Learning to fly...

[Dave73]

Ive been trying to learn flying these modules with very poor results...

I purchase a cpl. While the sale is on so now just gotta figure things out, hopefully.

Ive asked some questions but seems all i ever hear is practice...i got that but theres got to be more than that. Like when i do a practice tutorial and listen to the instructor talk, its like another language with all the terminologies and such.

How did u guys start? Did you use a pen and paper(which ive filled half a notebook already) or is there a tablet app thats better for that? Which order do you think is the best way to learn things?

I guess what im pushing at is can someone give me some guidance...just seems trying to learn this with the game tutorials they jump all over and its so much so fast. Not all of us have pilot backgrounds or have played flight sims our whole life.

What order should i learn this? Is everything that the tutorials teach really needed like 5 different ways to navigate...? Are there any ideas you think i should do?

I understand i need to pratice, but are there certain steps that would help the next if doing them in a certain order...

Thanks for any help you can offer me, just seems like im spinning wheels half the time:mad:

[golani79]

I just started with the simplier airframes - WWII stuff, F-86 ..

 

Got familiar with basic flight stuff and instruments.

For this I watched some YouTube tutorials and did general research on the internet.

 

After that I started to try a few different things like navigation, simplier weapons systems etc ..

 

Just do one thing at a time and dont try to learn all at once.

 

Start with the basic stuff and continue from there on.

[cmorris975]

I am fairly new as well and was overwhelmed too. Using Lwin + Home keys to start the plane was a big help. Then I just studied the different systems one by one. I started with the F-5E first as it was a simpler plane than the Mirage and Harrier that I bought. Break it down into bite-sized pieces is the best way.

 

First I just wanted to take off successfully. Then I wanted to employ guns and shoot something down, so I made a mission where I hunt a transport plane (with labels on). Then it was radar... Then bombing... Then turning off labels... Then radio... Navigation, etc..

 

Making my own missions in the mission editor is very useful now as I practice using the RWR, coutermeasures and SEAD.

 

Little steps add up. Now I fly online a bit.

 

Have fun and ask questions!

[Rudel_chw]

Ive been trying to learn flying these modules with very poor results...

I purchase a cpl. While the sale is on so now just gotta figure things out, hopefully.

 

 

Hello,

 

 

I went through the same phase when starting DCS: my first module was the A-10C purchased on a sale ... I couldnt even finish reading the whole 670 pages of the manual, I put DCS aside, until I opted to first learn the Su-25T completely.

 

 

The piloting basics are the same as in every other aircraft, but the interface is much simpler and so much easier to learn and actually spend the time flying rather than flicking switches during 10 minutes just to start ther aircraft.

 

 

Once you actually learn to fly the Su-25T and use her weapons, you will have the basic knowledge to fly other aircrafts and learn them system by system while still being able to do the basic flying much more easily than you do now.

 

 

This tutorial helped me a lot with the Su-25T, it explains well the principles of flight behind the procedures and also teaches the basics of the typical weapons:

 

 

 

 

When learning a new plane, I follow this path:

 

 

- Assign on the control settings of DCS the Axis of the HOTAS that I use, so that I can at the very least control pitch, roll, rudder and throttle.

 

 

- Use a free flight mission to just fly the aircraft until I can get to know how it responds to the stick ... practice making level turns (those where you dont loose or gain altitude while turning), practice climbs and descents at a constant rate.

 

 

- Use the free flight mission to assign HOTAS buttons as you need them, start with the trim controls, airbrake, flaps and landing gear

 

 

- Only at this point, do the training missions one by one, repeat those that seem difficult to you, like the landing, until you can do them with no trouble.

 

 

- Finally, learn the systems (navigation, communication, sensors) one by one, using the Manual as a guide and also any YouTube tutorial that you like.

 

 

- Last, learn the Weapons, one by one, using the same aproach as with the systems.

 

 

Best regards

 

 

 

 

Eduardo

[hansangb]

Ive been trying to learn flying these modules with very poor results...

I purchase a cpl. While the sale is on so now just gotta figure things out, hopefully.

Ive asked some questions but seems all i ever hear is practice...i got that but theres got to be more than that. Like when i do a practice tutorial and listen to the instructor talk, its like another language with all the terminologies and such.

How did u guys start? Did you use a pen and paper(which ive filled half a notebook already) or is there a tablet app thats better for that? Which order do you think is the best way to learn things?

I guess what im pushing at is can someone give me some guidance...just seems trying to learn this with the game tutorials they jump all over and its so much so fast. Not all of us have pilot backgrounds or have played flight sims our whole life.

What order should i learn this? Is everything that the tutorials teach really needed like 5 different ways to navigate...? Are there any ideas you think i should do?

I understand i need to pratice, but are there certain steps that would help the next if doing them in a certain order...

Thanks for any help you can offer me, just seems like im spinning wheels half the time:mad:

 

 

 

 

I been flying flight sims a long time but I can see how overwhelming it can be. So, there are trainer planes which are simpler. But even for A10 or FA18, you can first learn to fly w/o having to worry about all the weapons systems. So doing the Free flight missions help quite a bit.

 

 

Two things you should check out

 

 

Charley Owl's manuals (just google for it) are very helpful. If you are the type that like the read first, it's a must. Even if not, you should read his tutorials.

 

 

 

Also, I would highly recommending watching Bunyap Sims' On The Range series.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/4023446/playlists?shelf_id=0&view=1&sort=dd

 

 

(Go all the way to the bottom for the On The Range series) Again, these are for getting familiar with A10's weapons systems.

 

 

 

 

 

Gerry Abbott is another youtube channel that you should look at.

 

 

And the flight basics for A10 can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC90p6sHsL5PN_urMRz65NyA

[cichlidfan]

Agreed with hansangb.

 

Don't try to deal with weapons, just learn to fly. Many years ago, with the A-10C, I spent weeks just learning to land it well. Don't try to be a warrior at the outset, just try to be a pilot.

[mvsgas]

Dave73,

You mention you have several modules, I say pick one and concentrate on it. Everyone learns different, what works for you? Memorization? Practice? Flash cards?

 

Also consider, what is your goal? Is it to fly online and fight with friends or is it to learn a specific thing?

 

What is causing the biggest problems? Terminology?

 

How much experience do you have if any on aircraft? I ask because maybe you do not to learn what a roll is or a flap.

[Siinji]

I would recommend joining an online wing, one, which has a training program. You'll learn alot quicker, if you have an instructor with you. Just being able to voicechat with people with questions makes it all go alot faster, than posting on forums, and waiting for answers.

 

I've always been able to land stuff easily in FSX and other sims, but never understood tactics and how to deal with targets and do real operations and communications before I joined a squad. Opened up a whole new world for me. And having patient tutors is gold!

 

Are you filling notebooks with notes, only flying the tutorials? Then you are overthinking it. Just do it. :)

 

Oh, and playing the missions which are included in DCS? You should regard them as puzzles to be solved... not real missions, in my opinion.

 

And, as someone said: Stick with one module first.

Edited July 8, 2018 by Siinji

[Mars Exulte]

Dave, best way to do it, is ignore all the fancy stuff and concentrate on the basics.

 

 

#1 Familiarise yourself with basic aircraft principles of flight, just go in wikipedia if nothing else. Having a rough idea, if you don't already, of how/why a plane flies will come in handy.

 

 

#2 Go on to YouTube and watch a "fastest possible startup" video for your desired aircraft. Watch the video on your phone and copy the actions. Do it several times in a row, just to get familiar with the process. I memorised the startup for the A-10C in about 30 minutes.

 

 

#3 Now that you can get the engines on, practice takeoff and landing. The reason people keep telling you practice is because that's literally the only way you're going to "get it". It's going to take time, even with the basics, to get the hang of it.

 

 

 

#4 Once you can take off and land and feel comfortable with maneuvering your aircraft, then proceed to simple weapons like the gun and rockets, stuff you can point and practice using them. Then put some dumb bombs on. After you get comfortable with all of that, figure out how to turn on your TGP/Shkval (if you have one), etc.

 

 

Most important : Do not get overwhelmed by all the jargon. Just take little steps and move on as you get comfortable. It's not nearly as hard as it first seems, as long as you take a measured approach.

 

 

 

 

It is going to take time and practice though, no way around it. When I first started getting into DCS, I was trying to bring a few friends with me and I worked up a training curriculum for the Su-25T. I estimated 30-40 hours to take them from "knowing nothing" to being "moderately combat effective" (i.e. understanding all systems) and of course actual COMPETENCY would reasonably to expected to take longer. Learning the basics on any aircraft can reliably be expected to be similar (although once you learn one, a lot of information carries over, but there's still a learning curve for new aircraft)

 

 

 

 

I also concur with Siinji directly above me :) Don't overthink it, stick with ONE plane and just screw around at first until you get the hang of it. It's not that big a deal.

[Emmy]

The saying in RL flying applies I think...

 

"Aviate" .. Learn to operate the aircraft

"Navigate" .. Learn to operate the avionics and systems

"Communicate" .. Learn to incorporate the aircraft into the battle space

[David OC]

What are you really interested in Dave?

 

Modern A2A combat? wwII A2A combat? (CAS) Close air support etc. I would like to know, if you had a choice for a career in the military what would it be? The A-10C could be a full time sim career just like IRL if you want to be one of the best at it and fly with full competence all the time, part of this software was used to train pilots IRL it's that well modeled.

 

 

Start with and easy aircraft to fly, the old war birds are hard to fly and will punish you, they will also help you to become a better pilot.

 

Take your time and stick with the basics first, enjoy the journey as you will, like the rest of us, will be learning something new continuously for the rest of your life when it comes to aviation.

 

Most US aircraft in sim use VORTAC navigation in sim, not VOR. Other countries, say Russia use RSBN (Short Range Radio Navigation System), so just be mindful when learning and selecting aircraft and maps.

 

Start with an aircraft you want to stick with for quite some time, learn to start, take off and fly a

and do touch and go's and shutdown.

 

Download Chuck's guide for this aircraft too.

Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge

 

Post any question, even if you think it's stupid in the appropriate forum section for that aircraft, many here are happy to help.

Edited July 8, 2018 by David OC

[Dave73]

First let me start with you guys rock!!!! Thank you!!!

I think what is happening is i started with flaming cliffs because of the a10( my favorite all time plane) upon learning to start it up, taxi, take off and about 70% land it good, i saw the a10c...Now all that went through my mind was" aww man, if i gotta learn systems than i might as well get the c version"

Well, boy was i wrong...i quickly got eaten alive trying to understand terminology and all. So, i then saw everyone talking about the f18 and how great it was and how much they liked it over the a10c so it slod me on that...another one that ate me alive trying to understand.

Then i saw some people talking about the av8 and how it was easier to operate in alot of aspects...so out came the card and i owned the av8. Then i found out there was no training missions so i couldnt even begin to do anything with it. I than said well maybe because the blackshark is old that it might be easier to operate the systems...but trying to understand things being talked about than trying to figure out russian writing added a whole new level to it all...

I just want to fly and blow some shit up!!! So after posting this i have since started full circle.... I have taken your guys advice and loaded up the a10a and have been and will continue to learn this first... As of this writing i can start it up, taxi, fly it around well, and land pretty damn good!!!! I have looked into video you guys have mentioned and some others i found and just gotta not be swayed to divert from it till i get the whole thing down...than ill move onto the a10c and hopefully it will be a good transition and better understanding of things...thanks again guys!!!!

[Saintan]

Hey Dave. Surprised no one's mentioned this yet, but there's no shame in switching on game-mode for the flight-model and avionics. If you're that new to military flight sims, even the game avionics present a modest challenge to learn some basic concepts and are a good stepping stone into the sometimes overwhelming "study-sim" modules.

 

In the end, if your goal is to be proficient in the C-Hog, Hornet, or Harrier, be prepared invest a LOT of time reading, listening, watching, and practicing. There'll be no quick path to the challenges you've chosen. All the best!

 

[Cik]

it just teaches you wrong and it's negative learning though.

 

 

best thing is, bind controls enough so you can fly (so axes, and that's mostly it) then from there learn one system at a time. take notes: detailed ones. even if you don't reference them often it will help you remember. once you have a handle on low level systems you can start combining them, and branching out your knowledge of how they interact. there are plenty of online tutorials on youtube to learn most subsystems pretty well imo.

 

 

general practice is very important. the most important thing is it builds muscle memory. you can cycle through the avionics without thinking about it while you monitor the battlespace and surroundings.

 

 

 

day 1 pilot doesn't know how to fire a maverick, doesn't know how to fly the plane

 

 

day 10 pilot knows how to fly the plane, but not to fire a maverick

 

 

day 20 pilot knows how to fire a maverick and fly the plane, but can only do one or the other at a time- often he loses SA and dies because he's too "heads-down"

 

 

day 1000 pilot doesn't even have to think of the discrete steps of anything anymore. no need to think "TMS up 2s, coolie hat right right hold, china hat forward, tms up, pickle"

 

 

he thinks "now i will engage this target" and everything is essentially rapid fire automation from that point on, and his eyes don't have to leave the skies for half a second in that entire operation. that's mastery and it's what you're after.

 

 

 

it will take time and there's not much avoiding it. but it's a fine ride up anyway, so it's all good.

[Dave73]

Why were on the topic, i would say i got startup taxi and takeoff down...landing i would say about 80 to 85%...

What should i do from here?

[David OC]

Have some fun....:)

 

Seeing you are using the A-10A. Do you know how to fire off a maverick missile? Know how to use the gun?

 

Here is a very close quick mission attached for practice: (Caucasus - A-10A.miz)

 

Place in the folder C:\Users\(YOUR USER NAME)\Saved Games\DCS.(openbeta?)\ Missions

 

sa-13 sitting in the middle of the abandoned airfield with 2 X Btr 80's and a few trucks. You have 4 maverick + the gun.

 

Take out the sa-13 first with a maverick keep max distance away from the sa-13. You do need to be close enough to lock and fire the maverick, then take out the Btr's, finish off the trucks with the gun. Have a play with this mission and make it harder if you wish using the editor. Practice taking out any air defense first from max distance. The A-10C has the TGP and allows you to zoom in to take a look from along way out. You will use the maverick as the camera to zoom in, good still to learn this as this was how it was done in the A-10A.

 

Caucasus - A-10A.miz

Edited July 8, 2018 by David OC

[Frederf]

Break it down. What mission do you want to accomplish? What doesn't go right on first attempt? Everything in learning is layers of consequence. "If I want to accomplish ____, I better learn to ____ better."

[Dave73]

Daveoc thanks thats awesome...i will try it. I dont know anything other than startup,take off and circle the airport and land...so i guess i should do navigation next?

As for what i like, i like the tv guided stuff

 

*davidoc* the numbers with the lines i take are waypoints...so if im rite i take off,fly to way points, bomb vehicles, finish waypoints,land...is this correct?

Edited July 8, 2018 by Dave73

[hansangb]

Daveoc thanks thats awesome...i will try it. I dont know anything other than startup,take off and circle the airport and land...so i guess i should do navigation next?

As for what i like, i like the tv guided stuff

 

*davidoc* the numbers with the lines i take are waypoints...so if im rite i take off,fly to way points, bomb vehicles, finish waypoints,land...is this correct?

 

 

 

 

If you're at that stage *WATCH* Bunyaps On the Range for A10A (and C) variants. Highly recommended.

[Emmy]

If you're at that stage *WATCH* Bunyaps On the Range for A10A (and C) variants. Highly recommended.

 

Big +1

 

Best series available!

[Dave73]

Im looking at the bunyap totorials and i cannot find any for navigation...i dont want to jump ahead of myself this time...do you guys know of any navigation tutorials for the a10a?

 

David oc...i got up in the air and realized i have no clue on navigating...so i landed

Edited July 8, 2018 by Dave73

[mvsgas]

Have you seen the classics?

VFjBOYG0ZiQ

Edited July 8, 2018 by mvsgas

[Dave73]

I did come across this one... Thank you... I understand the gauges but need the understanding of it in use...ie. During a flight and switching to different waypoints and following them.

 

I was wondering if i could use a10c navigation videos for the a model...theres a ton of those

[David OC]

Just remember the A-10A is a simplified model, the mission I setup is just for fun on the side while learning, the targets are close by the airport, just use visual references, as the FC3 aircraft has limited navigation. So no need to use the waypoints if you don't want to.

[Dave73]

Well either way..thank you