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Why are the campaigns called "Training" when they are really tests?


Sholtz

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Learning the A10C and thought the training campaigns would help, but so far its a wash - these things are not doing any training at all! I didnt realize there was a basic flight training so I accidentally got the tactical training one first. Once I realized I was in over my head I went back to the DCS store and found what I thought would be a good learning tool - "A-10C Basic Flight Training Campaign"

 

It starts out with a guy droning on about checking to make sure everything is off (and like all ramp starts, everything is off), then goes into a bizarre start up procedure - I say that because I have been practicing start ups and the order doesn't make a lot of sense. I got to the end and he said I missed one check and did poorly.

 

But I guess my point is, where is the training? These are tests! Are there any campaigns out there (other than the included ones which I have already done) that prepare for these?

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You can find a training mission (with additional info) for every of the campaign missions plus a checklist (ramp start eg) for printing. This is the most basic form of training you will find. Most other A-10 campaigns will need the skills you develop during trainings.

 

Btw pilots life including trainings are always test which will be scored...

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you missed a very important word explicitly stated in the description of campaign: “Check ride”.

 

From my laymans understanding of the term it means you are graded to steps performed, not scored for what you kill which would be the term “exercise” or “fire drill”.

 

For example they dont call Redflag or Hawgsmoke checkrides.

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You can find a training mission (with additional info) for every of the campaign missions plus a checklist (ramp start eg) for printing. This is the most basic form of training you will find. Most other A-10 campaigns will need the skills you develop during trainings.

..

 

Ok that might help, how/where do I find this exactly?

 

Thanks

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why its a "bizarre" startup procedure?

 

Its not in a similar order as either the training start up that comes with the A10, or any of the videos I have watched. Plus it has all sorts of tests to run that I have never seen or read about anywhere, other than in passing in the manual. So I dont even know where most of these buttons are.

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Well, like wildbill said, they are check rides, and thats the proper startup procedure so its checking if you know how to do it or not.

 

IIRC every mission in that campaign has a practice mission before the tests, so it teaches you what to do first then it lets you do it on your own and gives you a score on how much of it you can accomplish.

 

That particular campaign being the "basic flight training", it shows you the basics of flight.

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i suppose its called a training campaign because it is set in peace time, and it is not a combat campaign.

 

rather than its a campaign designed to teach new people.

 

so its more a collection of tests for those who want to really geek out at the systems and protocols.

 

the test missions you are looking for are usually done by people themselves in the mission editor.

simple things for testing specific things. after watching youtube vids.

 

if you think about it, a training campaign in a flight sim is going to be way harder than a combat campaign.

 

because training is made hard, so real fighting is easy.

 

the tests will be hard for veteran flyers.

 

so live die repeat at the combat missions to learn the systems. then take on the training where you only have one life and its way harder :)

 

things are backwards in flight sims.

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There are training missions comming with the module itself without the need of any additional DLCs. Having said that I still think the best training is just going step by step through the manual.

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There are training missions comming with the module itself without the need of any additional DLCs. Having said that I still think the best training is just going step by step through the manual.

 

Ok I found the practice missions - nothing new was showing up under Missions or My Missions so after some digging around I noticed they are in the Campaign directory. So this is a step forward, I can almost ramp start this thing to the instructors expectations :)

 

RE: the manual - I agree its a valuable tool and I am the first to parrot RTFM. Although its more of a reference tool than something that can be utilized by reading front to back, it takes a lot of hopping around and searching after reading. And even then I find myself in the dark. One example is the first mission in the Tactical Training campaign (yes I know, do the flight first but sometimes I just want to see how far I can get).

 

One of the requirements is to set up frequencies and its listed like this:

 

Tactical Training Freq: TAD 12

Guard : TAD 08

 

Now I am fairly familiar with the radios and dont have any problems dialing in ATCs and such. But I have never seen a frequency in this format - so have been scouring the manual as well as online trying to find out what on earth I have to do in order to set this up. I dont even see a practice mission for this one - the first one listed is TAC11 and the only other one that is close is TTQ Arrival but thats just watching a chopper fly into the base.

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It is still a problematic that DCS doesn't support actual virtual pilot "training" as you want.

 

Like in a car games, one can go through a training where the game first shows the thing what is to be done, and then shows how it is done, and then driver tries it.

Then later on there comes the tests in other environment where the pilot needs to complete the track to get test completed and proceed to another one.

 

In military there is a specific way to teach things so everyone will learn it quickly and efficiently (as everyone of us learns things differently by seeing, hearing, doing) and through repetition.

 

First you are shown the full procedure what is to be teached you.

Second is the full procedure is split to steps what the full procedure was about.

Third student does every step with visual and hearable samples.

Fourthly, student does every step with just commands.

Fifthly, student does the full procedure without steps.

 

You start with the basics, simple things. You increase the steps and complexity and finally you will have a large troops under direct strict command where everyone can perform as one unit.

 

It is everything same in the life, first you meet your father by mother saying "He is your father" and then rest is nothing more than trials, errors and tests, trials, errors and tests... And finally you might be able to be a creative and do something with your skills.

 

DCS World requires that we would have a "ghost plane" where we could record a group or specific groups in DCS and then replay it while being in a another aircraft in controls.

So one could example go and make a training mission for specific maneuver, record that and then share the replay to friend. A friend can replay that as a ghost aircraft while flying the same aircraft in same situation.

 

At least we have way to get better visual data via TacView, and we can have cockpit switches highlighted (and btw complex that thing get done) with user interaction.

But some better things could be done, at least we have the gates but their placement is just as well difficult as we can't get them like old game "Blue Angels" in old DOS game,

https://classicreload.com/blue-angels-formation-flight-simulation.html (I still have the game box, code-breaker disk and 3,1/2" disks)

 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/635430/Blue_Angels_Aerobatic_Flight_Simulator/

 

That all to train to do the combat maneuvers, do the acrobatics, do the missions, attacks etc etc. Visuals for the beginners!

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Right, a lot of good points! One thing to point out:

 

 

First you are shown the full procedure what is to be teached you.

!

 

EDIT: I realized you were not talking about DCS here and may have misunderstood. As far as these missions go - It has been hit and miss so far. *some* things are shown and some are not. The ones that are not I have mostly been able to figure out but had to go outside of the game to find it. One example is the shutdown process - I had no idea how to turn off the throttles. The practice session paused at that point while I floundered around to find it, there was no indication since there is nothing clickable and there was no text telling me what keyboard command. I finally found it but I was not shown anything. Makes me wonder how much patience that guy has and how long it would wait...

 

I am making progress and learning a lot as I go, so its still good.

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We do state in the campaign description (and highly recommend) that you read the DCS A-10C Flight Manual before trying our qualification campaigns.

 

They are designed for users with some experience but the practice missions also help prepare the user for the qualification campaign missions.

 

Baltic Dragon is working on a detailed A-10C training campaign that should offer what you are looking for. His thread is here.

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  • 1 month later...

 

One of the requirements is to set up frequencies and its listed like this:

 

Tactical Training Freq: TAD 12

Guard : TAD 08

 

Now I am fairly familiar with the radios and dont have any problems dialing in ATCs and such. But I have never seen a frequency in this format - so have been scouring the manual as well as online trying to find out what on earth I have to do in order to set this up. I dont even see a practice mission for this one - the first one listed is TAC11 and the only other one that is close is TTQ Arrival but thats just watching a chopper fly into the base.

 

TAD freqs are listed in each TAC mission briefing (the ones in typewriter)

 

TAD means Tactical Air Designators. In the docs folder you would find them with corresponding freqs like 124.0 AM for TTF (Tactical Training Freq.) - monitor at all times..

 

IPs, Ingress, Range entry and exits, bullseye, No Employment zones (civil areas), TFRs, etc are listed in MGRS with coordinates too. I program them if not found within CDU database. I have different flight plans, one for TFR, one for mission, Targets, IP, ingress, bullseye, range entry and exits.

 

That way I can stay within the zone and not get my ears blown off by KNOCK OFF!

 

It also helps to use MFCD TAD in uncoupled mode (TAD as soi and two times red rocker forward to get true map view, overlaying flight plan, no bird with 2.5-5 mile circles mode). Remember its a checkride of Tactical awareness.


Edited by WildBillKelsoe

AWAITING ED NEW DAMAGE MODEL IMPLEMENTATION FOR WW2 BIRDS

 

Fat T is above, thin T is below. Long T is faster, Short T is slower. Open triangle is AWACS, closed triangle is your own sensors. Double dash is friendly, Single dash is enemy. Circle is friendly. Strobe is jammer. Strobe to dash is under 35 km. HDD is 7 times range key. Radar to 160 km, IRST to 10 km. Stay low, but never slow.

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  • 5 years later...

Here I am, believing I bought a training campaign just to be told "You failed. You need more training"
And that is correct. That is why I bought the campaign.
So why on earth would I need a skill test? What is it even for?
The marketing is a bit misleading.

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The title and description are pretty clear IMO:

A-10C / A-10C II Basic Flight Training Qualification Campaigns

The A-10C Basic Flight Training Qualification campaigns put you in the cockpit of an A-10C or A-10C II  Warthog, and tests your ability to fly the aircraft successfully.

Based on real world qualification requirements you will fly 12 performance check rides to execute against pre-defined performance objectives. If successful you will rate a Qualified rating and proceed to the next performance objective.

The DLC package includes a practice campaign with additional dialogue to help pass the Qualification missions.

The expectation is that you have read the manual, flown some of the existing training missions and watched some youtube videos before testing your abilities.

If you want more in depth training then I suggest Baltic Dragons campaign for the A-10C II:

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/products/campaigns/a-10c_ii_iron_flag_part_i_campaign/

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