Drevin

Not sure what you mean. I set the tanker's radio on 298.000 MHz in the mission editor, and I gave my plane the same frequency on channel 1, on both Comm 1 and Comm 2, also on ME, so I don't bother setting the radio all the time on every flight. If you're talking about some game option, I'd have to recheck, but I set my options as realistic as I can, minus turbulence, if I recall correctly.

Thank you, but it didn't seem to change anything. I switched the channel to 9Y, even changed the radio frequency to 298.000. I can still get the tanker's bearing and range without activating A/A.

Hello. I've created for myself a small mission, so I could practice AAR. I picked a KC-130, and I gave her a random 55X TACAN channel. It works all nice. But, since I can't really do AAR yet, I've kept watching different videos on the matter. And in some of these videos I noticed that I'm supposed to hit the A/A button while setting my TACAN to find the tanker. But in my scenario, I don't have to do this, in fact if I choose A/A, I lose the tanker's signal. So this made me wonder. Is my 55X randomly picked channel inappropriate for a tanker? Would a tanker's TACAN channel be assigned by a special rule? What would be an appropriate channel for me to assign to the tanker in the mission editor, for a more realistic setting? I'd kinda prefer to have to pick A/A because that would seem more appropriate, since the tanker is indeed in the air. Thank you.

Then as long as you don’t have an unbalanced load (and you don’t seem to), it could be your stick. In the game’s controller settings put a stupid deadzone, like 10 or 20, and try another flight. If it solves the problem, then lower it to maybe 4 or 5. Also maybe post a screenshot of your roll axis tune.

I'm a newbie, so I'm just throwing random ideas around: 1. Next time maybe raise the flaps and then do the FCS reset. Also, do an FCS BIT test after the reset. And only afterwards set flaps to half and do the T/O trim. Maybe it makes a difference, maybe it doesn't. 2. Does this happen on any other flight? Just start another mission and see if anything changes. Also, other thoughts: 1. You should disengage the NWS after your plane reaches 70-80kts on the runway. Otherwise, your steering at that speed will be too sensitive. Also, if I align my plane correctly on a runway, I usually don't need to touch the rudder at all. 2. You can press STG HDG while doing the alignment, to speed up the process to ~90secs. Then put the INS switch to IFA, not NAV.

I didn't think to mention, but I actually came to DCS after spending some time with FSX and MSFS. The thing is, I never got good at flying the Cessna 172, and the Airbus A320 was on autopilot 99% of the time. This is my first experience with fighter jets. And it seems some stuff might be common to other aircraft, but some not so much. For example, it took me a few days to realize that if I want to turn, I don't have to hold the stick left all the way through the turn, but choose a bank angle and then center the stick, then move the stick right when rolling out. It's simple/basic stuff like this that I'm looking for. If there's no such thing, I'll go through trial and error.

Hello. In the few weeks since I've started flying the F/A-18C, I've found tutorials on cold starts, takeoffs, landings, waypoint navigation, autopilot, and also on various ways one can engage in military operations (although I didn't look at any of the military stuff yet). But what I seem to be lacking is something in the middle, namely the proper way of flying this bird. I have yet to fully figure out basic stuff such as how to properly bank, how to properly roll, which altitude to climb to for various missions, how to best get out of a roll to hit a particular heading, better ways to setup the cockpit view, to help later in combat missions, etc. Maybe I'm supposed to learn all these by myself through trial and error, but maybe there are tutorials out there which you remember helped you. Something with tips and tricks which seem obvious after you learn them, but might not be so obvious when you're only learning. Preferably in video guide format, as it would be easier to see the things shown. Maybe some of these answers could be found in the ingame training missions, but I honestly can't stand them, and I continue to learn stuff from outside sources. Maybe some answers could be found in some dogfighting videos, but since I don't intend to dog fight in the near future, I haven't looked at any combat videos, so I don't know if any of them start with introductory stuff. So, from memory, maybe you know some videos which would cover some basics. Thank you.

Ohh, yeah, maybe. That could make sense.

Hmm, you might have a point here. I've already done quite a few straight in landings. I might as well give it a shot and start learning the pattern landings, rather than refine something I'll stop doing at some point. Thanks.

Oh, I didn't spot the difference. Thanks. But, then, in which situations is rudder trim needed? What's it's purpose in the cockpit?

BTW, I've been using a keyboard key to set the T/O trim, so I totally forgot there is a rotary in the cockpit for left/right trim. What's that all about? What's the difference between trimming left/right with the trim hat switch on the stick, and that rotary on the left console? Thanks.

So basically, if I get this right, I could lower the gear, add a bit of power to counter the drag, then trim to 8 degrees, put down flaps and add again some power, and maybe the balance is already good enough?

No. I'm too green to try any of this. My current plan is to get better at long and straight landings, then try to enter a pattern and land on a runway from short final. Then I'll look into carrier ops. But at least I can backtrack to this post later and check on that video. And indeed my last try was better, after I dropped the gear only after 250KIAS and the flaps under 200KIAS.

Oh lol, I knew that as Velocity Vector, and was expecting find something like an ILS line, or something. Cheers, though.

I thought gear limit was 300KIAS, based on a video tutorial I saw. You obviously seem to know your stuff, so I'll drop it at 250KIAS from now on. What's the FPV? About the flaring, since there will be a point in the future when I'll try carrier landings, I thought to not get in the habit of flaring, even on ground. Plus, I might end up floating from time to time and screwing the landing more or less.

Hello. Although so far I manged to complete a few successful landings, I'm still unsure what is the best way to start the landing procedure. I don't want to fly for a few months and then accidentally find out I've been doing it all wrong. And yes, I know that I should do those pattern landings, but I'm too green to start thinking about those. I am strictly talking about a relatively long straight approach. So far, I started landings at 10000ft ASL by getting out of A/P mode and putting the throttle to idle. Gear down at 300KIAS, flaps down to half at 250KIAS, followed shortly by full flaps. At this point I'm always confused how to quickly and simply deal with the ballooning issue. No speed brakes used at all. Distance to runway: 40-30NM, but I'll try to start closer and closer as I get better and faster in reactions. So, may questions would be: 1. Is it ok to go full idle when starting the landing procedure, or it's better to still have more RPM left in the engines, and use the speed brake instead? 2. It's easier or harder to just go to full flaps in one go, instead of going to half, wait a bit and then go full? 3. How would I best deal with the ballooning issue, step by step? I could just keep on trying over and over, but maybe a quick solution is right around the corner. I seem to either be too nose down or too nose up until I get some balance in the plane. 4. Since I've opened this topic, might as well ask what is the average descent rate I should observe on a regular 8 degree AOA and 3 degree glideslope? 700-900ft/min is more or less appropriate? And I stopped flaring, because I read it would be a bad habit to have in the F/A-18C. Thank you.

OK, so basically: For 1 and 2: I'll have to recheck and fiddle some more. For 3: so after checking a Wiki, the 327.00 is UHF and the 132.550 is VHF, and I can use whichever I want, I guess. For 4: ok, so the canopy movement is correctly modeled, then. I guess I'll close the canopy as soon as I finish talking to the ground crew.

Hello. New simmer here. I'm trying to learn the F/A-18C, and I'm at the point where I'm learning the radio communications. But I have a few unanswered questions, on and off-topic: 1. Why can't I use the radios as soon as the battery is on? I noticed I have access to the radios only after engine start. 2. What does "requesting startup" supposed to mean? I'd logically think I'm asking permission to start the APU and engines, but I can't while the radios don't work. Is this an overlooked feature? 3. I'm currently using Nellis as a base. It has 4 radio frequencies, but no indication ingame which frequency is dedicated to what? I picked the first two (327.00 and 132.55) and used them as presets 1 and 2, and they seem to do the same job. Is there a more indepth thing I need to know when choosing airbase's frequencies? Or it's just "pick the first one and don't bother anymore than that"? 4. When looking for answers, I stumbled on a post saying that the canopy is moved by the battery. Is that true? So far I see I can close the canopy with or without battery on, and honestly my expectation was that the canopy could only be closed with at least the APU on? I'm a bit baffled. Is this a bit of a bug? I can close a heavy canopy while cold and dark (by still using a cockpit button, not by grabbing it manually, as far as I can tell), but can't use radios until an engine is on? PS: my personal preference would be to close the canopy before APU startup (so it's more quiet in the cockpit), but I'd really like to know what would be the correct earliest possibility to close the canopy in the real F/A-18C. Thank you.

Oh, that is very interesting. So it has 2 modes of operation, based on whether I have my gear and flaps down or not. That is neat.

Hello. New simmer here, trying to learn how to properly fly the F/A-18C. I am a bit confused on how the trims actually work. Every landing tutorial mentions them, and they seem to be an important part of flying, or maybe just for landing and for roll trim due to uneven left/right load (I'm not that far into my training, though. I fly without ordnance attached). What exactly happens when I use the trim? Let's say I want to climb to 10000ft, and I'm almost there. Without trim, I'd just slightly touch the stick and do minor corrections, and I'd get pretty close to my target altitude. Should I use the trim instead, to do this, is that common practice or not? But if I'd use the trim, and let's say I'd tap the trim 3 times down, would the trim remain like that until I finish my flight, or it would reset, just like my stick springs back to center? And I'm asking specifically for the F/A-18C, as it's fly-by-wire, and a computer decides the trim outcome. I have a general idea that in a Cessna for example, the trim moves a mechanical surface which remains there, but the trim wheel does have trim markings on it. In the F/A-18C I have no idea what really happens. I've been avoiding trimming, because I don't know how it behaves, and if it remains like that "forever" and then I'd lose track of how much trim I have on. Is there any way to tell, without looking at the controls overlay? For me that would be like cheating, a pilot doesn't get to see that, so I'd prefer not to use it. Also, I was pretty upset on how "violent" the trims were when I tried them, for maybe 3 days in a row, until I realized that was some sort of A/P still enabled. I've managed so far 2 decent landings and maybe 3 where I broke the main carriage, all with just small inputs from the stick, because I gave up on the trims. But everyone praises them, one day I will have to also use left/right trims, so I have to rely on them more, but I'd appreciate some extra info. T/O trim I know it disappears after I takeoff, but what about for the rest of the flight? Should I use it whenever small inputs are needed (somehow I feel I'd need that when I'll have to learn how to do mid air refueling), or just for extremely special cases, like only for landing (and then I don't need to worry what trim setting I'm at when I start the landing phase, because it should be at zero)? Sorry for the long post, I tried to explain what info I need as best I could. Thank you.