How to place aircraft for takeoff on desired runway (new user!)

[Bob Denny]

While I can place an aircraft in the mission in position for takeoff ("Takeoff from") it seems I have no choice for the runway? I am at Batumi, my a/c symbol is forced to appear midway on the runway, and there is no Heading selection/field. How can I determine for this aircraft to be lined up for takeoff on RWY13 vs RWY31?

[Pikey]

Hmm, not checked but try setting the wind direction.

[Bob Denny]

Oh geeze!!! How crazy simple. Thanks I'll check it later after work.

[Bob Denny]

 

That didn't work. As you can see it will now do a downwind takeoff (look at the smokes in the background). I had the low level wind set to 10 M/s.

 

This can't be difficult :-)

[Grimes]

Some airbases are limited in how you can use them with respect to take-off and landing directions. These limitations are generally brought on due to terrain, cities, or just airbase layout.

[apolloace]

I presume the take-off direction in some airbases like Batumi, Sochi, Novorrossiysk & Gelendzhik

is one-directional, only due to the adjacent mountainous terrain.

 

[NeilWillis]

Indeed, Batumi is an airfield with serious obstacles inland, so you'll take off out to sea in any weather conditions. In NTTR, you will always use Rwy 03 when departing from Nellis if you have weapons aboard, because you will not be allowed to overfly built up areas. Whether NTTR has that is part of the mission building logic however I do not know, but you get the picture I am sure.

 

Where those restrictions don't apply, then wind direction will determine runway selection.

[Pikey]

@Neil ;It does to some extent I am always assigned departure and arrival to/from the North east at Nellis. Batumi I think is one of 'those' runways.

 

Some other runways though I've seen different behaviours but I'm not that compelled to check them all. For example there was an early bug in 1.5 beta that aircraft would take of into the wind, but always taxi to the same point, which was hilarious (the first time) when they would point off the wrong direction at threshold and run on the grass and collapse. Which makes me think the wind direction may still be valid on some runways.

 

Indeed, Batumi is an airfield with serious obstacles inland, so you'll take off out to sea in any weather conditions. In NTTR, you will always use Rwy 03 when departing from Nellis if you have weapons aboard, because you will not be allowed to overfly built up areas. Whether NTTR has that is part of the mission building logic however I do not know, but you get the picture I am sure.

 

Where those restrictions don't apply, then wind direction will determine runway selection.

[Bob Denny]

Ok thanks guys. It seems even the experts are foggy on this, so I will press on and live with it.

[apolloace]

You can always change the runway direction in DCS by changing the wind direction and speed,

 

except for a few runways mentioned above, where nearby mountains dictate the way you take-off.

 

[Bob Denny]

I guess Batumi falls into the latter classification. Thanks guys.