User Guide

The cockpit instrumentation is designed to present the huge volume of information necessary for
you to fly and fight, in as readily understandable and instinctive a manner as possible.
HEADS-UP DISPLAY (HUD)
One of the things pilots like most about the F-16 is the large Heads-Up Display, or HUD. The HUD
puts vital information in front of the pilot on a flat glass plate without obscuring his view ahead. The
HUD displays an amazing amount of information for a single screen, including: airspeed, pitch
angle, radar lock, absolute and above sea level altitude, G-force level, heading, stall warning, fuel
warnings, velocity vector and the weapon sighting displays.
HUD Flight Indicators
Because Strike Commander closely simulates reality, it is an extremely complex environment. To
complete the missions and win the game, you must be able to operate the controls smoothly.
Practice with the Training Mission environment will help.
Pitch Ladder. The Pitch Ladder indicates the angle of the aircraft with respect to the horizon. As the
numbers along the ladder scroll by the Velocity Vector indicator in the center, you can see how
steeply you’re climbing or diving, measured in degrees. This is called pitch. The ladder has a zero
line with five-degree steps extending above and below, in positive and negative numbers
respectively. Note that the pitch lines become dashed at negative pitch (diving).
In addition to measuring the angle of your plane’s pitch, the ladder also measures angle of roll —
the degree of turn relative to the horizon, known as “roll angle.” If you throw the plane into a loop,
the ladder will invert at the top (90 degrees) and show your descent. To ensure your orientation, the
tips of the ladder rungs always point toward the horizon, indicated by the zero line in the middle of
the ladder. In conditions of good visibility, some pilots turn the ladder off because it clutters up the
display, but most pilots like to see graphically where they are in relation to the horizon. See Option
Screens (pp. 22-24) for details.
Velocity Vector Indicator. The Pitch Ladder is centered on the Velocity Vector indicator, a circle
with three lines projecting from it. The velocity vector shows the direction the plane is moving
through the air rather than the way it is pointing. For example, if the vector mark is toward the left
side of the HUD, you are moving left relative to the center line of the aircraft.
COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS
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Altitude Tape
Altitude above
Terrain
Distance to
Waypoint
Communications
MFD
Current Heading Tick
Pitch Ladder
Velocity
Vector
Altitude Above
Terrain Caret
Altitude Over
Sea Level Dash
Gear Down, Flaps Down,
Brakes On Indicators
Direction Tape
Waypoint Caret
Current Mach
Airspeed Tape
Current Gs
Max Gs
Airspeed Dash
(T: True or
C: Calibrated)
Radar Lock Warning
IR Lock Warning
Throttle
HUD Screen