ASAP

Real world each tube covers a 40 degree field of view, obviously overlapping in the middle. It would probably be pretty difficult to make it look right and give the user the same ability to look under the NVGs due to VR FOV limits and all though... Anyway, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here's a photo of what the NVGs look like on a pilot. This isn't an A-10 helmet, and it has something other than the HOBBIT on it, but bracket and NVGs themselves look the same. The second picture is the HMCS. when wearing NVGs with the HMCS on, the NVGs are even further from your eye because there has to be room for the monocle to fit between the goggles and your eye.

That is incorrect. The NVGs sit about 1/2-3/4 of an inch in front of the eyes. Pilots have to look under the NVG tubes to see anything inside the cockpit. It's like flying with bifocals. The NVGs are only good for seeing outside the jet. Everything inside the jet is an unreadable blur. The NVGS cannot be closer to the eye than the HMCS monocle, assuming you are using HMCS. Granted, that's not the way DCS represents it, and you can't really simulate looking beneath the NVGS to look inside. On the NVGS everything is unrealistically in focus in the game.

on the light pannel there is a two position switch on the left side for the cockpit annunciator lights, set it to DIM should take care of it.

I can't remember the exact reason, but that is in fact how it's supposed to work. I suspect its because those pylons are very close together and they don't want to simultaneously release them for fear of bombs colliding in flight

Lol, exactly! Air brief the wingman on what Bingo actually means. I wonder what the fighter-to-fighter brief would sound like... "Fighter to fighter: Shooter/POW, Guns, 1's in North, off right to west, 2 snap homeplate and eject. 1's ready"

I would agree with that, and I'm sure in reality there is chatter during long droning missions. There's probably a balance that could be struck. I can't remember which campaign it was I was playing but there was a whole conversation about the wingman's upcoming wedding and how hard it is to be a military spouse. As I'm fenced in to go take out a column of tanks pouring through a mountain pass. like, could we at least talk tactics or something? LOL

I think another reason is that as more percision weapons were used you could get away with carrying less bombs. when carrying dumb bombs pilots would prefer to ripple more bombs because 1 bomb alone probably wont get desired weapons effects. With LGBs you can be a lot more confident that your 1 bomb is going to shack the target, so you don't have to bring fully loaded TERs anymore. Mission sets where collateral damage are a concern also drove the use of more percision guided munitions and ground commanders had a much lower appetite for dumb bombs.

Ha! This is the absolute furthest thing from realism. Comm discipline and brevity is a real thing. The only realistic response to the constant monologuing on the radio would be an emphatic "2, SHUT THE F*** UP!" The only things a wingman should say to say are: "2", "2's Tally", "2's IN", "1, break flare".

I know when you hit load all it disables all the HOTAS and MFCD buttons for a short time. I don't if its the DSMS loading specifically that is causing that. Either way, as long as all the functionality comes back after the load is complete there isnt an issue.

This is the correct real world functionality. Try it when the TERs are on 4 and 8 and it should work just fine.

can you manually go into the inventory page and load it individually?

FENCE IN for mavericks and then china hat aft short until the top left of the maverick screen either says station 3 or 9. unless you have lau-88s you should only have to china hat aft once to switch pylons.

In the real aircraft the pilots have to boresight the HMCS after turning the system on. In the monocle they have a big X and they have to match it up over a circle on the HUD and TMS forward short. If they implemented a system like that in the SIM it coulc solve a lot of these errors and tell the system exactly where the users eyes are.

I think I see what you are saying. If I'm understanding you correctly though, it's not a bug. This is the proper function of the system. Anytime you create a markpoint, the CDU will go to the waypoint page (Which is not the same as the steer point page, which I think you are confusing it with) and show you the information for the mark. While you will still be able to cycle your steerpoints with the +/- rocker switch, the waypoint page will be continuously displayed on the CDU until you change it. If you want to get back to the steerpoint page from the waypoint page you'll have to reselect it by moving the right nob away from, and then back to the steerpoint option (or push Function, 0 on the UFC) That is how the system behaves no matter what position the left STEER PT dial is set to. The STEER PT dial is selecting which database you want to to cycle through when you cycle your steerpoints. MISSION will be steerpoints 1-50, the last mark you took, then mark Z, then the remaining 2071 non editable steerpoints. MARK will allow you to cycle through only the markpoints you've taken FLT PLN will allow you to cycle through only your selected flight plan waypoints. Regardless of what database you are looking at, you can go to the waypoint page (the bottom left LSK from the STEERPOINT page) to look at any waypoint. When you are on the waypoint page it will not change as you cycle steerpoints. It allows you to select which waypoint you are looking at and edit it (assuming it's 1-50). This is the page your CDU is jumping to any time you take a mark. I hope that helps, If that isn't whats happening then there might be something wrong, and I might have misunderstood what you're saying the problem is.

Looks pretty much spot on. The only point I'd make about realism (take it or leave it) is that position lights should stay flash until your runway final check, and then go steady "Steady = ready (for takeoff)". The taxi light isn't used during the day normally. I know other aircraft use their taxi light to indicate to their crew chief that they are ready for taxi though. So if you want to use the taxi light while taxiing I'd recommend moving it to the last thing you do before you start taxiing. Think of that as your way of visually signaling to the crew chief that he needs to start marshalling you out of chocks. That's generally saved for airplanes where the crew chief doesn't have any intercomm to talk to the pilot though (I'm specifically thinking T-6/T-38 but there might be others)

I don't know, that's a good point. You are correct everything should work as soon as you have the APU and Generator on. I think the point of testing the lights it after engine start is so you are just focused on getting the APU and engines started during that time. None of the additional lights are important for starting the engines, so the checklist doesn't have you bother testing them until later. Additionally, during the engine start process you are also monitoring the AC generators coming on line at 52% RPM for each respective generator, and you are making sure there is a good left generator crossover when the L. GEN takes the electrical load from the APU at that point. As soon as both engines are up and running you also turn off the L GEN switch momentarily to make sure you get a good R. GEN crossover, and THEN you test the lights. I guess the guy who wrote the checklist thought it made more sense to test the lights after you've fully checked the integrity of your electrical system... That's mostly conjecture on my part. You'd functionally get the same results and see the same things if you tested the lights after the APU/APU GEN start.

You test it the first time after the battery and inverter are working. You want to make sure all the caution lights work (especially important ones you care about during engine start like Left Fuel Pressure/Eng Start cycle, etc...) and that the lights powered by the DC and essential AC bus are working. That's most of them, minus the gun ready and.... the canopy light(?) Then when you get engines started and there is AC power you test it again to make sure that the lights powered by the AC bus are working.

OK, so I know this post is being resurrected from 11 years ago... but since it got resurrected, I'd like to point out that the checklist could use some modernization and completely optional realism points (take it or leave it, the OP indicated he wanted a realistic checklist though so here's my input). Some of these points might be squadron standards specific or technique/good practices that are not necessarily -1 mandated. I'm mostly posting this for my own amusement but figured it would start a conversation. Prep checklist: EAC cannot be engaged sense there's no power to the aircraft, the checklist isn't wrong, but it doesnt really need to be there. radar altimeter - should be NRM boost pumps (Wing/Main) should be ON, this is now the default AC Gen (L/R) - should be on, unless its very cold or rainy out, then they'd be left off until after engine start so the generators can warm up. STARTUP, TAXI, TAKEOFF All lights - wherever it says day-dim night-bright, should be the opposite. Radios - The mid radio is the only one powered by the battery. Turn that on after battery/inverter, turn the others on after apu and apu generator start. Radios are sensitive and its best practice not to have them turned on as the AC generators start up. I'm not an electrician but "something, something, power surges and stuff, probably wont matter but why risk it" is the explanation I've always heard Canopy - unless its cold outside, usually left open until after engine starts by most pilots (The air conditioner doesn't work during engine starts and if the sun is on the cockpit it warms up really quick) If its a nice day outside it seems like lots of pilots like to taxi with their canopies up. BOOST PUMPS - Should already be on from the prep checklist APU GEN SWITCH - Before turning it on verify the L. FUEL PRESS light is out. (Not really a factor in the sim, it's always out unless you've pulled the DC FUEL PUMP circuit breaker) ENGINE STARTUP ATC COMM - Correct for DCS and most campaigns, but just a real world note here, at least at USAF fighter bases... Fighters don't have to talk to ATC usually to request engine startup. Thats a thing for civilians and heavies. APU GEN SWITCH - Don't turn this off until you are also turning off the APU generator. The APU GEN switch is also powering the cooling system for the generator. even when you have both L/R AC Generators working you need the generator switch on while the APU is on APU Switch- This checklist has you turn off the APU immediately after engine start. In reality there is a minimum time the APU needs to run unloaded after an engine start (a couple of minutes), Also the APU is providing your air conditioning, and heating while on the ground and your engines are in idle. You can turn it off whenever you want after the the minimum unloaded run time, but turn it off no later than your pre-takeoff checks. Pre-Flight test SIGNAL LAMP TEST - This should be tested first right after the battery and inverter switch are started and then again after engine start (AC POWER available) Fire detect bleed air leak test - This only needs to be checked once, but needs to be earlier in the checklist before you start your APU. That way you know it will tell you if you have an APU/Engine fire during startup. FLAPS/SPEED BREAK/CONTROLS/TRIM/etc... - The checklist is fine, there was a lot of discussion back in 2012 apparently about how these tests are actually done. The pilot is talking through the intercom with the crew chief, the pilot tell the crew chief what he's doing, moves something, and the crew chief watches to make sure the appropriate control surface moves. The pilot can't see most of the things on their own. HUD MODE - Generally left in day mode even at night due to NVGs Final Checks and Taxi ANTI-SKID - this isn't supposed to be turned on until you are lined up on the runway ready for takeoff. Should be removed from this checklist. SEAT arm handle - This is armed immediately prior to taxing onto the runway, and disarmed as you are leaving the runway. Definitley not while taxiing around. Easiest way to fail a ride in UPT is to arm or forget to arm your ejection seat outside of the appropriate time. FLAPS lever - Not set until the pre-takeoff checklist immediately prior to taking the runway. LANDING LIGHTS - taxi lights aren't used during the day. LCP Position switch - FLASH is the appropriate setting, but it should be in the flash position before you even turn your battery on, this should be moved to the pre-start checklist. LCP ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT - Same comment There is a critical checklist here which is missing because all the steps are dispersed throughout all the other checklists. In reality, you'd do what this checklist labels as "Final Checks" minus the items I pointed out being in the wrong spot prior to taxi. Then you'd get taxi clearance and the formation would taxi to the end of the runway to get armed up. That's where the maintainers would pull all the weapons pins and give the aircraft a final lookover. Obviously that's not simulated in DCS. So I just knock out this next checklist as I am approaching the end of the runway. After every aircraft in the formation is arme'd up the flight lead would direct "PRE-TAKEOFF CHECKS" At which point each aircraft does the following: PRE-TAKEOFF CHECKS: Ejection Seat - Arm Flaps - MVR APU - OFF (If not already off) Tape - ON Landing Light - LDG APU GEN SWITCH - OFF PITOT Heat - ON LCP POSITION LIGHTS - STEADY LCP ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS - ON Then there's some radio comm and the flight gets clearance for takeoff, taxi's onto the runway. Once lined up on the runway: ANTI-SKID - ON Then there's a series of hand signals and head nods between the pilots and the rest of the checklist continues... TAKEOFF LANDING LIGHTS - Leave in the LAND position, the light is only on when the gear are down and locked. This way when you come back to land it will automatically come on. Outside of combat, tower will be looking for the light, because if its on it means the gear are down and locked. LCP POSITION/ANTI-COLLISION - Like i said that's part of the pre-takeoff checks. Absolutley none of those things are critical or necessary for flying in DCS. Those are all just some notes for realism and flavor. Have fun, and I look forward to all the BS flags that are about to get thrown.

actually that's an awesome bug, can we make an option to keep that around?

You are correct, as far as the jet is concerned a GBU-12 is a dumb bomb. the only interaction the jet has with the bomb is a few clamps in the MAU hold onto a pair of rings, which in turn pulls the pins which release the fins and power up the seeker as the weapon falls away from the jet. There is never any data passed between the aircraft and the bomb, and the bomb doesn't know or care where it is in time or space. after it is released and the computer powers up, it just moves the fins to keep the laser spot in the center of its field of view and does that all the way until impact. Its actually a very stupid "smart weapon".

Also you wouldn't take a sergeant fletcher tank into combat because it increases the overall explodyness of the airplane to an unacceptable level.

Are fuel flows override? did you put the motor switch in motor and leave it there? Fuel boost pumps turned off? (I know the engines SHOULD suction feed but that's not an absolute under all flight regimes). I'm not sure to what level all those switches are modeled, but those could potentially cause issues if its a simulated jet issue.... Or its a bug in the game I dunno.

You can only edit the 50 waypoints in the mission database. The remaining 2700+ waypoints are loaded into the system but you cannot manipulate them. I haven't encountered the ?-1 before, but if I had to guess I'd say that it would overwrite waypoint 1 in a similar fashion to how your markpoints will cycle from Mark Y back to Mark A.

This perfectly illustrates why you cant have stations 7 6 and 5 loades simultaneously. you can either load 6 or 5 and 7.

I read it straight out of a document that I cant post a link to here. It came complete with a picture to illustrate exactly what I said. That's for real world at least. It works out to your eyes being about level with the top of the HUD. Not sure what you're seeing but it might also be skewed by foreward/aft head position.