A method for rapid acquisition of a specific subscriber by a ground-based beamformer includes the steps of defining a coverage area as an arrangement of a plurality of cells wherein one of the plurality of cells includes a specific subscriber; defining a partition of cell clusters wherein one of the cell clusters includes the one of the plurality of cells that includes the specific subscriber; forming a beam that corresponds to an area of one of the cell clusters; and scanning the beam to the cell cluster that includes the specific subscriber.