Availability of ground power?

[White Owl]

This probably isn't a problem with F-86; more likely I don't understand something fundamental about the mission editor, since I haven't used it very much.

 

How can I tell which airfields will have a ground crew with power available?

 

Either using the fast mission creator to start at random bases, or when setting up my own practice missions in the editor, the availability of that ground power cart appears to be totally random. Sometimes it's there. Sometimes I call the ground crew and nobody answers. Sometimes I hit the comms key and don't even see the comms menu at all.

 

What am I not understanding?

[GeorgeLKMT]

The airfield must be on the same side you are. There's red, blue and neutral. Click on the airfield name in the editor and change it to your needs. If you place an aircraft on the airfield in the editor, it'll change the side automatically, but the rest will be neutral by default.

[White Owl]

Okay, thanks very much. :)

I suspected it was something simple and what should have been obvious, but I was too dense to see.

 

But here's a related question:

I made a simple mission to practice takeoffs and landings from Kobuleti. I made the airfield friendly as you so kindly explained, and was able to talk to the ground crew and ATC just fine. Started up the plane, changed to the appropriate channel on my radio, talked to tower, taxiied, took off, no problems.

But once I was in the air, my communications menu disappeared entirely. No longer had the option of talking to Kobuleti even while flying directly over the field.

After I landed, Kobuleti told me to taxi to parking! So the radio still worked.

 

What am I doing wrong and/or not understanding?

[Buzzles]

Okay, thanks very much. :)

I suspected it was something simple and what should have been obvious, but I was too dense to see.

 

But here's a related question:

I made a simple mission to practice takeoffs and landings from Kobuleti. I made the airfield friendly as you so kindly explained, and was able to talk to the ground crew and ATC just fine. Started up the plane, changed to the appropriate channel on my radio, talked to tower, taxiied, took off, no problems.

But once I was in the air, my communications menu disappeared entirely. No longer had the option of talking to Kobuleti even while flying directly over the field.

After I landed, Kobuleti told me to taxi to parking! So the radio still worked.

 

What am I doing wrong and/or not understanding?

 

This is a quirk with certain aircraft like the F86 and the Mustang.

 

You have to use the mic PTT key (ralt-/ in F86 I think), when in the air.

 

The shortcut to the communications menu (/) is used to talk over the intercomm/shout out the window. Technically it shouldn't work unless you're in the park area I suppose, but the distinction in game appears to simply be if you're flying or not.

[White Owl]

Dammit, I should've figured that out! I have the Mustang, and just haven't flown it in several months. Now I remember having to figure out exactly this problem.

 

Thanks. :)