AI aircraft turning back for no reason

[Fisherman82]

Hello!

 

Im having a problem,

 

I made a single player mission where the player will scramble from Tonopah Test Range Airport and intercept different random Red AI-flights incoming from the east. There are Red fighter sweep flights and five different strike flights with aggressor F/A-18Cs. Two of the strike flights was intended to fly as low as possible to avoid detection and they are the ones with the problem.

 

I had them flying at 1500 and 2000 ft AGL with a flightplan that would make them avoid the mountains east of Rachel and fly in de canyons to a target just east of TTRA. However, when they spawn they fly a little bit and then turn back for no reason and start flying back to the start point where they then turn again and follows the flightplan as they should. This means a 4 minute timeloss. The other flights have the exact same settings regarding ROE, Reaction to threat etc, the only difference is the elevation. I have tried to change the elevation up to like 20000 ft MSL if the low altitude was the cause but the same thing happened, they started to fly like they should and then turn back to the start and then back again.

 

Has anybody come across this before and know what may be the cause of the problem?

 

I cant post the mission now, I didnt have the time to write this yesterday and I have gone on holiday now. But I cant stop thinking about it because its very annoying..

[Pikey]

Fly over point rather than turning point? I'm guessing. AI and low flying don't mix well in my experience.

[MadDog-IC]

Hello!

 

I'm having a problem,

 

I made a single player mission where the player will scramble from Tonopah Test Range Airport and intercept different random Red AI-flights incoming from the east.

 

There are Red fighter sweep flights and five different strike flights with aggressor F/A-18Cs.

 

Two of the strike flights was intended to fly as low as possible to avoid detection and they are the ones with the problem.

 

I had them flying at 1500 and 2000 ft AGL with a flightplan that would make them avoid the mountains east of Rachel and fly in de canyons to a target just east of TTRA. However, when they spawn they fly a little bit and then turn back for no reason and start flying back to the start point where they then turn again and follows the flightplan as they should.

 

Sounds to me like you have the default command enabled for the flight:

 

• FighterSweep -a or CAP -a in the initial waypoint 0 for the aircraft concerned, delete it or disable it and put in a search and engage command later in the flight plan waypoints when you want them to actually look for enemy and engage.
  
• Default commands for new aircraft on map in combat role, are programmed to follow the waypoints until they detect enemy, if they detect enemy straight away they will ignore the flight plan, no matter how far away the enemy is, once the enemy threat is destroyed, the flight will return to the first waypoint of the flight plan and fly as it should. (Your description of problem sounds like this)
  

Regards, Ian.

[Winston 60]

... I'm guessing. AI and low flying don't mix well in my experience.

Pikey got it... AI are crazy weird when you set their altitude low. Try deleting the offending flight, save the mission, then restart DCS. Now, not using AGL, raise or lower their height 100m at a time then see if they do what you want.

[Fisherman82]

The first thing I tested was to change turning point to fly over point but this didnt help. The two flights are two out of five CAS flights, all five have the default task deleted. The only difference is the altitude, perhaps I have to delete them as Winston60 said because it wont work to just increase the elevation if they have been corrupted somehow when they where set to low altitudes with AGL. I hope I can do more testing tomorrow then I get back home, I have a own theory also, im thinking that it could be something with ETA lock, Im hoping to find a ETA lock on waypoint 2, im thinking that maybe the flights are early for some reason and thats causing them to turn back to not overshoot the ETA.

[Fisherman82]

I think I have found the cause of the problem now!

 

I have all flights set to spawn with radar off to avoid being spiked by them before I get the BRAA-call from AWACS. When any of the red flights cross in to a zone called Blue Airspace radar using is set to "Use for search if required", when this happens the two flights that I had problem with turn back.

 

I can see some logic in it since if you fly low you would like to have radar altitude, but they are 2000 and 1500 ft AGL with no high mountain peak in their flightpath so they shouldnt panic and turn back when they turn their radar on though.