Meyomyx

A good tip is to make sure you are using SA page on your MPCD. The current designated TGP point is shown as a small square so if you know that your target will be at a certain point on the map (or more likely at or near a waypoint), you can point the FLIR at more or less the exact point, way before you can see your target on the FLIR. This gives you time to zoom in and tune the exact target as it becomes visible. It transformed locating targets for me. Please note that (at the time of writing) there is a bug when you de-centre the SA view in that the cursor moves in the opposite sense to that which it should .... but in centred view, it works perfectly.

There seems to be issues with heights. Place some waypoints and look at the waypoint height. It typically varies by quite a few meters (sometimes hundreds, sometimes fewer). If you assign those to TGT, your weapons will miss. If you correct the GPS height in the waypoint page using the height copied from that point on the map, you can correct this behaviour. I don't know the definite answer, but if the algorithm that "paints" the target point doesn't have correct height data, the target point will be (for example) a hundred feet off the deck. If your weapons are headed for that point, they'll miss, proportionate to the variation between actual height and given height data. The observations above concerning different maps and versions would support this. I'm sure these issues are to do with spot height mismatch.

.... unlike the F16 where the whole approach is normally carried out with speed brake extended

Wind doesn't affect airspeed! If you fly at an indicated airspeed of 100 knots into 50 knot headwind, your indicated airspeed is still 100 knots ...... and flying downwind at 100 knots in a 50 knot tailwind is still 100 knots. Suppose I tell you to walk 10 steps from the back to the front on a bus driving at 50kph. Then walk 10 steps towards the rear. You've still only taken 10 steps (and taken the same time to do it) even though the bus is travelling at 50kph. So to summarise, 350 knots IAS is 350 knots IAS whatever the strength or direction of any wind. :)

Yes - unusable at the moment. The designated point on the SA page is saying the pointer is way off to port (for example) whilst the same indicator on the FLIR page shows it off to Starboard. It appears to be operating in the opposite sense.

I'm really surprised and grateful for all your help and advice. I've calmed down. Stopped to analyse whats happening and have a plan involving pretty much all the advice given above. As and when I succeed (and I will), I'll report back - or even produce a short video if my experience is any different to that of others. I detect I'm not the first to have been in this position! Thanks for all your responses

..... ironically I have no problem whatever with carrier recoveries!

That's kind of you. I keep hearing it's difficult and to keep practicing but it seems just so difficult. Most of the videos seem to be a showcase for people who have mastered the task. I have a warthog. I've tried various deadzones and curves (currently 8/10) I can get into position. Then at the last minute all I get is the probe drifting through the basket without connecting. An endless cycle. I've managed to connect for about 10 seconds twice in 2 weeks. Any aspirations to do longer missions are on permanent hold as I end up running out of gas and swimming. There really should be a facility to allow the positional tolerance of the basket/probe connection to be altered in the menu options to allow users to progressively improve their skills (by reducing the tolerance). I'm not sure how much longer I should keep practicing. A week? A month? It's impossible to know whether I'm improving.

I'm on the point of giving up DCS. Refuelling is unreasoinably difficult. I've spent hours, watched videos .... no luck. Without refuelling, the F18 is very limited in what it can do. Without some mode of making this slightly easier, it's very very VERY dispiriting.

Yes - you may need to increase your dead zone a little.

Press undesignate! It seems as though the head cages in the aspect of the last designated target. If you undesignate, the head cages normally.