Lace

I can manage fine in VR. It is a push pin, below the ejection loop between your legs. You need a mouse scroll to 'wind' it out. It looks like this but with a 'remove before flight' streamer:

There are arguments for and against. On the one hand - an experienced (or even trained but inexperienced) pilot will have far more cockpit time than your average DCS'er, running various drills and scans so that most operations will be second nature and switches will quickly fall to hand when required. On the other side of the argument, they will also be dealing with additional stress and more importantly, manoeuvring G-forces, something notably absent in even the most realistic PC sims. This means either reducing loading, or making slower, more deliberate movements, not unlike moving a mouse to the correct switch in terms of the time taken to interact with a control.

I imagine you don't. You want to get all three wheels down sharpish so you can start slowing with the braking 'chute. Of course, if your SOP says no 'chute, then aerobraking will make more sense.

I really like it so far. Simple systems, good (but not fool proof) handling, excellent performance. Dynamically similar to the MiG-21 and F-5E, but with more Gallic charm. Good selection of weapons but no hand-holding CCIP/CCRP or IAMs. Just good old fashioned, disciplined, by-the-numbers bombing. Easy to learn, hard to do well. Not really touched the A/A and RADAR yet, but very satisfying as an 80's analogue A/G platform.

Rift S, 3080 Laptop, i9-11980HK, non-Steam. Runs as smoothly as anything else I have. Better than the Apache (worst performance IMHO), only flown SP in Caucasus and SoH so far. Love the RADAR hood in VR.

That is exactly how I play. No additional mouse/trackball or VR controllers. Just LMB/RMB/mouse scroll mapped to HOTAS buttons. For any switch manipulation which is not natively on the HOTAS (gear, MFD buttons, etc.) simply look at them and click. I feel a lot of people overcomplicate playing in VR. This approach works brilliantly. I'm sure you already know, but it is possible to double (or even more) the number of HOTAS buttons by using a modifier - this means that non-HOTAS, non-clickable functions can also be assigned to your HOTAS. For example, with the Viper stick, the trim hat is the LMB/RMB/Scroll up/Scroll down mouse when unmodified, but when holding a modifier button on the throttle it is the trim hat. 'mod+CMS Push' toggles the kneeboard, 'mod+CMS Right' is next page, 'mod+CMS Left' is previous page, etc. Views, NVG, Eject, Esc, VR Centre, can all be mapped to physical HOTAS buttons. I've attached an example of one of my setups. The point is, there is no reason ever to reach for the mouse or keyboard when flying in VR.

Agreed, would be far more useable as a kneeboard page, rather than by the ESC menu.

I really hope the recce element plays a part in the dynamic campaign, giving a genuine purpose to target recce and BDA missions. Rather than just being fed intel, there is the requirement to either assign or fly these missions before and after a strike.

Exactly this. There is no need to leave the HOTAS as long as you map LMB/RMB/Mouse scroll.

^^^ The point of VR is that you don't need all of those superfluous tablets. You look, you click. What can't you click on in VR (apart from HOTAS functions which are catered for by your physical HOTAS)? But I get that it's not for everyone.

Is the correct answer.

Looking at that aesthetic nightmare, I would say VR.

Why did you land downwind? I mean, apart from everything else that was wrong with that approach...

The M2K was the first FF module I spent the time learning. It sounds like it may be worth a long overdue re-visit, especially if the documentation now reflects the current state. Have the training missions been update too?

Good to know, I might have to take a look when they have more stock.

I have the FSSB for the Warthog/Viper stick. I like it, but takes a little adapting to, and there is still a tiny bit of slack which I don't like - due to the TM/FSSB interface. Might be better with the Realsimulator stick, but not sure I want to spend that much to find out.

Can't believe I have missed this - amazing work, an essential mod.

Get the Mi-8. Arguably one of the most realistic helicopter flight models available anywhere, and offers a very different experience to the other modules in your virtual hangar. I love the Viper, but it is quite similar to the Hornet in role and performance (excluding the carrier ops obviously). Mi-8 is DCS's best kept secret and is so prolific around the world you can fit it into just about any scenario you can think of, either as BLUFOR or REDFOR, or even non-combatant.

You've posted this in the Apache thread, so I'm going to offer an opinion which may be unpopular here - I don't like the Apache. There, I said it. I'm not criticising ED's incredible effort in producing the module, it really is one of their best, but as a single player experience I am not a fan of the platform. I find it overly complicated and the George AI is poorly implemented in VR. Perhaps this has been improved since release but I haven't been back to check. The Apache is not a light nimble helicopter and is quite dull to fly compared with some other DCS Helicopters. If you have a regular MP gunner, I am sure it would be a very different experience, but I found myself going straight back to the Gazelle and Mi-8 for my rotary fix. As for the Hornet - it is probably the module offering the widest breadth of combat flying variety. Carrier or land-based, A/A or A/G, BVR or phone box, stand-off smart weapons or rippling Mk82s, CAS, SEAD/DEAD or anti-shipping. The Hornet is the one module which really can do it all.

It's difficult in a furball, but then you need to ask - how did I allow myself to get in this situation in the first place?

Similar story. Very strong prevailing winds and saturated soil. Not easy for trees to take hold.

huh. I didn't notice them on my FAM flight. Must have been a little high over the inlet.

Stay out of their threat zone. If it is IR SAMs then fly higher (most wont reach more than 15,000 ft), or lower and faster (to reduce their OODA window). If it is AAMs then disengage until you have a tactical advantage. If you are attacking a target with a known IR SAM defence and can't perform a high or medium altitude delivery, then plan a pop up attack and a pre-emptive CMS program which dispenses throughout the pop-up phase, for example, FL BQ 2, BI 0.5, SQ 10, SI 3, - two flares, released close together, 10 times, at three second intervals, giving you 30sec to perform your attack run and consuming 20 flares total, before bravely running away at low level. Also, stay out of afterburner.

Yup. More basing options always welcome.

The Falklands are notably barren IRL too.