VFA41_Hedgehog

Having returned recently from their overseas deployment in support of Operation Enduring Resolve, the Black Aces have transferred to Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas to take advantage of the training ranges in the desert. The initial air-to-ground phase, comprised of gunnery, rockets, and unguided bombs, is now complete. Range Operations has tallied up the results of the exercises. Those pilots who met the high accuracy criteria at the CCIP bombing range have been awarded the Bombing Proficiency Ribbon shown here. Squadron training is planned to continue for the next several weeks. Follow the action here: www.vfa-41.com

In recent action in the squadron's support of ongoing Operation Enduring Resolve, a flight on routine patrol was diverted to escort a civilian airliner than had been intercepted by Chinese fighter jets attempting to force it to land. The Chinese jets were chased off and the airliner landed without further incident under the watchful eye of Black Aces F/A-18 Hornets. Pretty cool to see the shadow of your jet against the fuselage of a 747. Follow the action here: www.vfa-41.com

Multiplayer. It's a multiplayer problem. TACAN still works properly in SP. Please feel welcome to visit either VFA-41 Training Range server (no password) to verify.

TACAN signal from any beacon in MP is lost outside of 15 nm at any altitude and within line of sight. I know this is already noted and posted, but repeating for attention because it does not appear on Wags' hot fix hit list. Quite honestly, we can live without Airflow effect on vegetation is not fully synchronized in MP. But we kinda NEED functional TACAN to get back to the boat.

Confirming as well. TACAN range in Marianas and Caucuses maps (MP) limited to 15 nm. This is kind of a showstopper for our squadron ops as a US Navy carrier squadron.

Charts and compasses and sextants and celestial navigation are all wonderful tools. They can tell you where you are and what direction you're going. But they can't tell you where the place is you're trying to go to if it keeps moving (e.g., the aircraft carrier)! That's why we need radio navigation.

Like we had in IL2/1946... "Hayrake" radio navigation system to find your way back to the carrier. No F10 'magic map'. Adds a whole lot of realism when there's nothing but blue ocean everywhere you look, and you need to find a flat place to land.

If naval aviation is in your blood, the VFA-41 Black Aces squadron is always worth looking into.

As it turns out, the VFA-41 pilot roster is currently not full. The JOIN button appears on the squadron homepage with which an application may be submitted.

As we know, DCS has locked the command to take screenshots to the 'SysRQ' keystroke, which equates to the 'PrntScrn' key on most US keyboards. You can't rebind the command to any other keystroke or device button for reasons that remain a mystery. I have the 15-button Streamdeck. For a couple of years, I have used it to get screenshots by using a button to issue the 'Print' keystroke. Suddenly a couple of weeks ago it stopped working. I've been messing with it all afternoon and cannot get DCS to recognize the 'Print' keystroke issued by the Streamdeck. Anybody using a Streamdeck still getting it to work for screenshots? Maybe some trick I am missing?

Generally what I see is pilots who think, 'I'm not good enough to fly with those guys,' while kinda missing the point that 'those guys' were each once exactly where you are. Very few squadrons expect new pilots to come aboard as experts. In VFA-41, for example (sorry, not EU-based), we very much prefer pilots who are NOT already 'expert' pilots so we don't have to un-learn them to retrain them. For our new pilots, as long as they can start up the jet, taxi, and take-off, they are expected to fly in scheduled squadron missions. They are tasked by Mission Commanders according to their level of qualification.

I guess that sorta makes sense, though it doesn't help me be less dead.

He never seems to prioritize the targets we SHOULD be engaging... like the things that are shooting at us. He likes to prioritize targets that are well out of range. If he is supposed to best emulate the CP/G in a multi-crew environment with two functioning brains, I would expect him to tell me, 'Hey boss, we should probably shoot this guy first. He's in range, and already shooting at us.'

Same deal last night, AFTER getting my Apache repaired. Following the same sequence that worked fine for several Hellfire launches, I took some damage, landed, got repaired, refueled, and re-armed. Got back up, everything setup and configured as before. For both 'K' and 'L' Hellfires, George told me, "Engaging!" and "Firing!" but nothing left the rail. Also the 'missile constraints met box' was missing from the IHADDS. Not dashed, missing. Not there. MIA. Yes, I know... no trackfile, no problem. And before everyone offers what steps I was missing, please note, as stated above, I was following the exact same process that resulted in successful missile launches just minutes before.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLACK ACES! Originally commissioned in 2006 as a Jane's F/A-18 simulator squadron, VFA-41 was re-commissioned on July 4th, 2018, as a naval aviation squadron using the DCS World sim platform. In the five years since, the Black Aces have participated in and completed 7 comprehensive scripted campaigns, and are now involved in their 8th, named Operation Enduring Resolve. Limited since the beginning to a roster of 12 active pilots, VFA-41 has always been regarded as among the most active and longest serving squadrons in the military flight sim community.