How do you safely swap from CPG to pilot in single player?

[TJTAS]

How are you guys dealing with it?. To me it's almost certain crash especially if you are low. The helicopter goes from nicely hovering to insane pitch up and roll for me. Too fast for me to catch.

[Tholozor]

The "issue" is that the AI pilot doesn't use force trim, and is constantly holding the controls in the desired position, so that when you return to the pilot seat, your controls are reset to center. You can overcome this by turning off 'Automatic AI Handover' in the Special options for the 64, which will prevent the AI from taking flight controls until you manually command handover.

[sirrah]

42 minutes ago, Tholozor said:

The "issue" is that the AI pilot doesn't use force trim, and is constantly holding the controls in the desired position, so that when you return to the pilot seat, your controls are reset to center. You can overcome this by turning off 'Automatic AI Handover' in the Special options for the 64, which will prevent the AI from taking flight controls until you manually command handover.

As @Tholozorsaid

If you don't use this option, at least make sure not to switch seats from a low level hover. Either have some altitude or forward airspeed, as this will give you more time to gain control after switching seat.

 

Other option (if the scenario allows it) is, to first have George PLT land and then safely switch back to PLT seat.

 

I hope at some point, ED will implement some sort of George PLT auto trim, so the switching seats will be easier.

 

Edited February 3, 2023 by sirrah

[admiki]

I did a quick test, hovering at 20 ft.

If you position your controls around center (cyclci) and half way up (collective) you should be fine. Yes, there will be some wobble, but nowhere extreme as some guys here describe.

Is use "no spring and FFB" trim mode, since my cyclic stays in place and when I switch helicopter will stay at attitude and altitude  until I move each control.

Edited February 3, 2023 by admiki

[av8orDave]

How do you safely swap from CPG to pilot in single player? Currently, you don’t. If you try to, you’d better have plenty of altitude and be clipping along at a pretty good speed.

[Floyd1212]

If I get the helo into a hover before handing it over to George, my collective and (spring-less) pedals are in the general spot they need to be when coming back to the rear seat, and it's just a matter of getting the cyclic into the correct position.  Yes, there is a wobble, but no, I am not falling out of the sky.

I can see how this might be tricky for someone new to the Apache, though.  To those I would say keep flying, and eventually the comfort level will be there to recover from lots of unexpected situations.

Edit: If you are in full forward flight when you switch back to the PLT seat, yes, the nose will pitch up.  Move your controls to the general position first, then switch seats, or request control.

Edited February 3, 2023 by Floyd1212

[TK-421]

George will also fall victim to VRS if you tell him to descend to fast or if you hand over to him with a helicopter that is already descending too quickly. 

[SPAS79]

On 2/3/2023 at 12:53 PM, davidrbarnette said:

How do you safely swap from CPG to pilot in single player? Currently, you don’t. If you try to, you’d better have plenty of altitude and be clipping along at a pretty good speed.

I have a centering joystick and use return to center trim. When I go from CPG to PLT, I center the joystick and trim it BEFORE touching it, this way when I start to move it moves correctly from my physical center but from the logical point of where George was holding it. It works every time. 

[Floyd1212]

On 2/6/2023 at 12:56 PM, SPAS79 said:

I have a centering joystick and use return to center trim. When I go from CPG to PLT, I center the joystick and trim it BEFORE touching it, this way when I start to move it moves correctly from my physical center but from the logical point of where George was holding it. It works every time. 

Thanks for this tip.  I tried it last night and it did seem to work well. 

[cknight5464]

TJTas,

   This input is coming from a very novice Apache sim pilot, so please take it with a grain of salt. My method to the madness is to get the helicopter into a stable cruise well before the engagement area, about 90 knots at 500 AGL. Switch to the CPG seat and let George get himself orientated in the pilots seat, and don't try to correct anything he's doing for about 10 seconds. Once he settles in and the helicopter is once again cruising comfortably, start issued commands through the Cntrl V menu to get him to hover and maneuver where you want to be for best engagement profiles. As soon as I'm done with my engagement, I hop back into the pilots seat, and fly my planned or impromptu egress, depending on terrain and threats. 

Hopes this helps, and please if anyone knows better or sees room for improvements in my methods, post or send me a message, I'm always up to learn!

[Mausar]

I don't I do everything myself so George stays on the ground.