Luca Kowalski

I see where you’re coming from — for someone already deep into DCS, the idea of a “ride-along” might not sound very exciting. But that’s the thing: you’re not the target audience. The idea isn’t to impress sim veterans — it’s about giving hesitant newcomers a gentle, low-friction way in, ideally guided by someone they know. You mentioned that buying and learning two planes might be a barrier — but that’s exactly why this idea suggests making the first one free. No need to buy two planes. No commitment. No pressure. Just: “Hop in the back seat while I fly. Take a look around. If you like it, you can try flying later.” Compared to the TF-51D, a modern two-seater would offer a better fit for first steps — intuitive avionics, multiplayer training, and something that feels more like a real-world trainer. It’s not about the thrill. It’s about the connection — and making the world of DCS feel accessible instead of intimidating.

I get where you're coming from — most people in DCS do tend to dive in solo and figure it out by themselves, often because there isn’t really an alternative. But that’s not the kind of player I’m thinking about. My friends — and frankly, most gamers I know — aren’t intimidated by depth, they’re intimidated by entry barriers. If something looks too complex, they won’t even give it a shot. A modern, free two-seater would allow people like me to simply say: “Hey, just hop in with me. I’ll fly, you sit back and look around — no installs, no keybinds, just enjoy the ride.” That kind of experience is incredibly powerful. It’s low effort, high impact, and suddenly what looked like a hardcore sim becomes something personal and exciting. Sure, not everyone wants to play instructor — but for those of us who do, this could finally make it fun and frictionless to bring friends in. And once you’ve shared the sky with someone like that, it becomes so much easier for them to take the next step — and start discovering the rabbit hole. And since that kind of gamer likely represents the majority, I genuinely believe it could be worth it for ED to explore this path — not just to support existing players, but to grow the community in a sustainable way.

That’s a fair point — developing full-fidelity aircraft is undeniably a significant investment. Still, I think it’s worth noting that DCS already includes a free full-fidelity aircraft in the TF-51D Mustang. While it’s not armed, it’s fully clickable and system-accurate — which shows that ED sees value in offering deep content to ease people in. The idea of a modern two-seat trainer isn’t about replicating real-world training doctrine one-to-one, but rather about improving accessibility and the learning curve within DCS itself — especially for people just starting out, or those flying in multiplayer squadrons. On the topic of cost: one angle worth considering is that a free trainer doesn’t have to be a dead-end investment. If designed with foresight, it could serve as the foundation for a paid light-attack variant — for example, an AT-6B — in much the same way the P-51D builds upon the free TF-51D. Additionally, lowering the entry barrier could help grow the active player base, particularly among those who currently feel overwhelmed or sidelined by the sim’s complexity. In the long run, that kind of community growth could well justify the upfront development effort. I really appreciate the discussion — it helps refine the idea and keep things grounded.

Thanks for the feedback — both points are totally valid. I agree the AT-6B would be great (personally, I would love it), but it’s more of a light attack aircraft than a basic trainer. My proposal focuses on improving onboarding for new players, and the T-6B Texan II in a clean, unarmed trainer config could be ideal for that. Regarding development time and cost: absolutely — a full-fidelity module takes serious time and resources. But ED already maintains two free aircraft (TF-51D and Su-25T), and recently added the Marianas as a free map — so we know they continue to support free core content. Also worth noting: the Mustang exists in two versions — the free TF-51D for basic flying, and the paid P-51D for full warbird functionality. This shows there's room for a split model: A free T-6B to welcome and train new players And a paid AT-6B for those who want combat capability in the same airframe, which could be developed by building on the free trainer. So this isn’t about asking for a “free plane,” but about suggesting a scalable and community-friendly approach to onboarding and light prop trainer development. Thanks again for the discussion — much appreciated!

Hi all, Following a suggestion I submitted via ED support, I was kindly redirected here to share the idea with the broader community and development team. So here it is: DCS World currently offers two free aircraft to get started — which is great — but neither of them is a modern two-seat trainer. New players are often introduced to the sim through aircraft that are either outdated, overly complex, or simply not well-suited for learning the basics of flight and navigation in a modern context. I’d like to propose the introduction of a free T-6B Texan II module (or a similar modern trainer) to serve as a smooth, welcoming entry point into DCS World. Such an aircraft would allow players to: Learn the basics of flight (VFR, IFR, basic formation flying) in a modern, accessible environment, Ride along in multiplayer missions as a second crew member with an experienced pilot, Transition more smoothly into advanced modules like the F/A-18C, F-16C, or future aircraft like the F-15C or F-35A. A trainer like the Texan II would combine simplicity, immersion, and modern avionics — making it attractive to newcomers without overwhelming them. It could also serve as a natural stepping stone toward paid expansions or advanced training campaigns. But perhaps most importantly: a free dual-seat trainer would give potential new players the opportunity to experience DCS from the backseat — guided by veterans — making it easier for existing players to “spread the virus,” so to speak. I believe this initiative would not only attract and retain new users, but also inspire squadrons and communities to organize structured training — strengthening the DCS ecosystem overall. Why the T-6B Texan II? Modern avionics & clean interface – A great platform to introduce new players to VFR/IFR flying, formation, and radio procedures. Two-seat configuration – Enables multiplayer flights with veteran instructors (and training squadrons!), which is perfect for onboarding. Immersive but approachable – Less intimidating than jumping straight into an F/A-18 or F-16, yet still realistic and rewarding. This would not only make the sim more accessible, but also help squadrons and communities bring in new pilots with a shared platform — possibly even reducing the need for external training mods or third-party tools. A good trainer creates good pilots... and good customers. Thanks for reading — and thanks to the team for continuing to develop such a rich and rewarding sim.

What do you know? This works!!! :D Somehow, if you load a self-made mission, a training mission or an instant action, it uses different key bindings... this makes absolutely no sense! :doh:

And back to nothing again :( Is there any way to reset everything? Clicking on the default for each category didn't change anything.

I tried, but when I use TARGET, my rudder doesn't work.

I didn't, I used TM tools ;) Update: The throttle seems to be doing fine today, and of course... I didn't change anything. The joystick, on the other hand, is still - unidirectional (no roll, only pitch) - console joystick (pushing it in a direction makes him move continuously in that direction, when centered, it just stops moving instead of going back to the center) To whoever put that gremlin in my warthog, could you please call him off? He's annoying!

Right now, I'm focusing on the A-10C, but no plane works. Also, I didn't get further than the start-up training, as I need the throttle to fire up the engines.

What's that? Edit: checked it, it was set to 100% I went as far as deleting and reinstalling the game... to my horror, all the presets were still saved. Then I basically tried whatever and restored default settings for the throttle (the ones that didn't work to start with). The mystery deepens: - now the throttle jumps back and forth ingame from idle to off position, except when I move the physical throttle. - some switches on the ingame control panel jump back and forth - in the keybinding menu, it's like JOY_BTN26 and JOY_BTN29 are constantly giving signals

Everything seems fine, I just get a smooth reaction... I calibrated both, just to be sure, to no avail... :joystick:

I know... :cry: As a picture says more than a thousand words: see screenshot in attachment. Also: the stick is doing weird things too, a simple nudge forward or backwards and he goes all the way, and left-right is not doing anything. Edit: I don't know if this could be any help, but I've added the profile I'm using in attachment. :helpsmilie: test profile a10.diff.lua

Any plane will do, as long as I can get it moving. I have the following: A-10C F-16 F-18 FC None ever flew! :cry::cry::cry:

I'm 2 seconds short of throwing my throttle trough my window! How do I get this game to register the throttle movement? I can keybind the throttle to some of the 'throttle' functions, some planes have a 'thrust' function too, tried to bind the thottle movement to that too, no succes... It actually binds, so the game gets the signal from the throttle. BUT... When in my plane, pulling the throttle back and forth doesn't do shit! Also, using the keyboard to move that damn throttle doesn't do anything. :joystick::furious: