vVF-161 Fightin Stingrays are recruiting Tomcat Crews and Hornet Drivers!

[Stingray 537 Mongo]

Who we are:

Let’s start with our motto:

Brave Men and their Proud Simulators

We’re a virtual US Navy squadron, vVF-161, and we fly the F/A-18C Hornet and F-14B Tomcat. We used to say we’re MilSim-Lite, but we might be a little more hardcore than we realized.

We follow NATOPS procedures as closely as possible, and we work together as a squadron to improve our skills in the jets, especially communication, coordination, and battlefield performance. We’re serious about training, professionalism, and camaraderie, but we don’t demand the sacrifices and full-time commitment of a real-life military pilot.

In other words, we want the squadron to be fun and rewarding. So we don’t use ranks or give orders. We don’t say sir or ma’am, either. But we do have officers and a hierarchy. Why? Because even a virtual squadron needs leadership and organization.

At the end of the day, our goal is for the Fightin’ Stingrays to be a place where we can hang out, have a good time, and foster real-world friendships.

Still interested? Outstanding! Keep reading for more info and links below.

We’re looking for:

Pilots and RIOs of all skill levels and experience. Are you…

· New to DCS and still trying to learn your first module? Then you’re in luck! We have a training cadre and missions designed to introduce you gradually to the Hornet or Tomcat.

· An experienced virtual pilot who wants to try multiplayer in a more organized setting? We train and fly as a squadron at least once a week, on Thursday evenings (US Eastern).

· An OG from the LOMAC days who’s tried everything? Maybe you’re tired of flying lone-wolf. Maybe you’ve flown with another group and didn’t like it for whatever reason. If that’s the case, we might be the right squadron for you. We’re serious, but we also understand the need for a healthy balance of life, work, and fun.

We’re strict about:

· Mutual respect, both within the squadron and for the community as a whole.

· Real-world operational doctrine (NATOPS), given the limits of DCS and the ME.

· Training and improving our skills.

· Squadron SOP.

We’re relaxed about:

· Off-duty discipline; we aren’t an actual military organization, after all. (Although we’re pretty serious when we’re flying and fangs-out.)

· Reports and paperwork; we’re fighter pilots, not pencil pushers.

· Strict attendance; we expect you to participate in briefings and flight nights, but we understand that life and family come first.

· Having fun; our squadron Discord is full of memes, talk about planes (duh), and the usual chitchat about life in general.

So we’re serious where it counts—in the cockpit—and light-hearted everywhere else.

More about us:

We a smallish squad at the moment, about 20 members, but we’ve grown through yearly recruiting drives. This is our third one, so we have a solid track record and long-term plans for sustainable growth.

We currently have pilots with years of aviation experience, both in DCS and real life, along with newer members who only have a few hundred hours of virtual flight time. We’re a mix of military veterans and private sector, and we range in age from mid-twenties to cough, cough fifty-something. So we’re a diverse group from all walks of life, but we’re united by our passion for aviation.

What we do:

We fly as a squadron two nights a week: Mission Planning & Free Flight on Tuesday evenings (2045EDT, 0045Z) and Operations/Training on Thursday evenings. Flight nights include briefings, flight assignments, comms, kneeboard pages, and more.

We have a squadron Discord and a private, dedicated DCS server. Impromptu flight nights happen several times a week, whenever two of us are online and in the mood, which is pretty often.

Our training:

Whether you’re new or experienced, we’ll take you through an organized training program that’s designed to teach you advanced systems, tactics, and squadron SOP. Over the course of twelve weeks, you’ll gain the confidence and skills required to be a virtual naval aviator in the Hornet or Tomcat.

If you’re new-new and don’t even know how to start the jet, we have instructor pilots and a library of resources that will help you get up to speed on the basics before training kicks off.

Okay, now let’s talk about nuts and bolts.

Module requirements:

· Aircraft: F/A-18C Hornet or F-14 Tomcat

· Maps: Syria and NTTR

· Asset Packs: Supercarrier

· Additional Software: OvGME and DCS Simple Radio Standalone (SRS)

Personal requirements:

· Are you a mature adult? You need a thick skin and the ability to laugh at yourself, especially when you screw up (which we all do). We keep things polite, but we can be utterly merciless to each other, so this is essential.

· Can you take constructive criticism when it’s warranted? Can you give constructive criticism to others and be tactful about it? We’re serious about this—we debrief every flight and constantly work to improve our skills.

· Are you willing to learn and improve as a pilot? Can you contribute to the squadron as a whole?

The other stuff:

Between us, we own pretty much every module in DCS. We fly jets, helos, and warbirds, as well as IL-2, MSFS 2020, and other sims (racing, space). We even have one guy who “flies” a steam locomotive. Yes, you read that right, the guy really loves trains. And he’s one of us, so we are…

The Fightin’ Stingrays: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles!

Long story short, we love sims, so you’ll always find another squad member who’s ready to fly, drive, or… uh… train with you. ( See what I did there?)

What’s next:

If you’ve made it this far and feel like you might be a good fit, visit the vVF-161 Fightin’ Stingrays website. You can learn a little more about us and watch videos of recent flights to see how we operate. And if you’re new to DCS, you can even get a sneak peek at our training program.

Finally, you’ll find the Discord handles for the squadron CO and XO at the bottom of each page on the website. Send us a DM and we’ll reply with an invite to join the Discord server.

Until then, thanks for reading, and we hope to see you soon.

Fair winds and following seas,

- Mongo, Otto^(Wrench), and the Stingrays Admin Staff

Brave Men and their Proud Simulators

A quick note on our plans for the Tomcat:

We’re recruiting both pilots and RIOs, and our goal is to have all-human crews when we fly. This adds an additional layer of complexity to both training and combat operations, but we’re dedicated and creative, so we usually find a way to make things work.

-----

TL;DR vVF-161 Fightin’ Stingrays are recruiting Hornet and Tomcat pilots & RIOs of all skill levels for flight nights on Thursday evenings (US Eastern).

[Mike Force Team]

Listing information for your discord would be helpful. 

Mike Force Team

[Hammock]

@Mike Force Team it looks like they have the discord contact handles on their website. 

[Stingray 537 Mongo]

Reaching out here on the forum is also an option!