What are you doing to stay up-to-date on Eurofighter tactics? We communicate very closely with the air forces and use every opportunity to keep abreast of developments. Whenever we have the freedom to do so we adapt our operational testing to reflect our understanding of the current tactics and doctrines. It should also be noted that through the incorporation of new technologies and capabilities the design of a new weapon system also promotes changes in tactics, some of which are planned and others not. Time and again our aircraft has demonstrated that it has kept pace with the changing world and particularly in the netcentric environment the aircraft has proved to be one of the most flexible platforms, utilising more of the possibilities within the NATO standard networks than any other aircraft out there. What are your initial impressions of the Eurofighter? Could you give us some details? My initial impression now goes back 11 years. My first Eurofighter flight was in February 1997, in the first prototype, Development Aircraft DA 1. At that time the aircraft was still fitted with Tornado engines and a very rudimentary avionics suite, but I can remember how impressed I was with the size and the comfort of the cockpit. The driving factor for the design of the cockpit was the requirement for one of the largest radars in a fighter today, which meant the aircraft had to have a big nose. How does Eurofighter compare with any other aircraft you have flown, and what are the main differences? Most of my operational experience came from the F-16 and - although Eurofighter is vastly superior in performance in the subsonic region (a Norwegian test pilot has estimated 30%) - the real eye-opener is the supersonic performance at high altitude, which is so important for long-range air combat. Here, Eurofighter performance is more than twice that of an F-16. The Eurofighter has a canard/delta wing configuration. Could you please explain what the main difference is between flying this aircraft and flying an aircraft with another wing configuration? What are the advantages? The delta wing was chosen for supersonic performance and the canard for agility. Eurofighter was designed to be more aerodynamically unstable than the other European delta/canard fighters. You can see this by the position of the canard, which is in the forward-most position on the Eurofighter. The reason for that is that there was a desire to maintain instability also in the supersonic region. Here all aircraft have increased longitudinal stability - and aerodynamic instability means greater agility. Control of the aircraft is provided by the fully automated flight control system, which means that the flying characteristics that the pilot experiences are programmed. And we have of course made the aircraft extremely easy to fly so as to reduce the pilot's workload. Could you please guide us around the cockpit. And explain the main systems situated in the cockpit and give us a short explanation of the system?: Because of the spacious cockpit we have a lot of room for large displays. The cockpit is dominated by three large multifunction displays and a large head-up display. There is also the helmet-mounted display. The aircraft systems all look after themselves, so there is no need to display normal system information, other than in abnormal situations. The display surfaces can therefore be devoted 100% to tactical information. The primary aircraft sensors are the radar, the interrogator (for identification of air targets), the infrared search and track system (which can track air targets regardless of their radar cross section), the data link system and the electronic warfare suite. All sensor information is 'fused' automatically into a coherent picture, thus making cockpit management very easy for the pilot. Please explain the use of the Helmet Mounted Symbology System (HMSS) and its compatibility with, for example, the weapon systems?: The helmet mounted display provides sensor information in the helmet visor. The pilot can see this regardless of the direction in which he or she is looking. In long-range combat this vastly increases the situational awareness, and for close-in combat it is absolutely essential because it enables the pilot to steer short-range missiles by head movement. Could you please give a short description of the Speech Recognition Module (SRM) and briefly explain its use?: Direct Voice Input (DVI), as we call it, has become a cornerstone of our cockpit concept. We use voice inputs for cockpit commands that are time-critical - such as targeting - or actions that are difficult to perform by conventional means - such as the generation and transmission of complicated data-link messages to other fighters. DVI has become a very valuable tool in reducing the pilot's workload. What are the hardest, and easiest things about working in Eurofighter?: All work not involving flying is hard - meetings, simulator sessions, writing reports. But, then again, when you see a result that everyone is happy with and try it out in the air, that is the reward. Is there a particular mission profile that you prefer with the Eurofighter? If so, please state why: The aircraft was designed for many types of mission. It can perform the majority excellently, and the rest very well. But the typical air policing mission with a so-called 'minimum time to intercept' has a special kick, purely because the takeoff with full afterburner followed by a steep climb to high altitude and then acceleration to maximum speed makes your eyes water. Visual identification at night with the infra-red sensors is also impressive: all much easier and much quicker than when I had to do it during Quick Reaction Alert in the F-16. Could you give us a guided tour of the different weapon systems, for example the Meteor and Mauser BK-27? And please explain which weapon can best be used in each different situation. Without divulging classified information, of course: Modern air combat starts at very long range, where you need very good sensors to provide you with a perfect air picture. The first weapon employed today is the AMRAAM, which will one day be replaced by the Meteor. The latter will have a much longer range and be better compatible with our sensor range. A very important aspect here is that the range of the missile can be increased by the speed and altitude of the launch aircraft, with only the American F-22 matching Eurofighter here. Exercises and air combat simulation show that close-in visual combat is still unavoidable, and here the weapon of choice is the IRIS-T infra-red missile, which the pilot can slew to the target using the helmet mounted display. Finally, the cannon is still an important weapon for very close-in fights. In all the described scenarios, the performance of both aircraft and weapons is important - that is what makes the Eurofighter so lethal in air-to-air combat. Is there any particular Eurofighter tail number(s) you are fond of? Please explain: The very first prototype was Development Aircraft (DA) 1 (first flight March 1994). I flew that aircraft on the very last flight before it was retired in December 2005. It had been our workhorse for development of the flight control system, the engines, the landing gear and brake system. Of the 578 flights it did, I ended up doing almost a third, including numerous air shows throughout Europe. I have to admit that I felt very close to that particular aircraft. Please describe a general air-to-air refuelling and tell us what the main checks and visible markings are for refueling: You join up next to the tanker and wait for the basket to be extended. You then extend the air refuelling probe. The flight control system is also automatically optimised for the refuelling task (making the aircraft a little less sensitive). You then fly behind the basket and make the connection. This part is purely visual and is made easy in the Eurofighter because the probe is in the perfect position to be watched by the pilot. The basket can be seen at night because it is equipped with rim lights. Once connected to the basket, you move the aircraft forward, and the fuel hose is automatically adjusted (retracted) to let the fuel flow. There are white markings on the hose to tell the pilot how far to 'push' it in. This part is very easy and does not require particularly accurate flying. Please describe a general air-to-air fight and which systems are used to find and track any 'enemy/hostile' aircraft. What weapon system is used in what situation - just to give the reader an impression?: The sensors involved are the radar (very long range), the Infra-Red Search and Track (IRST) system, which complements the radar, in particular against stealthy targets. Also the data-link system is used as a sensor and identification is made by means of a so-called interrogator, which recognizes friendly targets. There are other means, but they are classified. Finally, the Electronic Warfare System (EWS) senses who is 'looking at you' and warns about any threats. How would you characterise the Eurofighter in your own words?: The two most modern fighters in the American inventory are the F-22 air dominance fighter and the F-35 fighter bomber. The Eurofighter matches the performance and the persistence (internal fuel load) of the F-22 and it matches the range of the F-35 when armed for air-to-surface missions. Any air force that operates only one type of fighter aircraft can do no better than fly Eurofighter. And last but not least, would you share a story of a memorable deployment, or 'exercise' flight you made in the Eurofighter?: There were so many great flights and each aspect of flight testing has its particular challenge. It has also been my privilege to display the Eurofighter at numerous air shows over the years and I enjoyed that tremendously every time. One detail I do remember well was during the engine tests we did in Sardinia early in the programme, when I set my personal speed record. I won't tell you the exact number, but it was over Mach 2 and it was in level flight. The author would like to thank Claas Belling, EADS Communications Manager for his endless help, assistance and effort in arranging this interview. And Christian Worning, EADS Experimental Test Pilot for his much appreciated time in his busy shedule. This interview was taken at 23-10-2008.