Flankenflug

Flankenflug describes a flight path where an aircraft flies along the side of a target or formation rather than directly behind or in front. The term is of German origin, combining Flanke (flank) and Flug (flight). It appears in German-language military aviation literature and historical reports, and is sometimes encountered in discussions of air combat tactics from the early to mid-20th century.

Historically, flankenflug was used to describe tactics in which a fighter or interception aircraft would approach from the side of an enemy formation to gain positional advantage, reduce exposure to frontal defenses, or threaten a flank to complicate enemy responses. In bomber interception and dogfighting, flank approaches could be used to capitalize on energy advantage or to attack with favorable firing angles.

In modern aviation doctrine and training, the exact term flankenflug is rarely used; the underlying concepts are described instead through more general terms such as offset or lateral maneuvering, side approach, or flank attack, depending on the context. The term is primarily of historical interest and is studied in the context of the evolution of air combat tactics.