AndyJWest

The radio message is simple enough, the first time you send it. But how is a beginner supposed to know that getting comms from the tanker during unsuccessful attempts to connect means that you may have to send 'ready pre-contact' again? There is absolutely nothing indicating that the basket/probe won't connect. As for bugs, at least one has come up in this thread - with the Harrier, it is entirely possible to get 'break away' comms from the tanker, while making a perfectly good approach to the probe. This is almost certainly due to the safe approach limits being set up for the F/A 18, which has the probe in an entirely different location. Frankly though, whether all this counts as 'bugs' or not is beside the point. It is counterintuitive, and poorly documented. Like so many things in DCS, it requires the poor beginner to read three forum threads, the official manual (inevitably out of date), and Chuck's Guide, and then watch two YouTube videos before they can even figure out what they are supposed to be doing.

Something that probably needs to be said here, amongst a whole lot of posts which - some more politely than others - basically amount to 'you aren't doing it right' and 'get good' is that AAR in DCS is made more difficult than it could be by bugs/poor implementation. Comms with the tanker is confusing, often leading to the situation that DmitriKozlowsky seems to have sometimes found himself in: trying to connect to a tanker that is waiting for a 'ready pre-contact' message, preventing the sim from connecting at all. This is immensely frustrating if you don't understand what is going on, and unnecessary. Added to that, I've seen comments from more than one person with real-world AAR experience that is is actually more difficult in DCS, due to lack of seat-of-your pants clues regarding acceleration etc, along with either no 3-D perception (monitor) or low resolution graphics (VR). Anyone who doesn't struggle with AAR for a long time before getting vaguely competent (which is how I'd rank myself, at least for the aircraft I'm more familiar with) is either very lucky, or in the top few percentile for skills that the rest of us will never have.

AAR is tricky in the Harrier. It isn't impossible though, since plenty of people can do it. I can. And I do it without having the probe in view at all. Instead, I concentrate on getting lined up behind it properly - i.e. with it offset slightly to my left, and at the appropriate height. I then move forward slowly, looking at the tanker, not the basket. I may need to adjust position slightly relative to the tanker as I move forward, based on what I can see in peripheral vision regarding the basket, and then the hose, as the basket moves back out of sight, but a successful hookup is based entirely on moving accurately relative to the tanker. Ultimately, it comes down to be able to fly accurate formation, and then getting an accurate sight picture of where the basket needs to be as you approach. That is all there is to it. Looking at the probe - even glancing at it - while trying to AAR in the Harrier messes me up every time.

The abbreviation no doubt being used to avoid having to make the seat wider to fit the label. German efficiency at its best...

So if you hold the switch down for longer than it takes to say 'SITZHOEHENVERSTELLMECH', the motor overheats. That should be easy to remember...

These days, the majority of real life military pilot training is done in simulators...

That was going to be my next suggestion. Easily done, though less annoying if you do it with an APKWS than with a GBU 16.

Seems to be working ok for me, at least while using the default laser setting.

Not going to happen. Unofficial mods break paid-for content. Unofficial mods may contain copyright infringements. Unofficial modes are unlicensed, and liable to cause legal difficulties with the aircraft manufacturers etc that ED needs to maintain a good working relationship with. Making them download like that would make ED legally responsible. And result in them getting saturated with bug reports for content over which they have absolutely no control. There are a few good unofficial mods out there. Nobody should be downloading them without being aware of the potential consequences, and without accepting that any bugs with them installed aren't ED's problem.

Free mods aren't 'official'.

It's mostly poor-quality paint rather than dirt, I think.

Yup. You are dropping retarded ordnance in a hefty crosswind. It is inevitably going to drift a long way downwind before impact. Try attacking from directly downwind, with the correct fuse setting. Thanks Razo+r for the comment about the bug: I'd not noticed that, and it may account for issues I've had.

That'll do it. Seems I was wrong about having to use the 'WPN' button, since it doesn't seem to matter how you call up the parameters on the ODU. Which makes sense really...

If you fly multiplayer, you'll need to be using the latest patch to get on a server. Otherwise, probably not, though the 'download' won't take long anyway, since it won't download anything.

At 1:42, you select the bombs to drop by double-clicking on the EHSD 'JDAM' button, and then selecting the bombs on the ODU. I don't think that is the correct way to do it. Try pressing 'WPN' on the UFC to show the parameters, and then selecting the bombs.

Land one of those on a carrier, and they won't repair it - they'll throw it over the side...

Without seeing a track, or a better description, it's hard to tell what the problem is. I've used GBU 38s without any obvious issues after updating to the latest patch.

Petrovich seems not to spot targets for me, though I'll need to test more.

Pointless poll. Even ignoring the obvious issues with self-selected participation & sample size in something like this, they've already made the decision.

Ditto for the South Atlantic map, particularly for Chile/Argentina. Map from Wikimedia Commons:

Karl, Friedrich and comrade...

Alternatively, take off vertically with low fuel and then refuel in the air. Though you'll want to practice AAR first - the Harrier is a pig at it due to the location of the probe. Again, I doubt this was actually done much: it would be simpler to operate from where the tanker is coming from, or at least from an LHA or proper runway further from the target area.

Yup. The maximum weight for VTO is 20,500 lb at standard temperature and pressure. If vertical takeoff has ever been used in combat, it must have been exceptional circumstances. Operationally, the Harrier is STOVL - short takeoff, vertical landing.

"in the turn, your speed increases". If you maintain the correct AoA, you will need to increase speed in the turn, but that shouldn't be marked down.

What matters is AoA. If a mission is 'marking you down' for speed, rather than AoA, it is wrong.