The Harrier Flight Path

In each mission the Harier flies along a fixed flight path. this is shown on the mission selection screen, and also the radar, if you have won it. Occassionally the Harrier begins its mission in flight, but more usually you will take off from the aircraft carrier deck.

The flight path will carry you over any objective areas and usually you will rendezvous with your carrier at the end of the flight path. The arrows on the flight path show the direction of the landing carrier, you cannot land on the carrier that you start from.

Because the Harrier is constrained to its flight path, some targets are very dificult or impossible to attack in the early stages of the game. As you progress through the missions you will win awards that enable you to stray a little to port or starboard of the marked flight path, making things a little easier. Manoeuvres which take you off the flight path are named with the initials DFF, standing for Deviate From Flightpath.

You may also win attack manoeuvres which pursue and attack targets while ignoring the fixed flightpath.