Refuelling at night

[schurem]

 

You know, just putting this out there. ED, do with it as you will

[cesarferrolho]

yeah... I was just now trying to refuel at night, and all i could see was the 3 lights on the tips of the aircraft. They aren't even real lights, i think, just some sort of texture that isn't affected by the ambient light and always stays the same. The director lights, or everything else, was completely dark.

[Volator]

On 7/21/2024 at 12:38 PM, schurem said:

 

You know, just putting this out there. ED, do with it as you will

Bump! 

[Volator]

And this is what it looks like in DCS... it can be done, but boy, it's an unpleasant experience.

Please, ED, bolt some lights onto the tanker.

Edited October 29, 2024 by Volator

[norman99]

On 7/21/2024 at 6:38 PM, schurem said:

 

You know, just putting this out there. ED, do with it as you will

Bumping this too!!
 

Whilst I fly the Hornet, and the probe light helps a lot, realistically lit tankers are a must.

[twistking]

+1

all aircraft external lights need a rework. night flying is ridiculous with all ac ext lights vanishing after a few hundred feet...

[-=Shin=-]

Oh yes! We really need the tanker lights for night air to air Refuelings!

[The Phil]

+1, would be great to see some improvemoments in 2025

[Fitzcarraldo]

+1
it's very difficult to to AAR at night. more difficult than it should be. aircraft external lighting is not very good in general. hoping for improvments in 2025...

[theIRIEone]

On 12/23/2024 at 5:40 PM, norman99 said:

Bumping this too!!
 

Whilst I fly the Hornet, and the probe light helps a lot, realistically lit tankers are a must.

 

+1 for sure..

Honestly if the lights would switch on a little more early than they currently do would help a lot already, also preventing the tanker crew from getting fried by radio waves from getting close range TWS'd all night.

[MiG21bisFishbedL]

Over all, AAR needs a major overhaul. This should be part of that.

[Rolln]

+1

Pulling up to the MPRS at night after calling in 20miles out, lights don't turn on until you are like 0.3nm away.  Makes it almost impossible to join on him.  NVGs are no help as well if the lights aren't  on.

[twistking]

31 minutes ago, Rolln said:

+1

Pulling up to the MPRS at night after calling in 20miles out, lights don't turn on until you are like 0.3nm away.  Makes it almost impossible to join on him.  NVGs are no help as well if the lights aren't  on.

The lights are in fact on, they are just not visible at distance. I've been bug-reporting this for a decade now. Linked below is a wishlist item about it.
 

 

[Rolln]

When leaving the tanker, they are visible (or stay lit) for a lot longer distance than when they appear when you are approaching.

[PhantomHans]

On 2/3/2025 at 4:23 PM, MiG21bisFishbedL said:

Over all, AAR needs a major overhaul. This should be part of that.

I have been repeatedly assured by the totally non-hostile community here, that if you want any changes to AAR, especially anything to make this game real fighter pilot career fun or enjoyable, it's a YOU problem, because DCS isn't just a flight sim you play for fun, it's a LIFESTYLE, BRO!  Do you even AAR!?

[draconus]

58 minutes ago, PhantomHans said:

I have been repeatedly assured by the totally non-hostile community here, that if you want any changes to AAR, especially anything to make this game real fighter pilot career fun or enjoyable, it's a YOU problem, because DCS isn't just a flight sim you play for fun, it's a LIFESTYLE, BRO!

No, you have to post a wish and move on.

[Tom P]

It's been brought up multiple times for years but it's a low priority so expect a different lighting effect in the next 3 years. The fact is a majority of DCS players don't ever get close to a tanker so it's not a big issue. 

[JupiterJoe]

At least on Heatblur's side we finally got an improvement to the F-14's fuel probe light yesterday.  Would be nice to see better lights on the tanker.  Even with NVG's; on a moonless night, with gamma set to a reasonable 2.2, it's virtually suicide.