Flight Qualifications Campaign

[Gliptal]

According to the briefing: "This PO will require you to perform multiple air to air refuelings. Do not fill your tank on the first connection."

 

The mission is to test your ability to make multiple connects and disconnects.

 

In the mission the FE will say "For this PO you have to make 3 successful connections lasting 10 seconds each before we reach WP 7."

 

So if you can fill the tanks in one or two goes that's very good but you need to do that at least 3 times in the mission for the FE to say you passed.

 

When we first designed this mission I believe there was a working autopilot which made the connections and refueling too easy.

 

It's much more challenging now, so testing that you can connect and then reconnect within the mission flight plan is a better test.

 

After you hear the "Well Done!" message from the FE, you can disconnect and reconnect again. Even after 3 successful connects and disconnects you can still keep practicing your connects until WP 7.

That explains it! What was throwing me off is that I'm pretty sure the initial FE message ("For this PO you have to make 3 successful connections lasting 10 seconds each before we reach WP 7.") does not play in the single training mission.

 

EDIT: Confirmed, I fired the mission and paid close attention to the first few seconds and the FE never says that. He also never states during precontact. Either a trigger is missing at start, or I'm doing something wrong and it doesn't fire during the mission.

 

Maybe just add it to the briefing?

Edited October 28, 2015 by Gliptal

[Sabre-TLA]

That explains it! What was throwing me off is that I'm pretty sure the initial FE message ("For this PO you have to make 3 successful connections lasting 10 seconds each before we reach WP 7.") does not play in the single training mission.

 

EDIT: Confirmed, I fired the mission and paid close attention to the first few seconds and the FE never says that. He also never states during precontact. Either a trigger is missing at start, or I'm doing something wrong and it doesn't fire during the mission.

 

Maybe just add it to the briefing?

 

He actually says it as part of the in-flight dialogue just before the turn to heading 300 but it's a good idea to add it specifically to the briefing. I'll include it in the next update.

[Gliptal]

He actually says it as part of the in-flight dialogue just before the turn to heading 300 but it's a good idea to add it specifically to the briefing. I'll include it in the next update.

I guess that's it, you make no turn to 300 in the single mission, since you spawn directly 2nm behind the tanker.

[Sabre-TLA]

I guess that's it, you make no turn to 300 in the single mission, since you spawn directly 2nm behind the tanker.

 

That's the practice mission. You can do up to 20 connections and then the FE will say "That's enough for today."

 

The Campaign Qualification mission is a ramp start and ingress to the RVIP.

[Gliptal]

That's the practice mission. You can do up to 20 connections and then the FE will say "That's enough for today."

 

The Campaign Qualification mission is a ramp start and ingress to the RVIP.

Perfect, I thought it was like the previous campaign where the practice missions where pretty much 1:1 to the campaign mission. :D

[bzhnono]

A little bit follow up with my progress in AFT01 (yes still stuck there :) )

I manage to fill my tanks with 3 to 6 connection to practice, way way before waypoint 7. So thanks Maple Flags for this mission, I really made a huge progress :)

The only time I wanted to end correctly the mission (no ALT-F4 in flight to start over the day after) I manage to miss my landing a break my plane :O (haven't done that for a loooong loooong time) and was Unqualified :D . Think I will not fill up the tanks completely next atttempt and advance to AFT02 :)

 

Thanks again for these wonderfull training and qualifications missions :)

[bzhnono]

First attempt and success with AFT02 :)

[bzhnono]

Hi there.

Sabre-TLA, I think there's a bug in AFT03 (the training, not the campaign).

 

- The flight plan is not good (there is not waypoint in the Gauntlet)

- So the trigger is not triggered and AAA and SAM act strangely (had nothing on my RWR but got shot down...)

 

Could you have a look ?

AFT03.trk

[Gliptal]

Just qualified AFT01: beatiful mission, great work Sabre!

[Sabre-TLA]

Hi there.

Sabre-TLA, I think there's a bug in AFT03 (the training, not the campaign).

 

- The flight plan is not good (there is not waypoint in the Gauntlet)

- So the trigger is not triggered and AAA and SAM act strangely (had nothing on my RWR but got shot down...)

 

Could you have a look ?

 

Yes, thanks for reporting that. Just checked the mission and there was some extra files that shouldn't be there.

 

I've updated it so you are also not staring right into the SUN. With the new 1.5 OpenBeta I feel like I need to use a real visor now :thumbup:

 

Practice Package has been updated and can be downloaded from here.

[Gliptal]

Something I noticed in AFT01 (campaign), on 1.2.16:

 

If you keep your speed to reach the RVCP on RVCT (DTOT was adjusted to the debriefing time during startup) you join the tanker well before the RVCP. This isn't necessarily a problem, but it breaks the "chicks in tow" behaviour, where you have to wait 1nm behind the tanker throughout the turn and then refuel on your way back.

 

I just replayed AFT01 for fun and this broke the mission: I was cleared astern by the FE, got into precontact, and the tanker wouldn't clear for contact because he had "chicks in tow". The AI A-10C had in fact arrived while I was closing in from my 1nm to the precontact position.

 

Everything is fine on AFT02 (i.e. you meet your tanker at the RVCP and not before, meaning you have no conflict with the AI A-10C since you're required to trail behind along the turn).

 

Funnily enough, the first time I completed the mission I managed to refuel fine without the AI around, probably because I joined the tanker even faster. In fact I was told I could RTB a few minutes before the tanker's turn, and while returning I overheard the FE say "Follow the tanker along the turn, you'll refuel next.": right there and then I dismissed the thing as some trigger quirk.

[Sabre-TLA]

Something I noticed in AFT01 (campaign), on 1.2.16:

 

If you keep your speed to reach the RVCP on RVCT (DTOT was adjusted to the debriefing time during startup) you join the tanker well before the RVCP. This isn't necessarily a problem, but it breaks the "chicks in tow" behaviour, where you have to wait 1nm behind the tanker throughout the turn and then refuel on your way back.

 

I just replayed AFT01 for fun and this broke the mission: I was cleared astern by the FE, got into precontact, and the tanker wouldn't clear for contact because he had "chicks in tow". The AI A-10C had in fact arrived while I was closing in from my 1nm to the precontact position.

 

Everything is fine on AFT02 (i.e. you meet your tanker at the RVCP and not before, meaning you have no conflict with the AI A-10C since you're required to trail behind along the turn).

 

Funnily enough, the first time I completed the mission I managed to refuel fine without the AI around, probably because I joined the tanker even faster. In fact I was told I could RTB a few minutes before the tanker's turn, and while returning I overheard the FE say "Follow the tanker along the turn, you'll refuel next.": right there and then I dismissed the thing as some trigger quirk.

 

What time did you takeoff from? If you leave close to the stated briefing time then the triggers should line up. If you leave early then that causes some of the triggers to fire early which could cause the issues you are seeing.

[Gliptal]

What time did you takeoff from? If you leave close to the stated briefing time then the triggers should line up. If you leave early then that causes some of the triggers to fire early which could cause the issues you are seeing.

I took off slightly late (misjudged the time it took me to taxi to the other side of the airport, since ATC has you takeoff from runway 07): I rolled at 07:01:30. Departed from my parking spot at 06:56:00. I then went full power to the RVIP (arrived more or less 2 minutes late), and from then a 255kn speed would have put me right on time for the RVCT. If I remember coirrectly I ended up 1nm from the tanker at about 6 minutes from RVIP at 255kn, just as it was completing his turn to match my heading.

[Sabre-TLA]

I've noticed that the game engine does have some trouble getting planes to the wp at the specific time you specify in the ME. Sometimes they get there early, sometimes late.

 

The best option would be to just put them in an orbit at the RVCP but for tankers they fly a track (they can do orbits too but we wanted to simulate a specific track / rendezvous type).

 

In 1.5 the take off direction is corrected as you depart runway 25 and head directly west so you won't have the long taxi.

 

I'll have to see what happened in 1.2.16 as the mission was originally designed for takeoff from runway 25.

[bzhnono]

Yes, thanks for reporting that. Just checked the mission and there was some extra files that shouldn't be there.

 

I've updated it so you are also not staring right into the SUN. With the new 1.5 OpenBeta I feel like I need to use a real visor now :thumbup:

 

Practice Package has been updated and can be downloaded from here.

Downloading right away

Thanks !

[bzhnono]

Seems good to me.

 

Need some practice though :music_whistling::pilotfly:

[Gliptal]

So, this just happened.

 

I flew a perfect AFT02, was nicely on final on Batumi, and my wingman freaking crashed into me. He just flew into me.

 

I am SO pissed at the AI. :megalol:

Edited November 1, 2015 by Gliptal

[Sabre-TLA]

Too bad but just like in real life the AI is unpredictable.

 

Try coming in a little more left on the runway to give him some space.

[bzhnono]

So, this just happened.

 

I flew a perfect AFT02, was nicely on final on Batumi, and my wingman freaking crashed into me. He just flew into me.

 

I am SO pissed at the AI. :megalol:

 

:megalol:

Taht's close formation :D

[bzhnono]

Add the same problem afetr completing AFT04, luckily I was a little bit left of the centerline of the runway so he passed really really close to me.

 

I would say thanks again to Maple Flag, the addition to the F10 radio option is really great (first used in AFT04) really nice idea.

[Gliptal]

AFT03 on 1.2.6: ATC has you take off and land from runway 07, at the opposite end of the parking spot. My guess is the weather is wrong (wrong wind direction).

 

I also couldn't manage to get the parking trigger to activate: I checked the mission triggers with the editor, and it seems to rely for trigger 15 to be TRUE, instead of the logical previous trigger (the landing). Now, trigger 15 is the listing of high speed SAMs you get after the MWS description: I had it cutoff by a waypoint trigger before the audio ended. Could this have been the problem?

Edited November 4, 2015 by Gliptal

[Gliptal]

Fourth time I nail AFT03, fourth time the parking trigger doesn't fire. I can provide a track.

 

Nevermind, it seems that shutting down the aircraft still triggers the mission ending. It's pretty confusing thoug, since the behaviour is different from every other mission before that one.

Edited November 5, 2015 by Gliptal

[Sabre-TLA]

AFT03 on 1.2.6: ATC has you take off and land from runway 07, at the opposite end of the parking spot. My guess is the weather is wrong (wrong wind direction).

 

I also couldn't manage to get the parking trigger to activate: I checked the mission triggers with the editor, and it seems to rely for trigger 15 to be TRUE, instead of the logical previous trigger (the landing). Now, trigger 15 is the listing of high speed SAMs you get after the MWS description: I had it cutoff by a waypoint trigger before the audio ended. Could this have been the problem?

 

The flag should still be set as we haven't seen evidence of dialogue being cutoff causing flags not to trip. We use Flag 15 to ensure you have flown some part of the flight plan and not just gone and parked in the parking to complete the mission.

 

We have some updates coming for OpenBeta 1.5 release so I'll see if I can fix the wind direction/takeoff direction issue.

[Sabre-TLA]

Fourth time I nail AFT03, fourth time the parking trigger doesn't fire. I can provide a track.

 

Nevermind, it seems that shutting down the aircraft still triggers the mission ending. It's pretty confusing thoug, since the behaviour is different from every other mission before that one.

 

Since we are updating for the OpenBeta 1.5 we will see if we can make the parking messages and triggers more consistent.

[BackboneOne]

TAC14 is surely buged(( after mission start there is a message that chevy is hit and then instructor calls good strikes on target. here is the track:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzUmL9f8h_fwUGRTU0F3d0U1UmM/view?usp=sharing