2nd April Mission / Training

[0405 Andrew]

If anyone is available this evening myself and Louis will be on and will try to run a mission of some degree.

Maybe Op. Bactria but open to suggestions.

[Flyco]

Happy to fly Bactria with you. Not flown it for a long time, and I seem to recall it was becoming a bit temperamental. Alternatively I have tidied up Ossetia Incursion.

We'll see how many we get and how they feel.

[0405 Andrew]

Excellent, I look forward to whatever we do.

[0413 Luis]

I vote Ossetia

[Flyco]

Not too bad last night. We took out all our primary targets (AFVs) with the exception of a single mobile AD. We also got a few losses.

Remember to try and go for the primary targets and take them in a logical order. Top priority were the Tunguskas - particularly difficult in that terrain. I simply could not get my Mavs locked on, but fortunately Luis managed to gain his revenge by taking out both of them - well done. From then on we should have been focussing on the AFVs - that is tanks, BTRs, MPS and the remaining AD. In the end we took out all except one SA8, which wasn't bad.

As you saw, if you can take out one vehicle in a column, the remainder will often pull off the road for a period. That has its plusses an minuses - they are easier to hit, but often more difficult to see - especially in that wooded terrain. Once the Tunguskas were destroyed, we should also have concentrated on the columns nearest the town of Oni. One final point about Tunguskas, they are largely visually guided - this means that the trees can be used to advantage, provided you can see the vehicle which is firing at you - sometimes its better to dive - even vertically!

It's all about SA - situational awareness. Try and be aware of everything in the area (especially the lethal stuff), and know your height and general orientation. In real life, I always found the sun to be best guide - even in poor weather. It is not so easy in DCS, so try and hang onto some landmark and know your general safe heading, when things get hectic.

Still, all in all, as I said, not too bad, with only one of the two scheduled flights available.

[0405 Andrew]

Many thanks for last night, every time I fly I hope to make some improvement. That's a good tip about the sun.

My situational awareness needs improving. You were all very good at calling out location coordinates of convoys coming in. I have no experience of doing this and would like some help to improve (from a very low base).

Is there a best procedure / profile for setting up the TAD for marking locations? Do you change from Flight plan to Mark point with steer point selector knob before going in to an area like that. Do you set UTM and anything else on the way point page before Fence in?

What is the workflow. i.e. Do you, locate with TGP- Mark on TAD - read out coordinates from mark point CDU page or do you find the coordinates elsewhere?

As you can see I don't have a lot of experience, if anyone has the time I'd appreciate a training session, maybe without anyone shooting back.

[Flyco]

Andrew, I will try and put down on paper how I do it, and try and record a short track for you, together with a quick mission going through the process.

I tried explaining it on paper and got hopelessly confused! As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

[0405 Andrew]

I'd really appreciate that, I look at your FRC's and find them a very good reference.

[0413 Luis]

Really enjoyed last night.
Once again, I was shot on arrival, wile I was inputing the coordinates (head down) ... rookie me ...
I was more concerned to be on visual with leader then with treaths .... rookie again ...
But I learn a lesson, keep the eye on RWR, I was using SA3 as reference in RWR, but the sun is better ...is always there ...
Also, once I located the road I did 4 markpoints along it, and was always cycling them. When the convoy stoped, was very difficult to see other units, specially because there is this TGP bug on white hot (usually the way I use if in trees).
I did some research, and found a fix for it from some mont's ago.
I have noticed that this bug comes and goes depending the DCS updates ...
Alan, one question: is ot correct when in target area I ask permission to do my own pattern to search targets, or nr.2 must follow leader?

[0405 Andrew]

I've spent the last couple of hours reading up and playing with the TAD.

I'm a bit embarrassed in the gap of my knowledge, I'm hoping I have filled that now.

I now have a clear understanding of the TAD, Hooks, Bulls, MGRS, SPI transmit, Marks and mission waypoints. I just need to put it into practice.