First air to air kill!

[The LT]

Hello everyone,

 

Being a total noob at DCS A-10C, I just couldn't resist sharing my first aerial victory with you guys, you may laugh at me but this is no small achievement for me!

 

So here I am, on my third Georgian Hammer campain mission, all the usual stuff, set things up, run the checklists, etc. etc. Certainly took my time though, double checked everything as it's not yet my second nature. (got some nice ipad apps for checklists, it's a great help, thanks go the developers, they should have set it to 0.99$ or something)..

 

So I take off, head to the ingress point while getting to angels 10 and start slewing the TGP around for ground targets at the TGT waypoint and just when I was going to execute a Maverick attack on a T-72 my number two gives me a heads up: bandit at 3 o'clock! And it ain't one of the SEAD F-16's either. A quick look-around confirms my worries. It's probably a Su-25T.

 

Needless to say, I almost s**t my pants...

 

Now-now, I've got about 30 hours of flight-time, took my time with the flight manual, know all the basic systems but got absolutely no aerial combat experience (apart from extensive Warbirds experience circa 1999-2000 on a 56k modem). The closest it has been is shooting down a drone Su-25T on a training mission and that wasn't quite drilled into my mind yet...

 

I turn on my CMS flare program and start gaining altitude while I can, the bandit is indeed a Su-25T and he passes below me and my MWS flashes as he engages my wingmand with an R-60. He manages to shrug it off somehow and I break right and turn on Air to Air HUD mode and engage the Sidewinder seeking mode, messing it up a little by confusing DMS and TMS switches. The Su-25 then also breaks right and starts popping flares, he about a mile away and perpendicular to me, trying to make a combat turn when I get lock and launch an AIM-9M. He obviously sees the launch and manages to pop two or three flares but the AIM-9M manages to hit him. KABOOM! I quickly follow up with another Sidewinder, which was obviously rushed, his flare dispenser obviosly works and my second AIM-9M misses hopelessly. The grey smoke trails suggest the Frogfoot is hit, but I didn't see an engine fire and he's definately not out of action yet. I don't really have a lot of airspeed so I level out a bit and start doing a coordinated turn expecting him to RTB, which is obviously his intention. Then it dawns on me that he is somewhat faster than me: obviously he has jettisoned his stores and is limping back to base. It's time to decide whether to pursue him or not and against my better judgement, I obviously suffer target fixation and follow the crippled Frogfoot with my full load of 4 Mavericks and 4 CBU-87's, along with LITENING and ECM pods. After a minute or so, it almost seems that he is going to outrun me and I'll obviously have to return to the mission area, when something unexplicable happens. The Frogfoot starts a right hand combat turn (which I later guessed could be an AI maneuver to get back on inbound heading to his home base). I managed to get some altitude and I am a couple of nm behind him. I quickly switch on my funnel sights and manage to find an Su-25 profile. I try to pull a lag approach to him as I also start to turn right. He probably managed to get sight of me and starts to quickly lose altitude and goes into a dive, but I somehow manage to get him into my sights, pull the trigger and make 3 short bursts. I can't believe my eyes when his wing bursts in flames at gets torn from the aircraft!!! SPLASH ONE!!!

 

I turn around and return to the mission area, slew around and find my targets, full of myself and sure that there is no AAA in the area. Just as I dive to strafe a T-72, I see a burst tracer rounds to my left, I make a sharp turn to the right but the sound of bullet impacts against the aircraft can only mean that I have missed something like an AAA gun. The Master Caution lights come on along with my LEFT MFCD going dark. I quickly check my malfunction panel. The CICU is offline. All other avionics, including the right MFCD and Mavericks are still fine. I get some altitude, find the bastard with my TGP, which turns out to be a ZU-23 gun and send an AGM-65H their way. I then proceed to strafe the tanks with my GAU-8, safely egress and return to base.

 

Upon descent to direct final approach, I discovered that one of my receiving antennas was obviously torn off as my ILS receiver woundn't pick up the glideslope signal or even a beacon. Everything else checked out though and I landed safely.

 

Upon return, I discover that an F-18C managed to launch two sidewinders at another Su-25 which tore off almost all of its control surfaces but somehow it managed to RTB.

 

As I went through my checklists, I watched the beautiful sunset over Batumi and pondered over how advanced and lifelike modern flight sims have become over the years.

 

I then immediately called my friend in RL and went to a local (georgian!) restaraunt for some vodka and national cuisine to celebrate my first aerial victory! Needless to say, he said that I was crazy and said that I should go and fly a Cessna 172 if I wish to fly so badly. :) I tried to actually imagine I was in some restaraunt in the center of downtown Batumi.

 

That may seem like a regular mission to you but, damn, I feel so proud of myself as it was quite an achievement for me. :joystick: It was hard, took all my concentration and knowledge and I managed to come out on top!

 

I hope it would be one of the many fun days as I try to get back to being a virtual pilot! :thumbup:

[Maachine]

cool man. that wasnt a bad read either. like reading a bed time story

[The LT]

cool man. that wasnt a bad read either. like reading a bed time story

 

Thanks, I just felt like sharing the experience! Hope it's not too illiterate as I'm not exactly english-speaking. :-) Should I feel bad for being a virtual american pilot when I'm 100% russian?

 

Well, I don't. :-)

 

Off to reading the manual and tutorials, they surely are also well suited for bedtime reading. :)

[Maachine]

to each their own

[Yurgon]

Great story, thumbs up! :)

[LazerPotatoe]

Cool post -- thanks for sharing

[trindade]

Nice read, congrats!:thumbup:

[MTFDarkEagle]

Great read ;)

 

Congratulations!

[Rubberduck]

Good read :)

[Ratfink]

Nice one!!

[Jona33]

Nicely written!

[Aries]

Congrats on the kill!!! :thumbup:

 

They don't come easy in a mud-mover...

[maturin]

You drink wine at a Georgian restaurant.

[The LT]

You drink wine at a Georgian restaurant.

 

Not when it's 40USD per bottle :)))

 

Anyways, it's a great community, thanks for all your support guys! Happy to be part of it!

[MatzWarhog]

Very Nice!!! Well done, and quite well written!

 

Matt

[Jamcb]

I had no A-A experience, but I want to have it. So, i flew to the combat area and start waiting. Suddenly I saw F-15 coming from enemy area, but I was ready to meet him. I had sent 2 A-A birds to him. All of them had direct hit. My enemy was going down and finally crashed. I was happy :) My first air win! Hurray!!!

When he crashed(and disconnected immediately) I saw his nickname and notice that it was my teammate :cry:

Please, sorry, my unknown friend :(

[Maachine]

:megalol: <- smiley says it all

[alexiao73]

great story mate! The only thing I'm not practicing is air-to-air combat...

:thumbup:

[adese]

I can totally relate to your achievement high. Great read!

[SFAL]

:) bring back sweet memories... the first time i lunched a R73 and seen a hig get rosted hehe

 

 

i hope u will get more hours and see you on coop or even better PvP servers :)

 

hell we might get a chance to blow off each others hind end hehehe

[The LT]

I had no A-A experience, but I want to have it. So, i flew to the combat area and start waiting. Suddenly I saw F-15 coming from enemy area, but I was ready to meet him. I had sent 2 A-A birds to him. All of them had direct hit. My enemy was going down and finally crashed. I was happy :) My first air win! Hurray!!!

When he crashed(and disconnected immediately) I saw his nickname and notice that it was my teammate :cry:

Please, sorry, my unknown friend :(

 

At least it was an F-15 kill. :) I don't really expect an F-15 kill any time soon. :D

[The LT]

great story mate! The only thing I'm not practicing is air-to-air combat...

:thumbup:

 

I wasn't even getting into it, it just found me by surprise and I just had to try it. I guess trying it on purpose would have dire consequences. :)