ErichVon

My intent was not to insult anybody. Navy basic training in 1974 was a joke; had to be the easiest of all the USA branches, but it was 13 weeks and I did not like it. I was enlisted. Fire fighting school was fun. What I said about escape is what we were trained to do. The possibility of really escaping facing getting killed if you tried was rather remote. Remember this was 1974. I did not do SERE. But I remember somebody saying what I repeated here, somewhere in my travels. SEABEES were, still are a construction force. 2 weeks yearly we had to qualify with our various weapons with Marine Corps instructors. I did mine to Gulfport out at Keesler or Camp Geiger to Camp LeJeune actually playing maneuvers with the Marines. Also did the winter mountaineering school to Camp Drum (Fort Drum, now). Some of what I said is what actually happened to me. Some, like the officer candidate school for the Marine Corps I saw on the Discovery Channel. What they filmed was a lot worse than what I remember. The guy had his degree and he was being severely hassled. We had one guy in our unit that did SEAL school basic training. He flunked out. What he told me he actually did I thought was bull. Until I saw it on Discovery Channel couple years ago and everything he told me was dead-nuts true. He told me some other stuff they did that was not filmed for obvious reasons. Graduation final exam, 2 guys in scuba gear are dropped 20 miles out to sea and they were required to swim back to shore---that is what I was told by this guy. Another guy in our unit was a SEAL during Viet Nam behind the front lines doing mostly recon missions. He cracked mentally on his 3rd tour and the Bees was the closest thing to SEALs so he joined up with us operating a bulldozer. Nice to see real active duty / reserve guys commenting here. Navy SERE school out of Brunswick, Maine is near Rangeley in the mountains. What I wanted to say was anybody wanting to fly in the military, there is a whole lot of training involved before they would ever allow you in their planes; basically all about mental discipline and are you the right guy they are seeking to do the job. I worked machine shop with a WWII vet that flew gliders in on D-Day. He did fighter pilot school and passed. He got gliders and then was infantry fighting with the grunts. He flew gliders in 2 separate times. Wanting to fly jets is a good start. Actually getting to do so is up to if you can really do it. I was surprised that Alaska State Police, NY State Correction guards and I think also New York City cops all go through a similar style of basic training like what I went through but it variated as to what they were going to be doing. I think it is a bit of mild brain washing, learn to work as a unit, learn some discipline, follow orders. The Navy Seabees was the most fun I ever had. My wife would disagree---I better say getting married to her!! LOL No insult was or is intended. Erich

Yeah, right, I knew somebody was going to pickup on that and comment on it as soon as I wrote it. LOL Erich

Hi, OK, somebody has to ask the dumb questions: What is an Easter Egg in game? How does one get this jeep over to the plane? Off-line? On-line? A lot I do not know, yet. I moderate my own machinist group to Yahoo! Groups. Almost everybody coming in (over 2,000 guys) are green as the hot place down below. And we that are journeyman machinists/toolmakers have to help them out, and almost always, politely. The toolmaker I trained under was one royal pr**k! I am not that way teaching people new stuff. But it does get old real fast always answering pretty much the same questions. What is nice about my group is, us "old timers" can learn from the new guys. You cannot know everything as to variations to the equation. When I started out in the tool room I asked the master toolmaker, "is there a good book to learn from?" He laughed and said, "you don't learn this trade out of a book!" . He was right, up to a point. Erich

Nope. I was a Navy carpenter Seabee in a MCB unit. Of course carpentry was rather scarce, Navy has a sense of humor, concrete is what we did mostly. 1974 to 1982. I enlisted after Viet Nam was almost over.. They never called my draft number in 1970. I built houses for 4 years. My attitude changed. Oil Embargo and no work. Me and my brother enlisted. My Navy test scores qualified me for Annapolis, but I am color blind, so I stayed enlisted and stayed awhile. I knew a hard azz guy that volunteered for SERE to test himself. But I remember them saying, "you will be caught". I popped a blood vessel in my head when I turned age 50. It is surprising I remember as well as I do. The rest of that memory doesn't exist. LOL I read your profile. Have you talked to a recruiter? Talked to anybody at the Air Force Academy? If you want it, do it! Don't let anybody stop you. Go for it. Erich

In Aces High pilot gets a .45 pistol with 20 rounds I think. In one of the older updates I killed a Panzer tank by walking behind it and shooting its gas tank. I ejected in an active tank battle. In the bunker (maproom) where the 10 troops came to capture the base, pilot could go inside and kill troops before they entered. One of the older vets there, said earlier versions of the game pilot could go out to enemy plane and kill the pilot sitting in the plane waiting to takeoff. Now, the ack-ack field guns would kill you 1st, pilot would never get that close unless all field guns were down. LOL Erich

I think all USA military pilot candidates today need a 4 year engineering degree as a starter. Basic training---everybody does it. Everybody doesn't always graduate. The military knows what it wants and how to get what it wants. I think they are harder on the officer candidates. S.E.R.E. in Rangeley, Maine! http://www.google.com/search?q=s.e.r.e.+navy&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a SERE is mostly about what to do if you become a POW. I remember them saying, "evade and hide if you want, but you will be caught"! LOL Now that would be fun. When I was in, if captured, it was expected, I think it was mandatory, to escape if I could. I read somewhere, Russian military jet pilot candidates are almost immediately put in a centrifuge to meet their minimum G-force requirements. If you black out before what they expect, out you go, find another endeavor. I would like to go over to the airport and take some lessons though. They got both sailplanes and Cessnas. And if I ever get cancer and I know I'm going to die anyway, I'm going to do a skydive jump. There is a skydive ranch in Gardiner, NY. And afterwards kick myself real hard why did I wait so long... http://www.skydivetheranch.com/ Erich

Hi, Yes, I am a noob. Ok, pilot is out of aircraft. High altitude ejection is cool as to the two drag chutes in the seat. He softly floats to earth. On the ground he can maneuver several directions. In rapid transit mode he can cover the ground quickly. Can pilot be rescued? What does pilot do once he is on the ground? Out to sea, he rapidly sinks. In real life I would get out of my parachute before I hit the water for fear of entanglement in the shroud lines in the water. And no raft or paddle. What is the point? Is there a Jolly Green rescue team? Silly observation, I know. Erich

Hi Kon, I'm doing good currently, but not using Control Manager, yet. Your module? Oh, it is me. Remember, you long term guys doing the LockOn family of games are old salts doing this. Remember coming in green and starting out? I've been doing this game DCS game about 2 weeks or so. A lot to learn here as a NOOBIE, NEWB, or NEWBIE however you want to call it. I will start easy in GAME MODE to learn the systems, then switch to full SIM later. I Plug & Play direct my CH trio, remapped the controls so I can function to my needs and am currently doing the game side tutorials. Flying out in the sticks, on visual rules only I have no problem navigating to or from and landing to any airport (aerodrome). I use the F10 map and if necessary backward slash in GAME mode to get co-ordinates from ATC or AWAC. I let my AI wingman do the dirty work LOL! I fully intend to immerse myself in this game and fly with your squad (with your permission) in full SIM mode as you guys fly your sorties. I'm not there yet. A lot to learn. I will master every aspect of this game, eventually, it just takes time. I will master how to use CH Control Manager. I GOOGLEd LockON and Kon was top of the list. This guy was the 1st to help me out with the LockON, FC2 and DCS families of cool stuff. Kon is a 1st class guy in my book. But time to move onward. The other guys here, too, thank you for being most helpful. I have been doing Aces High (2) since 2007. http://www.hitechcreations.com/ The limiting factor with Aces High is having the fastest ISP connection you can get as to frame rates. The best guys there, have the best setups. I live 70 miles from NY City in suburbia. My DSL is not fast enough for Aces High in dogfight mode. A fiber-optic connection would be nice. CV, carrier ops was my favorite and you rely on visual only in that game. And I was quite good in bombing by the big bombers using the Norton sight or the equivalent via USA, Russian, British, or Japanese bombers. But I canceled paying the $15 per month that game. There are just too many commands to master here to DCS and try to remember to do both, for me anyway. I think it is great not having to pay a server fee to access the server as to DCS or FC2, but I would definitely do so if it comes to that, later. Your module, my problem, in CH Control Manager was/is no left throttle movement and no nosewheel steering. I am fine for now, plug and play. Oh, yes, I use your printouts currently. CH HANGER also has theirs with blank boxes to custom arrange as to your needs and mapping. Kon---much thanks. Thanks for helping me. Thanks for the reply here. Erich

Hi, Back when I had my Commodore 64, actually I still have it and it still works, back when I used it... I bought these velcro attached, plastic, sidearms that are hinged and attached to the left and right side of my monitor. Originally was nice for typing off an original page or programming in BASIC off a page typing in code. Well, there are various sources for controller print-outs that you can label the buttons. So my throttle page goes up on the left side and the fighterstick on the right. So I can have a visual source as reference. And of course I have notebooks and such on my desk as to checklists, etc. And a filing cabinet right next to my desk with items in folders. But, yes, I agree, a lot of stuff to keep track of. And some guys out there can actually memorize various key moves in 3 or 4 different games much like some folks can speak 6 different languages fluently. Not me! Erich

Many thanks to WarriorX! Yep, the files were there. C:/Program Files/Eagle Dynamics/Missions I kept my program page and the game both up simultaneously. I went into the game to MISSIONS, I played around a little bit experimenting. I got the whole list back. "In the weeds" works just fine as a test. Thank you very much. My machine shop years, when we helped each other out, we repaid one another with whatever his favorite fifth was. I got paid back once with a bottle of Anjeo 10 year old Dominican rum. All I can say is my Dominican buddy knew what smoooth rum is. Erich

Hi, I did not see your page 2 tute before requesting a good book. Thanks for that! Erich

Book / Manual Available? I am of the generation that prefers a book over reading online, any day---except the SEARCH function is rather nice online searching hundreds of pages for something. Is there a good book out there explaining how to use the CH Control Manager? I would think some know-it-all type would have written a book. I reloaded Kon's mapped module yesterday and still problems. I saved the sim side folder out to reload the game plug and play and still have my setups from last week. Oh, it is me. I am almost 60. And brain hemorrhage a few years ago doesn't help, thinking things through. Thanks, Erich

I was searching around in the Browser listings where the pre-set missions list is located, right side panel, titled, "SELECT MISSION". All the missions are gone. I tried several different things, the missions list is gone! Where would I find them? How do I get them back to restore the original list? I know reloading the game works and will restore it after removing and setting aside the "DCS Warthog" folder under USERS. But then have to reset my controllers. When I swapped out the DCS Warthog folder to the original with my saved controller settings, the problem was back. Game is working fine except for this problem. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Main page: 4th category down titled, "MISSIONS" without the quotation marks. Right column titled, "SELECT MISSION". On top of list: ========= Drive ==== C: folder icon... folder icon CONFIG folder icon LOGS folder icon MISSION EDITOR folder icon MISSIONS folder icon MOVIES folder icon TRACKS (bottom of page in white rectangle box) Type of File ======== *.miz Thanks for any help, Erich

Pretend I didn't say stupid stuff. Stupid stuff deleted. I guess you guys have your way of doing things---not my board. Erich

CH Products Shifted Mode <KonKuSSioN> Is "Shifted Mode" specific to the CH Control Manager? Yeah, may start over and reinstall your CH module. I was having problems with it, so I uninstalled it and tried remapping the controllers without it. But multiple modes is a nice option. Erich

Your Radio Panel Snap View <KonKuSSioN> Hi, Is it possible to map your "Radio Panel Snap" view through multiple key strokes, using the Modifiers Panel and Add Switch Panel without installing the CH Control Manager? Anybody else may reply if knowledgeable about it. Erich

Can modes be mapped to the CH Fighterstick and Pro Throttle through OPTIONS without installing the CH Control Manager? I saw the MMCB button, so I mapped it to the Fighterstick's #3 button. (Once I get up to speed in about 2 months I will remap my controls with your CH module and use yours with the CH Control Manager installed then. I will search the Adobe manuals, too. Erich

The other online flight sim I play has a separate utility to calibrate the controllers, after doing so 1st in Windows. If this game has one, I have not found it, yet. I have been mapping my CH gear as a Plug and Play setup, gradually adding items instead of keyboard commands. I had an interesting problem happen. Once locking my nosewheel for takeoff after taxiing into position, upon powering up a little bit of speed, I was drifting left. I realize that is not the takeoff procedure here. Heck, i takeoff without even bothering to lock it sometimes. I thought through what did I just do to exacerbate this situation? Only thing I did was set the 4 trim controls to my throttle. I realized I had to go back to my Windows calibration wizard just for my Fighterstick. Currently the nosewheel lock is on my joystick. (Think I will move it.) And that solved it. Then took off from an in game airfield offline, practiced using the autopilot 60 miles out and returned and landed no problem. I was not in the full sim mode. The other game, in game when I log in I always recalibrate 1st. And usually also do a defrag in Windows beforehand. I did some searches here. I did not see this problem addressed. Thought maybe it might help somebody. Erich

Hi, I usually just read the forums. For sure, usually, given enough guys doing the game, somebody out there has already encountered any given problem at least once. Though, me too, I sometimes get stuck in the mud. Interesting also there are always the negative minded folks. My opinion so far of the DCS and LockOn forums, you guys as a whole are much more gracious and polite compared to some of the other forums out there. If I need a serious question answered, I create a job ticket and approach the pros that programmed this monster. Me, too, I do love carrier ops in FC2 just flying the pattern. Microsoft's Flight Sim, actually any of them will get your head on straight understanding ILS. A buddy of mine is a civilian pilot. Last year, here in NY State, my area, $2500 will get you your 1st solo certificate for powered flight. I did a brain hemorrhage at age 50. I doubt FAA would ever allow me to solo. But flying with a trainer be it powered or sailplane is do-able. It is surprising to me how many civilian pilots play these games, many of whom are instructors. Erich

Hi, I am new to this game. I am not new to military themed flight sims. This whole LockOn/DCS series is very similar, though a bit more detailed, to the Commodore-64 Microprose sims of the late 1980's, especially Gunship and F-117A, though that was also done quite well in DOS on the IBM 386. I plan on taking this game in all the training tutorials in GAME mode 1st. I am still so naive, maybe that is the only way the training tutes are presented. For me I will learn in game mode 1st, then transition into full sim mode later. I am almost age 60. I am sure the added medications I now take tend to stupid-fy me, but it was a lot easier in hindsight learning this stuff when I was in my 30's and 40's. Nice thing about a real challenge is it keeps my mind occupied and a bit like Zen, keeps my mind not thinking about the more negative, painful stuff one encounters as we age. One guy I have met, so far, has been very helpful to me, Kon, but he and his mates are a few steps above the upper echelon of the learning curve than where I am currently. I fully intend to approach his squad at a later time when I am much more prepared to do this game at his expertise. I surely do love YouTube, be it metal machine shop tutorials, woodworking, playing the guitar or learning sims. I originally came on to the Internet back in 1999 only to chat with my machinist chums all over the world, which of course I still do. Gotta love the translator programs. Erich