Mission 5 - What are the criteria for being "Off Safe" during strafing runs?

[FMBluecher]

After absolutely struggling through the rest of the syllabus, got my first Above Average on Mission 5! However, once we got to the strafing, it seemed like it took forever for both me and Paco to call "off safe." At one point, I was flying in circles, 17 nm away from the target, with time acceleration on waiting for Slick to call "off safe." I assume I did something wrong (even though one of these was where I got my Above Average), but I'm not sure what it was! OTOH, it didn't seem like Paco was any faster.

For clarity, this isn't a mission-breaker, I was still able to finish it, but it was a bit of an immersion breaker!

Edit: On another note, you may want to double-check the briefing pdf--it lists different altitudes for some of the setups than what Paco says in-game.

Edited February 1, 2023 by FMBluecher

[Reflected]

Your off safe call is when you pull up and left after strafing the target. Paco calls off safe when you're at the briefed point in the pattern - but it only works if you fly the briefed numbers, headings and distances. 17nm away from the target is not where you need to be  Check out RedKite's playthrough or the mission to help you visualize the pattern.

Good call, the briefing is in AGL. I'll fix it, thanks!

Edited February 2, 2023 by Reflected

[FMBluecher]

Makes sense, I thought I was flying the pattern, but must not have been flying the heading precisely enough. I only ended up 17 nm away (on speed and on altitude) because I just kept hoping it would eventually trigger!