curve sequence. You can adjust the slider or enter the value manually in the box, with the minimum value being 1 and the maximum value being 10.
Include Delay - enables Auto Duration	Select to insert a delay at the beginning of the procedure, which will allow Aircraft Mission Modeler to adjust the timing of the procedure to increase the likelihood of achieving the formation. Select the turn direction of the delay in the Delay Turn Dir field; if the mode is set to Auto, Aircraft Mission Modeler will determine the turn direction.
Delay Cruise Airspeed	Select the method for determining the airspeed while delaying from the following options: Minimum Airspeed - constant airspeed at the minimum cruising airspeed for the aircraft. Max Endurance Airspeed - variable airspeed that maximizes the length of time that the aircraft can remain in flight. Max Range Airspeed - variable airspeed that maximizes the distance that the aircraft can fly. Maximum Airspeed - constant airspeed at the maximum cruising airspeed for the aircraft. Other Airspeed - constant, manually defined airspeed. With the exception of Other Airspeed, the actual airspeed will be defined by the currently selected cruise performance model, or possibly by the currently selected climb or descent performance model if the aircraft is climbing or descending.
Airspeed	Displays the airspeed while delaying. If the airspeed type is Other Airspeed, enter the desired airspeed value; otherwise, the calculated value will be displayed and cannot be edited. Select a reference from the drop-down menu - true airspeed (TAS), calibrated airspeed (CAS), equivalent airspeed (EAS), or Mach number.

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In-Formation

An In-Formation procedure is used to model coordinated flight between the aircraft and its formation vehicle. This procedure is only available to the End of Previous Procedure site, and only if the previous procedure was a Formation procedure.

Field	Description
Name	Enter a specific name for the procedure, if desired.
Flight Mode	Select a flight mode from the following options: Forward Flight - models the aircraft in forward flight above the site vehicle. Hover - models the aircraft hovering above the site vehicle. Takeoff/Landing - models the aircraft taking off from or landing on the site vehicle. Weight on Wheels - models the aircraft resting upon the site vehicle. The flight mode governs aerodynamics and propulsion calculations during the procedure and the attitude of the aircraft during transitions.
Formation Point	Defines the position - relative to the site vehicle - that the aircraft will be locked onto while in formation; click to open the Select Position Point window to choose a different reference point. Click Reset to reset the point definition to the default.
Transition Time	Defines the amount of time that the aircraft will spend transitioning from the Altitude Offset to a zero altitude offset.
Hold Time	Defines the amount of time that the aircraft will pause at a zero altitude offset.
Display Step Time	Defines the time interval at which ephemeris is generated for display purposes.
Trajectory Blending	Aircraft Mission Modeler interpolates the velocity of the aircraft and the starting and stopping positions of the procedure using the specified coordinate system and function. Select the coordinate system and interpolating function from the following options: Body Frame - Quadratic Body Frame - Cubic Local Horizontal - Quadratic Local Horizontal - Cubic ECF Frame - Quadratic ECF Frame - Cubic The Body Frame coordinate system is best suited for IFR formation flight, while Local Horizontal is best suited for VFR formation flight. The ECF Frame coordinate system can be used for formation flight relative to missiles.
Fuel Flow Source	Defines the fuel flow of the aircraft while in formation; select from the following options: Takeoff Perf Model - uses the Takeoff performance model's setting. Cruise Perf Model - uses the Cruise performance model's setting. Landing Perf Model - uses the Landing performance model's setting. VTOL Perf Model - uses the VTOL performance model's setting. Aero/Propulsion - uses the fuel flow calculated by the aerodynamics and propulsion strategies defined in the active acceleration performance model; if the acceleration performance model is not set to calculate fuel flow, then fuel flow will not be calculated for this performance model, either. Override - manually specify the fuel flow in the Override Fuel Flow field.

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Delay

A Delay procedure is used to hold the aircraft at the end of its previous procedure for a specific duration. The aircraft will fly one or more circular holding patterns; the specified cruise airspeed will be held constant during the delay, and the radius of the holding pattern will be adjusted as needed to complete the duration. The site must be an End of Previous Procedure.

Field	Description
Name	Enter a specific name for the procedure, if desired.
Mode	Select a mode for handling the altitude of the aircraft from the following options: Level Off - a level off maneuver will be used to bring an aircraft to the altitude specified by the cruise performance model, if the aircraft is unable to attain that altitude during the course of that procedure. Default Cruise Alt - the aircraft will attempt to attain the altitude specified by the cruise performance model during the course of the procedure but will not execute a level off maneuver if it is unable to do so; if a level off maneuver is required to reach the specified altitude, then the procedure will be invalidated. Override - override the cruise altitude and specify an altitude for the procedure.
Altitude	Displays the requested altitude of the procedure; this field can only be edited if the Mode is Override. The altitude is constrained by the lowest ceiling value of the active performance models in the current mission phase.
Turn Mode	Select the turn direction of the procedure; if the mode is set to Auto, Aircraft Mission Modeler will determine the turn direction.
Turn Factor	The Turn Factor is the maximum amount - expressed as a multiplier - that the turn radius will be increased to minimize the bank angle required to complete the turn. The factor is applied only to turns that are performed enroute to the procedure's first control point. The full circles that correspond (or are tangent) to the start/stop turns at the extended radius may not intersect if the factor is set high enough. This parameter is a limit and may not actually be achieved due to the requirement to generate an appropriate turn sequence. You can adjust the slider or enter the value manually in the box, with the minimum value being 1 and the maximum value being 10.
Cruise Airspeed	Select the method for determining the airspeed from the following options: Minimum Airspeed - constant airspeed at the minimum cruising airspeed for the aircraft. Max Endurance Airspeed - variable airspeed that maximizes the length of time that the aircraft can remain in flight. Max Range Airspeed - variable airspeed that maximizes the distance that the aircraft can fly. Maximum Airspeed - constant airspeed at the maximum cruising airspeed for the aircraft. Other Airspeed - constant, manually defined airspeed.
Airspeed	Displays the cruising airspeed. If the airspeed type is Other Airspeed, enter the desired airspeed value; otherwise, the calculated value will be displayed and cannot be edited. Select a reference from the drop-down menu - true airspeed (TAS), calibrated airspeed (CAS), equivalent airspeed (EAS), or Mach number.

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