199:. Among a wingman's primary responsibilities are remaining close to the leader of the aerial formation and warning the leader of any immediate threats at the cost of losing mutual protection. Smith described the responsibilities as mutually exclusive: to never lose the leader requires that the wingman watch what is in front of him/her while warning the leader of threats requires focusing on the rear. In order to protect the leader, the wingman needs to react constantly according to his surroundings and movements. Smith described the difficulties of flying under conditions of poor visibility and the trying effects on human perception under such conditions, especially considering the danger of becoming separated from the formation leader. According to Smith, wingmen are expected to remain with the leader, even at the cost of giving up an easy kill.
32:
129:
166:
The traditional military definition of a "Wingman" refers to the pattern in which fighter jets fly. There is always a lead aircraft and another which flies off the right wing of and behind the lead. This second pilot is called the "Wingman" because he or she primarily protects the lead by "watching
176:
The wingman's role is to support aerial combat by making a flight both safer and more capable: amplifying situational awareness, increasing firepower, and allowing more dynamic tactics.
225:
Company under the Ninth
Academy of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation presented an upgraded version of its "loyal wingman"
147:) is the pilot of a secondary aircraft providing support or protection to a primary aircraft in a potentially dangerous situation, traditionally flying in
151:
to the side and slightly behind the primary craft. The term is sometimes used in reference to the secondary aircraft itself, particularly when it is an
364:
222:
368:
374:
340:
96:
115:
68:
394:
75:
53:
82:
64:
215:
49:
20:
195:
Colonel Robert Smith provided an extensive description of the work and role of wingmen during the
378:
152:
42:
237:
211:" flying in formation with a manned fighter aircraft serving in various supporting roles.
8:
346:
336:
89:
148:
184:
The concept of a wingman is nearly as old as fighter aviation. On 9 August 1915,
230:
226:
185:
159:
388:
350:
254:
208:
189:
188:
was already acting in the role when he shot down a French airplane pursuing
132:
259:
249:
196:
302:
207:
The development of UAVs led to the development of such vehicles as "
31:
19:
This article is about military pilots. For other uses, see
128:
16:
Military pilot or UAV flying alongside a formation leader
283:
278:
202:
56:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
333:Knight of Germany : Oswald Boelcke German ace
386:
116:Learn how and when to remove this message
127:
369:United States Air Force Medical Service
155:(UAV) rather than human-piloted plane.
387:
330:
289:
54:adding citations to reliable sources
25:
203:Unmanned aerial vehicles as wingmen
13:
14:
406:
358:
214:The European development project
30:
324:
41:needs additional citations for
295:
272:
171:
1:
265:
335:. Havertown, Pa.: Casemate.
7:
243:
10:
411:
179:
18:
331:Werner, Johannes (2009).
21:Wingman (disambiguation)
379:United States Air Force
375:"What makes a wingman?"
303:"Bob Smith (1928–2010)"
153:unmanned aerial vehicle
395:Aerial warfare tactics
238:Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat
169:
136:
164:
131:
240:is another example.
218:includes such UAVs.
133:Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny"
50:improve this article
292:, pp. 144–145.
137:
342:978-1-61200-043-5
279:Air Force Reserve
158:According to the
126:
125:
118:
100:
402:
365:"I am a wingman"
354:
318:
317:
315:
313:
299:
293:
287:
281:
276:
121:
114:
110:
107:
101:
99:
58:
34:
26:
410:
409:
405:
404:
403:
401:
400:
399:
385:
384:
361:
343:
327:
322:
321:
311:
309:
301:
300:
296:
288:
284:
277:
273:
268:
246:
205:
182:
174:
122:
111:
105:
102:
59:
57:
47:
35:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
408:
398:
397:
383:
382:
372:
360:
359:External links
357:
356:
355:
341:
326:
323:
320:
319:
294:
282:
270:
269:
267:
264:
263:
262:
257:
252:
245:
242:
231:Zhuhai Airshow
204:
201:
186:Oswald Boelcke
181:
178:
173:
170:
160:U.S. Air Force
124:
123:
38:
36:
29:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
407:
396:
393:
392:
390:
380:
376:
373:
370:
366:
363:
362:
352:
348:
344:
338:
334:
329:
328:
308:
304:
298:
291:
290:Werner (2009)
286:
280:
275:
271:
261:
258:
256:
255:Vee formation
253:
251:
248:
247:
241:
239:
234:
232:
228:
224:
219:
217:
212:
210:
209:loyal wingmen
200:
198:
193:
191:
190:Max Immelmann
187:
177:
168:
163:
161:
156:
154:
150:
146:
142:
134:
130:
120:
117:
109:
98:
95:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67: –
66:
62:
61:Find sources:
55:
51:
45:
44:
39:This article
37:
33:
28:
27:
22:
332:
325:Bibliography
310:. Retrieved
306:
297:
285:
274:
235:
229:at the 2022
221:The Chinese
220:
213:
206:
194:
183:
175:
165:
157:
144:
140:
138:
112:
103:
93:
86:
79:
72:
60:
48:Please help
43:verification
40:
377:article at
367:article at
260:Parahawking
250:Finger-four
172:Description
266:References
197:Korean War
167:his back."
76:newspapers
381:(archive)
371:(archive)
351:783210892
312:April 14,
307:nf104.com
149:formation
135:formation
106:July 2011
65:"Wingman"
389:Category
244:See also
145:wingmate
223:Feihong
180:Origins
141:wingman
90:scholar
349:
339:
227:FH-97A
92:
85:
78:
71:
63:
97:JSTOR
83:books
347:OCLC
337:ISBN
314:2012
236:The
216:FCAS
143:(or
69:news
52:by
391::
345:.
305:.
233:.
192:.
162:,
139:A
353:.
316:.
119:)
113:(
108:)
104:(
94:·
87:·
80:·
73:·
46:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
