How should I organise a training in a Squadron

[Rakete]

Hi,

I am in DCS since the first A10, read/watched a lot of content and practice diffrent systems of that plane.

I am not a Newbe but far from professional. Now I would like to dive deeper into it with regular trainings with some (2-4) friends.

So there is enough content or schedules WHAT to learn in an aircraft, but my question is HOW could we do this together effectively and of course with the most fun.

How do you do your trainings in a squadron? Is there one guy just flying by and read from the manual as an instructor? Do you use Tacview or the map in anyway to observe or help the rest? Or is everybody doing everything together and at the same time?

I haven't been in a squadron in DCS for now but maybe anybody could tell from his/her experience. Thanks!

[GrafRotz]

There are several methods of teaching, i cannot translate, but the easiest might be the 4 step method.

Show, Explain, Imitate, Train.

Develop your own technique by experience.
Best to use screensharing software, to show plans, methods and graphics.
With all that, you need someone, who has already the knowledge of the training content.
My suggestion is to train step by step.
1. Organize your flight.
2. Find a training objective
3. Have at least one to master the objective and act as a demonstrator.
4. Develop a group training for that objective.

- Leading a Training is a challenge in itself.
- Training discipline another.
- I promise you, they WILL shoot that damn tanker
- Do small and easy steps and combine with an fun event afterwards.
- Dont underestimate the input the guys get, do not overdo the content.
 

- What i tend to do is writing an (funny) order, containing the rough content, so everybody knows what to expect
- prepare your mission file, like dummy targets and use the draw tool on the map,
- prepare a kneeboard, handout or missionbriefing with all needed content like frequencies, times, used equipment and so on.
 

all of that totaly depends on your training content and the ability of the trainees.

[Rakete]

I really appreciated your answer. Thanks to give me an overall idea!

With that in mind, a little detail is not clear to me: When my members imitate the explained content, how can I observe them best? I would like to have that kind of situational awareness that I am able to respond quickly to specific questions or give tipps/little corrections (e.g. fly lower, mind the AOA, not so fast... etc.).

Guess I should stay on the ground and use their camera view, hm?

 

(btw I am German, but I thought English would be better in this forum )

[GrafRotz]

in the english part, thats what you should do
i'll give you a PN, but ill give you here an quick and dirty answer:

You said already watching them from the F2 is one option.
You could also use TacView to do a later wrapup, or as i said just show them and let em make their own experience, depending on the content. People might get overloaded when talking while performing. All depends on the objective

[Rakete]

Thanks. I'm looking forward to try your suggestions soon !

[SteelPig]

First question: What is fun for you guys? Some like it a little more casual, others prefer the 110% realism. 

But the structure will always be the same. 

 

1. Define your goals. What skills the group should have after the training syllabus? Let's say they should can perform Keyhole CAS

2. Identify and subdivide the individual skills. In our example, CAS is a tasking that needs a lot of single skills coming all together. You should be familiar how to perform you attacks, how you behave as a 2-ship, how you arrive in the box, get your 9-liner, execute the attack in a propper way. And I'm pretty sure there is a lot more you could add. 

3. Sort the individual skills meaningfully, so they build up on each other. For example, I would train Z-profile bombings before the 9-liner. As a golden rule: from simple to complex, from easy to hard, and so on.

4. Adjust. When you have thought about all this and made a plan for the training, you already have invested a lot of time. Believe me, I did it for our Wing.  
But no matter how well you have planed everything, you will stumble across a few things tthat don't work right. Then you have to identify why and adjust your sylabbus. And you will do this again,and again and again. Cause the training also will be performed again and again. If you don't, you will loose your skills over time. 



In short, thats the way how I build up a training for my wing from scratch. 

Edited April 12, 2023 by SteelPig