ACLS - All I get is CPL HDG

[Chewmann]

I follow this (see attachment) almost to the letter (info from Wag's video) and no matter what I do, I do not get CPL P/R... I get CPL HDG.  I hit button 5 on the UFC over and over again to see if it will properly engage... never.  

Any suggestions?

The good thing is, I am getting really good at landing manually at night.

Edited February 24, 2023 by Chewmann

[AstonMartinDBS]

If you provide a track of your attempt, we can see exactly, what's goin' wrong.

[Chewmann]

@AstonMartinDBS guess that would help, huh? 
 

Track file (it is a big file)

[Minsky]

14 hours ago, Chewmann said:

I follow this (see attachment) almost to the letter (info from Wag's video) and no matter what I do, I do not get CPL P/R... I get CPL HDG.  I hit button 5 on the UFC over and over again to see if it will properly engage... never.  

Were there the other flights (human-controlled or AI) that attempted to land on the carrier around the time of your recovery?

If yes, then you've encountered the very well-known CPLD P/R bug.

[Foka]

It's known issue from the start for ACLS. ED still is considering if it is a bug, or just ignore it.

Edited February 25, 2023 by Foka

[Chewmann]

Thanks guys. Yes, I was flying with my buddy.  It makes me feel better in that it confirms I somewhat know what I’m doing.

I’ll try it by myself later just to confirm it’s the bug.

[F18mech]

That's not correct. We flew the last one where you attempted case 3 landing while I sat on the boat following on the guide so we knew no steps were skipped... you were the only flier....

[Minsky]

2 hours ago, F18mech said:

That's not correct. We flew the last one where you attempted case 3 landing while I sat on the boat following on the guide so we knew no steps were skipped... you were the only flier....

This is the most likely cause of this issue. I haven't watched the track replay, so it could be something else.

4 hours ago, Chewmann said:

I’ll try it by myself later just to confirm it’s the bug.

I'd suggest practicing this offline with the simplest mission possible: only you and the ship.

The ACLS is not that complicated once you understand its cues and the order they appear on the Link 4 page during the approach.

1. Configure and enable ACLS before the "Inbound" call. Confirm the "ACL 1" status on the Link 4 page. If it's not there, then something (the boat and/or the on-board ACLS) is misconfigured.

2. Once reported "Established", confirm the "T/C" cue.

3. When the ATC says: "Final radar contact, 8 miles", confirm the "LND CHK" cue.

4. At 6 nm the ACL tadpole should appear on the HUD. Check the "ACL RDY" cue, and make sure the "T/C" cue is replaced with "MODE 1". Else you most certainly won't get the CPLD P/R option.

5. At 4 nm ATC says: "Approaching glidepath". Decouple the autopilot if it was coupled (use the paddle switch), then press UFC > A/P > CPL to couple ACL. This can be done as soon as the tadpole appears on the HUD. "ACLD RDY" cue is then replaced with "CMD CNT", and the "CPLD P/R" cue appears on the HUD.

[AstonMartinDBS]

17 hours ago, Minsky said:

I'd suggest practicing this offline with the simplest mission possible: only you and the ship.

Here's not the very simplest offline mission, but a working one for testing purposes (based on the SC template for Caucasus).

Try this one @Chewmann: FA-18C SC ACLS3.miz

Edited February 26, 2023 by AstonMartinDBS

[Chewmann]

@AstonMartinDBS tried it twice and got CPL P/R each time. Looks like the bug mentioned above. Good to know it isn’t me.  LOL.

Thanks for the help!

Edited February 28, 2023 by Chewmann

[equinox137]

I've been having this some problem.  Good to know ACLS is bugged.

[AstonMartinDBS]

16 hours ago, Chewmann said:

tried it twice and got CPL P/R each time. Looks like the bug mentioned above. Good to know it isn’t me.  

Glad to see that you found the source of your issue. Thanks for your feedback!