sledgeweb

I tried playing online for the first time last night, which was fun - but limited experience. I found a couple open servers, and tried them out. In the first, I guess I got in late. People weren't chatting too much. Seemed like people were flying in small groups, or alone. I flew around some, got shot down, and eventually left as I just couldn't get anyone to interact. The second server, I sort of accidentally came across someone taxiing at the same time I was, and I just took off with them and we did some loops around the airport, practicing landings and takeoffs. It wasn't really planned, or communicated, we just sort of flew together. I guess I'm looking for a more... interactive online training/co-flight experience. There is still a lot I need to learn, and feel like flying co-op multiplayer would be a great way. Anybody know a good place to do this? I noticed a lot of password protected servers, but had no idea which were good and worth contacting, which were too advanced, etc. I'm in the US on eastern time, and usually fly in the evening/night from 10pm Eastern to 1am. Thanks!

This might be a dumb question... but... Does each A10 have only one pilot who flies it? Is it sort of like, this is YOUR plane? Or do multiple pilots fly the same plane? If a particular plane is down for a few weeks, does that pilot just not fly? Or does he get a "loaner"? Is this generally true for military aircraft? That they are "assigned" to one individual? I only ask because it seems more efficient use of resources to have multiple pilots fly the same plane to combat fatigue. For example, if the plane is needed for day missions, then night missions, then again in the morning... would make sense to rotate pilots in/out of the same plane. The way, I assume, it works in commercial airliners.

Ugh! I got the one filled with toothpaste!

I walked right up to some paratroopers after crash landing near them and ejecting. One of the guys used up ALL his ammo shooting my plane that was sitting on the ground. I walked up to him, and turns out, he doesn't even have a real gun. He was just holding his empty hands around an imaginary gun - that somehow shot real bullets. Maybe it was just an invisible gun? Seems silly to use such advanced top secret cloaking technology to make the gun invisible, but not the soldier holding it. Hmm. At any rate, I started to walk to the other paratrooper on the other side of the bridge, who hadn't shot my plane, and he never fired at me. So, I don't think the enemy AI with their invisible guns see you, outside of your plane, as a threat. Also, when I stepped onto the bridge, I fell through it into the water below. Obviously, the enemy also has hologram technology and it was merely an projected image of a bridge that I tried to walk onto.

Happens to me too, and I don't have any face tracking software installed.

That may be why it doesn't happen to me sometimes. There are some items in the startup procedure that I just do whenever... the NWS is one of those. :|

Good tip. I'll check it out. It's strange because it doesn't happen every time. That's why I thought maybe the ground power was a factor. I only said that, because I started taxiing off one time still connected, and I thought there was a slight "tugging" effect. Maybe just imagined it when the ground crew alerted "What the #$!% are you doing?"

I may be wrong, but I think being connected to ground power helps with this?

Awesome! I got one engine to restart and was able to fly. I couldn't get the second engine on, but I'll keep messing with it. Interestingly, after that success, I was doing a campaign mission where I was shot in the left wing. Both engines shut down (but my electronics stayed up). The wing didn't catch fire, but there was a big hole in it, and a couple smaller holes. Thin trails of black smoke were coming from those smaller holes. Anyway, I tried the same restart procedure there, but didn't get it to come on. Not sure if I just need to practice more, or if the procedure is different under those circumstances? I was at 12k feet at the time.

Lately, I'm having a problem where my plane keeps wanting to move forward while I'm going through the startup procedure. I have the engines at idle, and it's really during the engine start procedure this is happening. I didn't have this problem initially, but it happens quite often now. So much so, that sometimes I look up and noticed I've moved far enough into the taxi lane that other planes have stopped their taxiing to the runway because I'm in the way. As I'm flipping other switches and such, I have to keep an eye on the ground out the window, and when the plane starts moving, press the "W" brake key. I tried pulling the emergency brake while I startup, but it even does it with the emergency brake fully extended. So... what good does the emergency brake actually do then?

Thank you.

Anyone see what I'm doing wrong on the track perhance?

I have the opposite problem... TOO MANY SCREENSHOTS!!! Every time I use F12 to exit from the radio, I also get a screenshot. Any way to avoid this?

Cool, I will try that. And, I was thinking the ground crew wold be the route I would go. Out of curiosity, does anyone know in real life how this works? Who determines the load of the A10? Does the pilot have that authority? Can he determine whatever he wants loaded on the plane? Or can he only make request that have to be approved? Or is it something predetermined by a higher up? And, why would you not want the TGP loaded? Unless you were carrying so much other stuff there wasn't room for it? But, if you are only carrying four MAVs anyway, is there a reason, IRL, a pilot wouldn't want the TGP on board? Seems like such a useful tool, that it would be sort of silly to not use it without good reason.

I'm assuming the mission default load is what you are "suppose" to run the mission with, is that incorrect?

So, what am I doing wrong? Track attached. SW-EngineRecover.trk

I'm making the transition from training missions to campaign, but, I'm having a lot of trouble. I'm attaching a track of my last attempt. I'm having two big problems right now... 1) I'm on a mission that doesn't have a targetting pod loaded by default. I want to try to run the mission without it, but... 1b) I really have trouble targetting with just the MAV screen alone. You have to be so close to use it, and then it moves around so sporadically when you start trying to slew it. I really have a hard time finding targets on it, and, as happened in this case, I actually targetted a friendly first (I think?) based on JTAC's response to my "contact" call. I tried slewing around for bad guys, but didn't find anything. 2) And then, without much warning, I was shot down (at 15k feet). I know that isn't too specific, but I'm just wondering if someone can watch my track and provide feedback on what I'm doing right/wrong. Thinking back, I may have left my taxi lights on (first time flying a night mission, and actually the first time I turned them on). Thanks! SW-DevilCross2.trk

Thank you. I'll give this a try now.

If I'm flying inverted for a sustained period, the engines go out and everything shuts down. I'm trying to figure out how to do that, and then recover (for practice). The manual list procedures for single engine restart, but what do I do in this situation, when both engines, and everything else, is out? I tried turning on APU Start and APU Gen. Then I set the engine modes to motor for 30 seconds. Then I tried flipping those back to normal, and using ALT+HOME to start the right engine as if I were on the ground. Doesn't seem to be working. So, I took my two practice opportunities to try a field ditch instead... first time, with no gear.... didn't turn out so well. On the second attempt, I put my gear down... I blacked out during the landing, which was awesome - I didn't know what was going on - but I survived. Wasn't much left of my ride though. One wing was gone completely, the other about half gone, and on fire (and the tail was completely gone)! One thing that would be awesome would be if the parts of your plane didn't just disappear after breaking off... but were strewn upon the ground in flaming wreckage.

Thanks for that link. I'm going to digest it and try again as well. If you want some fun, you can view the track I'm linking. It's my first attempt at the mission. You can kind of tell I don't know what I'm doing, but I do kill some tanks! After I use up the MAVs, I'm left with the cluster bombs. Why do I have those? What good are they against tanks? I dropped a couple cluster bombs right on the tanks, and it didn't do anything. Then I got a sustained warning and thought, "Oh no, SAM is gonna kill me". Turns out, instead, I was running low on fuel. I haven't studied anything about mid-air refueling, but thought I would try to learn on the job... I managed to contact AWACS, and was informed there was no tanker available. So, I had to try to make it back to base. I planned on probably having to eject, but I made it within sight of the base.... then completely ran out of fuel, and the cockpit went dark. Fortunately, I managed to glide to the runway, and it was clear. I made a rough landing, but didn't bust any tires or anything, and managed to roll off the runway onto a taxi way. Then, I ran out of momentum. Just for kicks, I turned on APU and contacted the ground crew, who was able to re-arm and refuel my bird. But, then, I didn't really know how to get my plane running again, and decided to turn in instead of head back out for the tanks. Anyway, it was a fun first mission, and an exciting end with the no power landing. If anyone wants to check out my track and offer feedback/critique, that would be awesome. A few questions: 1) How can I exit the radio with F12 without it taking a screen capture? 2) How am I suppose to know what all the JTAC jargon is? 3) What are the cluster bombs for in a tank busting mission? 4) Was there anything I should have done differently with fuel running low/out? 5) I'm not sure how to get permission to land via ATC. I was able to contact them and request a landing, but the best I ever get is "Call Tower." How do I call the tower? And, is there a way to request an emergency landing? 6) If you watch the track, was my non-powered landing handled well enough? What is the correct thing to do in that circumstance? Thanks! I'm gonna watch the video and try to do it a little better next time! SWFirstCampaignMission.trk

How do you make it so you have a modifier key to assign different commands to the buttons?

Thanks. I think I mostly understand the process, and I usually hit my targets with the guided bombs, but every once in a while, I miss and I'm not sure why. Like, today, I had laser on a stationary target, dropped a GBU-18 from 12k feet and it never picked up the laser and changed trajectory. It sailed wide of the target. Does it matter if I turn the laser after I I lock the target in the TGP and just leave the laser on while I fly to the release point and then drop the bomb? Or do I need to turn the laser on and off? Also, in the same mission today, I watched my computer controlled wingman make a run on a convoy. He flew in, and once he got within about 2 miles, flying in low toward convoy, he fired three mavericks, taking out all three targets in one quick move. How can you manipulate the MAVs so quicky? It takes me a while to get one target locked in the TGP, and then I make one pass, fire, and repeat. I never get in close. But this was a very quick approach, and within a short distance and close to the target, he targeted and eliminated three enemies very quickly. It really impressed me, and made me wonder how that was possible?

I'm in a similar boat. I have an older Thrustmaster Top Gun Fox 2... I think it has less buttons. I haven't mapped extras on mine yet, but playing so far, it seems like the CTRL-UP function is used a lot along with trim adjustments.

I'm not sure why my bombs track moving targets sometimes, and not others. I have a track I'm attaching as an example. In the attached track, my first GBU-12 fails to follower the laser and misses the target. Later, an MK-82 also misses (but I'm not sure I'm doing the MK-82 correctly, have to read up on that one). But, the GBU-12... my second attempt works, as does all my MAVs. Just wondering what I do wrong sometimes that the GBU-12/38 miss? BombHelp1108.trk

Sure, guess I should get permission first though. Part of the idea of this, is multiple lists/versions can be incorporated... so if someone wants a more basic/introductory startup procedure, it's there, or a more advanced list for realism enthusiasts. So, thanks for the heads up about Paulrkii's list. lol, sorry for the ads. I pay a lot for server space so just have a habit of sticking ads on everything I put up to help offset the cost a bit! I can remove them if it's more useful for people. I have a love/hate relationship with advertising myself! ;) Okay, off the fly! More updates soon.