When directed to 'hawk' a particular aircraft that is a potential receiver, the tanker pilot should position the tanker to be at the ____ position of the low-state aircraft as it bolters or waves off.

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This item tests how you position the tanker for a quick, safe rejoin after a go-around. When the receiver aircraft bolters or waves off, the tanker should sit in the forward-right quadrant of the receiver, the two o’clock position. This keeps the tanker slightly ahead and to the right, giving the tanker a clear view of the receiver’s flight path and nose, while staying out of the receiver’s wake and away from the immediate go-around path. It also sets up a smooth, rapid transition back into the pre-contact geometry for another attempt.

Being at the two o’clock position avoids the risks of being directly overhead, which can put you in the wrong line for a safe rejoin during the go-around, or being directly to the right at three o’clock, which can place you in the receiver’s wake or complicate tracking. A position at nine o’clock behind the receiver isn’t optimal for re-engagement either, as it reduces visibility and makes a quick rejoin more difficult.