AARO GoFast Case Resolution and Methodology

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18
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Figure 12: Wind speed (left axis) and direction (right axis) for at the approximate location of the “Go Fast” event.
Because the exact location and heading of F/A-18 are not known, the flight path could not be
expressed in terms of compass directions. Thus, the effect of windspeed was assessed for all
possible directions; however, four cases are described first to illustrate the methodology: a
tailwind, headwind, a crosswind from the left, and a crosswind from the right relative to the F/A-
18. These directions were defined at the initial t1 location in the same coordinate system
described in Figures 3 and 4. In this coordinate system, a tailwind was defined as a heading of
0° (in the direction of the +x axis), a crosswind from the left at 90° (in the direction of the +y
axis), a headwind at 180° (in the direction of the -x axis), and a crosswind from the right at 270°
(in the direction of the -y axis).
Adjusted Flight Paths of the F/A-18
The wind velocity (speed and heading) is additive to the aircraft speed and heading at every
point. Assuming the wind is constant over the 13 second interval, the wind will essentially
“push” the F/A-18 in the direction of the wind from its calculated flight path with no wind.
Figure 11 shows adjusted flight paths accounting for wind direction with the no-wind flight path
as a black line for reference.