aphelion79 Posted October 22, 2010 Posted October 22, 2010 ILS Approach Looking at this above forum, lead me to wonder if the game has Precision Approach Radar? For those of you unfamiliar, basically after reaching a specified area on Final Approach the air traffic controller at the base tells you things like "Little High" if your above glide slope, too far left/right of the center line etc. I was thinking it would be a great addition to the game if its not present, just imagine taking bad damage and your electronics aren't working. You fly in using vectors from ATC (they say fly heading 030 for example) until you get close to the center line of the runway, then bring you in to visual range with the PAR system and vocal cues for a safe landing.
MrYenko Posted October 22, 2010 Posted October 22, 2010 I work with a few (dozen) ex-military controllers. Next week, Ill make a point to ask some of the more recent guys if they do GCAs anymore. To my knowledge, it's a dying art, only done once a year for re-qualification at the handful of facilities that still have the equipment. The navy, I would imagine, probably still does them, but thats not applicable to DCS. (Yet. WTB: DCS: F-14D)
SimFreak Posted October 22, 2010 Posted October 22, 2010 I've done few PAR in real life. Quite fun, but difficult to find airfield who can do it. Usually navy will take you up to 200 and 1/2.
Lumper Posted October 22, 2010 Posted October 22, 2010 The only place you will find PAR is at military bases. Today you will find most airfields have ILS and GPS approaches that are considered precision approaches so the need for the old style radar is not needed. In fact these days the microware landing approaches are more precise then ILS. While I was a controller in the Air Force for 9 years, I was a novice GCA/PAR controller, I spent most of my time as a Tower or Center controller. Also spent 6 years ass FAA controller and 3 years as an instructor, so I can field questions on this subject. Of note, Arthur C Clark (author of 2001: A Space Odyssey) wrote about his time during WWII as a GCA controller in his book Glideslope. GCA is ground approach radar unit, a combination of a regular radar scope and usually two paired PAR scopes ( one vertical and other horizonal), Lumper ------------------------------------------- When the going gets tough, the smart cutout. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]
aphelion79 Posted October 22, 2010 Author Posted October 22, 2010 I've done some myself in a Cessna at my local air force base, they take you pretty low. My instructor said, just please whatever you do, don't land! I don't want to have a bunch of guys with M16s surrounding us within seconds. :D I'm just thinking it'd be useful if your electronics were down... but stupid me realized then so would be your radios right? LOL What do you do if you loose power in IFR conditions and need to land from a military aspect? Or are these birds built with just that much redundancy for basic approaches etc?
SimFreak Posted October 23, 2010 Posted October 23, 2010 I've done some myself in a Cessna at my local air force base, they take you pretty low. My instructor said, just please whatever you do, don't land! I don't want to have a bunch of guys with M16s surrounding us within seconds. :D I'm just thinking it'd be useful if your electronics were down... but stupid me realized then so would be your radios right? LOL What do you do if you loose power in IFR conditions and need to land from a military aspect? Or are these birds built with just that much redundancy for basic approaches etc? You hope your standby / emergency battery will have enough juice :D
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