31st Training?

[Paul(Dragon)0043]

Yes thanks Alan, that was a brilliant oldie mission for the A-10, rocky start, but excellent ending. well done everyone.

[0405 Andrew]

That was a very interesting sortie for me, user error and technical problems came at me thick and fast. I'd just like to thank you all for showing patience. But every sortie flown is one where you can learn something from.

I have been using a new mouse control system. I have discovered that I need to be more accurate. During the start up I clicked on the RH fire extinguisher, this I didn't notice until well into the startup. So from now on, where I always assume that the engines fire up OK and have got lazy checking gauges and systems, I will not take it for granted that they have, even in this simulator, that usually runs like clockwork there is always user error.

After takeoff, where I hadn't time to set up the weapons profiles due to the start up problems, I needed to set everything up, again my accuracy with the mouse resulted in me jettisoning all ordnance. Of course the jettison button is just above the left MFD, in real life it is harder to accidentally press as it is shielded but this is not simulated in DCS. I will look to see if I can add a time delay to this switch but obviously being more accurate with the mouse would be better.

After taking off in a new plane I was then rushing to catch up. With hindsight I should have got myself all sorted and double checked everything before entering the AO. My weapon profiles were not set correctly, with GBU12's in CCIP mode when I entered my first run in. I need to double check everything and slow down. This or variations of this plagued me through out the evening, I felt a bit flustered and should have paused and relaxed.

I didn't extend enough over the targets. I orbited around East bridge too close. So when I ran in I didn't have enough time.

I didn't allow for Laser time until impact and lost line of sight on one drop. Trees and terrain got in the way, this was because I manoeuvred incorrectly after releasing GBU 12.

My voice communication needs to be improved, Alan commented that I was not clear and crisp. I understand that I need a radio voice additional to my normal one. I will be talking to myself this week in clipped precise tones to see if I can improve it. Is my volume coming through OK, I'm not sure if I have a Mic problem too.

Overall it was an exhilarating sortie which I enjoyed. Which I can also learn a lot from.


Louis, I'm glad you and Paul had a good landing, I'd have liked to have seen it, by then my PC had crashed out and I decided to knock it on the head!

[Flyco]

Quite a culture shock. Don't know why but it seemed to me that everyone was below par last night. I don't remember it being that difficult in the past - but then I am getting older!

My first ac wouldn't allow the autopilot to engage, no matter what I did - I can't even think of an error on my part that might have caused it. As a result, I found it difficult to hold above the LZ, and never saw the rescue helicopter - if it ever arrived. The AI RW are appalling, they fly into all sorts of things for no apparent reason. There were triggered message programmed to announce its arrival and safe departure. I never saw them, and, because my system crashed late in the sortie, I was unable to check with Tacview what happened to it. I was also unable to check what shot me down - not that it matters the ultimate cause was my incompetence!

As for losing the lasing, I find it best to overfly or put on no more than 10 degrees of bank in wooded areas. The real problem I have with such scenarios is finding a target, working out where and when it will be in a clear space, and turning in at the right time to pickle when I need to.

If anyone has a good copy of the Tacview, I would be grateful if they could let me have a copy. No flight is complete without a full debrief!

Could have been worse; there could have been red fighters with only Tomcats to protect us!

Finally, did anyone get through totally unscathed? There seemed to be an unusually high number of individual PC crashes.

[Paul(Dragon)0043]

Alan, the rescue helicopters did arrive and landed at the required LZ, I was following them in F2 view, not sure if they got the President away safely or not, my attention was required elsewhere.

P.S. Alan I have sent you my Tacview file from last night via email, Hope you get it.

Paul

[0413 Luis]

The only problem I had was a bunch of Thunghuskas
And a certain noob skill level ...

Alan my PC crashed once, but I had many things open in my PC ( 10 windows in browser, photoshop, etc ...)
Also my anti-virus has done a automatic update wile on mission.

So, I guess was my PC, not the server.

[Flyco]

OK, I got the Tacview file, thanks Paul. As I feared I was shot down by the Tunguska due to careless lack of awareness. Indeed the Rescue Huey did arrive, but never departed: probably damaged during landing - it was a very tight LZ with all the fresh trees around.

I need to overhaul that mission seriously to cater for the changes in the topography and tree growth!

Thanks all.