How long did it take you to learn the A10?

[Rider1]

Day one, open beta and still learning something new almost every time I come here, or go flying with my squad mates.

 

I have had a love affair with the A10 since the A10 Cuba days. So I have a some familiarization with the jet. And, playing Lomac/FC over the years helped as well.

 

Now I'm trying to be quicker and more accurate with my switcholgy, and target acquisition.. That and trying to figure out how to make the CDU stop blinking 12:00. :)

[jeffyd123]

1 day... and I learned everything there is to know. Now Im off to cure baldness and figure out why girls are so dumb.

[Noraf]

well, the op didn't ask for how long it tok to master the whole sim 100% ;)

Thats why i said a week.

In a week, i managed to do the basic flying, attack runs, using sencors, and taking out targets with about every weapond awailible.

(still do have some misshaps when using the gbu-38 )

 

I do think mastering it 100% will take a lot of time, like years....

But mastering the systems anough to be a real treath to ground units, didn't take that long. (ecm is important to learn aswell btw)

 

It have probably helped alot that mutch time have been spent in mp, with help from others on systems aswell. (to bad the logbook don't log flight time and the rest from mp aswell, since acording to it, i got about 30 mins of flight time :P )

 

So, i think a few of you have been thinking a bit to large when reading (and maybe while replaying ) to this tread.

 

Have a nice weekend, and fly safe!

 

 

regards

[VMFA117_Poko]

Time to master A-10 depends on couple things:

 

1. your previous history with other simulators (helps a lot with vocabulary, how works simplified avionic, etc.);

2. your knowledge about real flying physics (on a paper) and physics overall;

3. how much time per day you can spend on reading the manual and practice;

4. what kind of learning approach you take (signing up for virtual career in some squad / alone methodical way in cooperating with manual and tutorial videos / or trying shooting around on mp training servers and asking people every single detail);

5. How headstrong, hard-bitten you are and keep clean head with "spare capapicity". If "the bucket is full" you won't be able to calculate, simulate so many things and working with instruments in the same time. You need to take pleasure from that and keep trying achieve excellence.

 

Me? I'll be honest - with history older than 15 years of gaming and simflying, with some basic knowledge of RL physics, spending around 5 hours per week on reading manual and watching tutorial videos, then 30 hours per week on flying practice, I was able to reach comfortable level in about a month. Still a lot to learn after so many months behind the day one of open beta release though.

[Slothface]

You never stop learning in aviation and as this sim is so accurate the same can be said in the virtual aviation environment.

 

In terms of being at a point where I could use systems and weapons in a way where I didn't have to reference the internet or manuals, it took about 2 weeks... but I had a lot of spare time and I've only scratched the surface!!! :) STILL SO MUCH TO READ AND LEARN!!! Just enjoy the journey to Ace pilot. I know I will get there one day... (give me a few years ;) )

Edited May 15, 2011 by Slothface

[Bushmanni]

I had watched some tutorials from Youtube and read a little bit the A-10A flight manual when I bought DCS Warthog. I also have been playing simulators for almost 20 years. I completed the first instant action mission after a few days and the hardest instant action after about 2 weeks. The level of learning that can be called mastery is a little bit fuzzy concept. I bet anyone can learn the basics to fight with Warthog in a couple of hours. I instructed my friend who doesn't play simulators to almost complete the easiest instant action mission in a first try. But after 2 months of playing Warthog I'm still learning new things.

[Noraf]

i, by no means, ment to imply that i'm fully trained, and have nothing new to learn afther a week.... Afther all, the day you don't learn anything new, you're either dead, or in a coma.... ;)

 

That being said, a week should be anough time, if you can invest a days works each day during that week, to master the "basic needs" ( ie, working the systems, and getting bombs, missiles and rockets on target. )

 

Ofcourse, not everyone can spend that amount of time every day on it ( and neither can i anymore :P ) ,

and not everyone lears at the same speed. And not everyone have the same interest to learn ( some will probably never leave game mode, and some will never enter it volantary ).

 

When it comes to emergency procedures, i still have a few problems, and i'd guess in around 50% of those cases i end up without an aircraft to land at the base with.....

Though, that might be birdstrikes, sam strikes, aaa fire, or flying to low, and tearing of a part of a wing when turning to close to the ground \ buildings :p

 

Usualy though, if i just lose one engine, i'd probably get home safe, loosing parts of a wing makes it more interesting.

 

(how mutch have you lost, and gotten home ?)

 

ohh, well, back to topic i guess :

Most important thing , i'd say, is being patient, and don't forget the manual

[SmokeyTheLung]

6 months and counting...

[Cibit]

Anyone mastered manual reversion mode? restarted both engines at less than 1500 ft in a valley. Got a full tank of gas from the tanker. Used RDF for locating other aircraft, taken off and landed at every airfield on the map, was laughed at by a whore

 

I can do 1 of the above and there is so much stuff still to discover:thumbup:

[Bodo]

I haven't actually loaded it up on my system for about a month. It's too daunting I tell ya!. TOO DAUNTING! :)

 

But yeh, when BS is compatible and A10 is patched as far as it can go and I have some spare time, I'm gonna get to grips with it. I really can't wait for the BS patch, though.

 

I know that once I put the effort in I'll be fine but for now I haven't learnt anything other than the odd HUD detail like waypoint info and how to cold start. That was around 2 months ago now, probably forgotten it all. Oops

[macedk]

This is a question for those of you that think you have most of the systems mastered. This includes things like start-up procedure and usage of ordnance.

About two weeks to get to a level where it dosen't scare you anymore ;).

[Cali]

NOBODY has mastered or even learned fully this sim in a mere week.

 

NOBODY.

 

This from an old Falconeer with 140 hours online stick time in this sim.

 

+1

 

I also have been flying Falcon for the last 6 years. And to this day I still learn something and forget two items of knowledge each time I fly online. :doh:

http://www.185th.co.uk/forum/front.asp

 

DCS A10 is a lot more complex.......And I've not yet started online :helpsmilie:

 

 

Except the odd test flight!

 

Novac.

 

Just cause you 2 flew F4 doesn't mean much. Some people pick up on things differently then others. That may help in some ways and hurt in others. F4 guys have to relearn some things with the A-10C, F-16 and A-10's are different beast.

 

You never stop learning in aviation and as this sim is so accurate the same can be said in the virtual aviation environment.

 

In terms of being at a point where I could use systems and weapons in a way where I didn't have to reference the internet or manuals, it took about 2 weeks... but I had a lot of spare time and I've only scratched the surface!!! :) STILL SO MUCH TO READ AND LEARN!!! Just enjoy the journey to Ace pilot. I know I will get there one day... (give me a few years ;) )

 

I agree with you never stop learning, that's why real pilots train a LOT. If they don't they start to forget things or become a little rusty after awhile.

[51GRIZZLY]

about a week, including reading the complete manual....

 

 

2 days .... and i haven't even installed it yet :clown_2:

[genbrien]

1-2 weeks to learn and be confortable with start-up procedures, how to handle the plane and know how to use all weapons (thx to the well made tutorials and help from people here). Dont know the 3/4 of the CDU lolllll. Still learning everyday

[Wartski]

All it takes to master anything is an outstanding memory. Which I don't have, lol.

 

 

Miguel Najdorf blindfolded chess record ... 45 opponents in 1947 - 39 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses.

[redtail]

Anyone who says they have mastered this sim is hugely exaggerating. Had this since last september and flown at least once a day 6 days a week, Still learning new stuff every flight:thumbup:

 

I was thinking the same thing:lol: a week, yeah right, I guess you have no other life and you dedicate 12 hours or more every day for 7 days:pilotfly::smartass:

[vortex360]

I got my first medal with 4 hours of flight time in. I am at 13 hours right now and can start it up and drop any ordnance without any problems.

Edited May 16, 2011 by vortex360

[51GRIZZLY]

I got my first medal with 4 hours of flight time in. I am at 13 hours right now and can start it up and drop any ordnance without any problems.

 

 

I presume this impressing feat was done after consuming wast amounts of the herb depicted in your avatar.:)

[PhiXX]

I presume this impressing feat was done after consuming wast amounts of the herb depicted in your avatar.:)

The sky is the limit :D

[Jinja]

I'm a pedantic f*cker....

 

so saying "it took me a week" to master the systems is meaningless unless we're all talking about the same reference point. So for those who said it took them a week, do they actually mean 168hrs?????

 

...because then I'll believe them!

[STP Dragon]

How long did it take you to learn the A10?

Startup: ca. 2h

Basic flight: ca. one evening

Basic weapons: ca. one weekend

Basic navigation: ca. two evenings

 

All systems 100% perfect: NEVER! You will learn every day you play this game. :smartass:

[Heater]

Had it from the first Beta and still learning :)

[Xxx]

If you look here, this guy has some useful information.

 

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=73067

 

I will qute this from the thread;-

 

"Be patient. Remember, the BY-GOD UNITED STATES AIR FORCE can't teach this without immersing someone (with a far younger brain than you and I have no less) in it for 6 months, day in, day out, with a professional instructor in the simulator (and in the airplane flying on the guy's wing). What makes you think you'll be able to learn it BY YOURSELF, without a wheel barrel full of patience?"

 

;)

[Helios]

How long this should take is something which really should depend on the individual's starting point.

 

If you are a dedicated simmer and have spent the last 15 years with F4AF, FC2, Jane's, and what-not, then most things should come pretty straight-forward, because you are building on a lot of relevant knowledge/skills. E.g. if you know how to land in F4AF, it's just the same thing except different AoA and AoA marking, slightly different glide slope, much slower approach, some stuff missing from the HUD, at what speed do you lower gear, you now have flaps available, airbrake should be 40%, get the nose down after landing as opposed to keeping it up, when do you engage NWS, etc. Those few informations should probably be enough for most F4AF pilots to make a nice landing on the first attempt.

 

However, if this is your first sim, then absolutely everything is new, so you basically have to also learn all the stuff that more experienced pilots know from other sims, including things like management of throttle/stick to stay on a glide slope. Which sums up to quite a lot of knowledge and skills.

 

I would think most of the people who posted they could master the basics of this sim in [relatively very short timespan] had some prior sim experience. If that does not apply to you, then it really should take longer - otherwise you are probably going too fast.

 

The learning curve is intimidating, but it's really only intimidating when trying to achieve too much at once. Avoiding competing with the "pros" and instead taking it slow and focusing on one thing at a time really helps (at least that's what I'm doing and it seems to work for me). Over time all those little "baby steps" really start adding up.

 

Also going on multiplayer and asking people (politely) for help goes a long way.

[Inseckt]

Understanding the logic of the HOTAS in correlation with the SOI logic, was a pivotal moment in the learning-curve for me wich occured at about 8h. At that point I was handeling the A-10. I now have 80h, and I am still not mastering it....