Reason tanker is off altitude?

[CL30]

Feel silly asking this as I know how to set up tankers and orbits, but why would one be off altitude by about 1,400ft? I have this one set pretty high, I think 27,000ft or so. Whenever I check in the tanker’s reply comes back at the correct/programmed altitude, but when I join up he’s roughly 1400ft low. Even when I paint him with the radar, it shows he’s at 27,000ft. 

The route waypoint altitudes and orbit altitude are all the same. The altimeter setting is correct (1400ft would mean an extreme altimeter setting /discrepancy anyway). The setting for the mission is only 29.97. (I’m set at 29.97 as well.)

I’m away from my PC for the week, but figured I’d see if anyone has some guesses.

Edited May 14, 2024 by CL30

[TEMPEST.114]

...it's DCS.

[buur]

Is your tanker able to hold the altitude with the given orbit speed? Is your tanker able to fly so high? At the given speed?
 

[TEMPEST.114]

5 hours ago, buur said:

Is your tanker able to fly so high?

None of the tankers in dcs have a ceiling so low. This can’t be an option. 

[buur]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb TEMPEST.114:

None of the tankers in dcs have a ceiling so low. This can’t be an option. 

depends on the airspeed. Best is to check if the AOA seems to be abnormal.  

[CL30]

1 hour ago, buur said:

depends on the airspeed. Best is to check if the AOA seems to be abnormal.  

Interesting, hadn’t considered that aspect of it. I’ll try bumping the speed up when I get back. 
 

Thanks for the replies, fellas!

[jackdaw]

Above a certain altitude, {depends where in the world} standard barometric pressure is set 29.92in mercury, 1013mb , 760mm mercury.

[CL30]

7 hours ago, jackdaw said:

Above a certain altitude, {depends where in the world} standard barometric pressure is set 29.92in mercury, 1013mb , 760mm mercury.

FL180 here in the states. Wouldn’t be that much of a difference though, but good thought.

[norman99]

DCS altimetry/atmospheric modelling is extremely simplified. AI aircraft will always fly around at exactly the same ‘height’ (as set in the ME), regardless of what the air pressure/temp is.
 

These things do affect player aircraft however, hence there’s often a mismatch between what altitude a player will see indicated in their aircraft, and where AI aircraft will be.

[Northstar98]

Further to norman99's reply, check to see if the tanker's altitude as reported by the F10 info bar (make sure it's enabled in the gameplay settings, it can be toggled on and off with LCtrl+Y). If it matches, then its a result of the AI altimeters not being as high-fidelity as player ones (at least in some aircraft).

[CL30]

Bumped up the speed, no change. 
 

I’ll check the F10 map altitude tomorrow when I can, thanks!

[=475FG= Dawger]

This is just a guess.

Is the tanker departing from the same location as you?

If not, your issue may lie with the tanker using its takeoff point as Zero on its altimeter.

[CL30]

4 minutes ago, =475FG= Dawger said:

This is just a guess.

Is the tanker departing from the same location as you?

If not, your issue may lie with the tanker using its takeoff point as Zero on its altimeter.

No, in this mission he’s already airborne. I’ll try starting him from the ground (I’m off a carrier) to see if that changes things. Thanks, Dawger. 

[Czar66]

DCS is not perfect but some folks love to throw rocks at it without proper investigation. (not OP)

To OP:
ME set altitudes refer to above sea level.
Make sure your altimeter is calibrated to QNH and not a QFE.
If that doesn't do it, maybe the tanker can't keep altitude for some reason.

On a mission now, my tanker is bang on where I set it to be:

Edited May 17, 2024 by Czar66

[=475FG= Dawger]

5 hours ago, CL30 said:

No, in this mission he’s already airborne. I’ll try starting him from the ground (I’m off a carrier) to see if that changes things. Thanks, Dawger. 

Uploading the mission file might help pinpoint the issue. 

[CL30]

7 hours ago, =475FG= Dawger said:

Uploading the mission file might help pinpoint the issue. 

I might, but it’s more of a curiosity than anything. Doesn’t affect functionality. May do it….you guys are pretty amazing at missions and scripting, so having you look at my hot mess…lol.  
 

BTW Dawger, you’ve helped me in the past with some A2A Dispatcher stuff! (Vandal from BuDs)

[=475FG= Dawger]

Just now, CL30 said:

I might, but it’s more of a curiosity than anything. Doesn’t affect functionality. May do it….you guys are pretty amazing at missions and scripting, so having you look at my hot mess…lol.  
 

BTW Dawger, you’ve helped me in the past with some A2A Dispatcher stuff! (Vandal from BuDs)

Hi Vandal. Glad to help anytime.

[TEMPEST.114]

On 5/18/2024 at 3:01 AM, CL30 said:

I might, but it’s more of a curiosity than anything. Doesn’t affect functionality. May do it….you guys are pretty amazing at missions and scripting, so having you look at my hot mess…lol.  
 

BTW Dawger, you’ve helped me in the past with some A2A Dispatcher stuff! (Vandal from BuDs)

As I said... it's DCS. Expect the unexpected. Esp when the M.E. or AI is involved. 

[CL30]

Oh yeah, I know how goofy DCS/AI can be. Frustrating, yet kinda fun making little changes and trying to figure out how to get things working.

Nothing to report on the tanker issue as it’s not a big deal and I’ve moved on, but I did have the tanker too high, which I assumed, realistically speaking. I’m currently on a 4-day trip with a former Viper/Hog pilot, and asked him about their altitudes and speeds. He said most AAR was usually high teens to low 20s, and 200ish kts in the A-10 and 300kts or so in the F-16. I never really looked into it before, so it’s been cool learning some of the particulars. Thought I’d share.