Why not make an in depth Tutorial for the simulator ?
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Just realized that in two more years, I’ll be going into my fourth decade with Falcon.
Still learning and still loving it.
WOW. -
Just realized that in two more years, I’ll be going into my fourth decade with Falcon.
Still learning and still loving it.
WOW.Well that’s quite a few years longer than I’ve even existed.
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Just realized that in two more years, I’ll be going into my fourth decade with Falcon.
Still learning and still loving it.
WOW.Right there with you Badger - I go back to the very first versions.
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I do start smaller than the full ramp start when training ab initio… you can fly the F-16 without most of its systems switched on. You start out explaining only the relevant systems to fly. Teach flying first. As each system becomes necessary, add it to the ramp start procedure.
Once you can fly, add new concepts and skills. Same idea as real flying training follows.
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Just realized that in two more years, I’ll be going into my fourth decade with Falcon.
Still learning and still loving it.
WOW. -
Some small evolutions since …
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I think it would be a better idea for someone new (such as yourself), to start a blog here on the BMS site (Or anywhere really) and chronicle your learning experience for other new players to see and follow along with.
Detailed tutorials from an experienced player are always full of great information and detail, but most people who have never been a real instructor (General sense, not flight sense) tend to forget that certain terms and “general” knowledge are not always common to everyone. Detailing the experience from the perspective of a newer player would offer an incredible amount of insight for other new players, as well as the individuals creating the included training missions and tutorials by highlighting things that didn’t make sense, were harder in practice than concept, or didn’t transfer very well from the training documentation to the mind of a new player who lacks the fundamental knowledge of the game.
Additionally, if you really want to get involved in the game, this would be a good motivator to keep you going. If you write well enough and generate some interest, it also becomes an excellent avenue to get answers from other community members who may have experienced similar issues during their learning process, or experienced members who may be able to further explain something you’re having trouble with.
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Detailed tutorials from an experienced player are always full of great information and detail, but most people who have never been a real instructor (General sense, not flight sense) tend to forget that certain terms and “general” knowledge are not always common to everyone.
This to me is the only problem I have with the current training docs. IMHO they are really well done and detailed, but they occasionally skip over critical little details that are probably so second nature to the writer they don’t even realize it. An example of this is that it doesn’t say you press the RTN button to get back to the “main” display on the DED. Pretty simple thing, but if you don’t know that it’s frustrating when you get caught in the COM1 menu or the ALOW menu and can’t figure out how to get out (l assume I eventually searched in one of the other manuals and found it, but for something that basic and critical you shouldn’t need to).
I come to Falcon from a background in flight simulators and DCS A10, so I have a good grounding in how to fly and a lot of the terminology. Having said that, I’m glad for the way the training manual is laid out because there are a lot of things that are different in the F16. I get the desire of some people to want to just jump in and start flying. The problem is that you’re going to learn the wrong way to do some things and then have to unlearn/relearn. An earlier post mentioned doing an abbreviated/bared down start up when first starting. That’s just going to mean you have to keep relearning the startup sequence and inevitably you’ll miss an important step and claim there’s a bug because something isn’t working right. I LIKE the fact that the training tells you to turn on airsource knob and explains that if you don’t you’ll get an EQUIP HOT error. Or that if you start the jet in BATT rather than MAIN POWER some systems won’t come on line.
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Good morning sir.
How’s the wife and kids?
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This to me is the only problem I have with the current training docs. IMHO they are really well done and detailed, but they occasionally skip over critical little details that are probably so second nature to the writer they don’t even realize it. An example of this is that it doesn’t say you press the RTN button to get back to the “main” display on the DED. Pretty simple thing, but if you don’t know that it’s frustrating when you get caught in the COM1 menu or the ALOW menu and can’t figure out how to get out (l assume I eventually searched in one of the other manuals and found it, but for something that basic and critical you shouldn’t need to).
I come to Falcon from a background in flight simulators and DCS A10, so I have a good grounding in how to fly and a lot of the terminology. Having said that, I’m glad for the way the training manual is laid out because there are a lot of things that are different in the F16. I get the desire of some people to want to just jump in and start flying. The problem is that you’re going to learn the wrong way to do some things and then have to unlearn/relearn. An earlier post mentioned doing an abbreviated/bared down start up when first starting. That’s just going to mean you have to keep relearning the startup sequence and inevitably you’ll miss an important step and claim there’s a bug because something isn’t working right. I LIKE the fact that the training tells you to turn on airsource knob and explains that if you don’t you’ll get an EQUIP HOT error. Or that if you start the jet in BATT rather than MAIN POWER some systems won’t come on line.
The concept is sound from a flight perspective, but not WRT to engine start. Some things are meant to be muscle memory, such as Pre-Flight / Engine Start. The more you do it the better, but only if you do it right. But when it comes to flying, it definitely makes sense to start small and work your way up. If I were in a VFW and involved with the training process I would mandate a minimum of 20 landings before moving on to anything else…ANYTHING else.
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I get where i gotta start, but there’s definitely around 98% of your posts that I have no idea what you’re saying because I have the whole aircraft vocab of an Unguided Bomb. Neither of us actually understand, and both of us can explode if we fall from a certain height. Although one can actually damage things.
The road ahead of me is too long for me to actually want to blog things, and blogging will make it longer. I’m not THAT patient. Like, what’s an RTN button? getting back to the main display on a DED? Bu-but what even is a DED? Forget getting out of it, how do i get in it?! O.o
I’ll start by first getting some funds for a Hotas. Then, seeing as now i barely understand what anyone’s talking about in Setup/Config threads/videos/In general, I may advance a step. but for now, i’ll just poke things.
No really, there’s so much I have to go through that explanations for explanations need an explanation. If only F-16’s weren’t so cool…
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As stated go to the -1 manual. The very first section goes through the entire cockpit and its layout. It describes every switch, its function, and whether it is implemented in BMS or not. If you have a tablet you should be able to load up the manuals on it and use while you sit in your pit. I use one drive and have all of my manuals, charts, checklists and everything I need to employ the jet loaded up ready to go before each flight. That way anything I need is just a touch away.
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The manuals can be searched.
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This to me is the only problem I have with the current training docs. IMHO they are really well done and detailed, but they occasionally skip over critical little details that are probably so second nature to the writer they don’t even realize it. An example of this is that it doesn’t say you press the RTN button to get back to the “main” display on the DED. Pretty simple thing, but if you don’t know that it’s frustrating when you get caught in the COM1 menu or the ALOW menu and can’t figure out how to get out (l assume I eventually searched in one of the other manuals and found it, but for something that basic and critical you shouldn’t need to).
I come to Falcon from a background in flight simulators and DCS A10, so I have a good grounding in how to fly and a lot of the terminology. Having said that, I’m glad for the way the training manual is laid out because there are a lot of things that are different in the F16. I get the desire of some people to want to just jump in and start flying. The problem is that you’re going to learn the wrong way to do some things and then have to unlearn/relearn. An earlier post mentioned doing an abbreviated/bared down start up when first starting. That’s just going to mean you have to keep relearning the startup sequence and inevitably you’ll miss an important step and claim there’s a bug because something isn’t working right. I LIKE the fact that the training tells you to turn on airsource knob and explains that if you don’t you’ll get an EQUIP HOT error. Or that if you start the jet in BATT rather than MAIN POWER some systems won’t come on line.
Well, the alternative is to spend an hour or so talking someone through it for the first time… and that’s when you start to appreciate the elegance of not turning on countermeasures if the flight is only going to be a LAO flight.
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I think it would be a better idea for someone new (such as yourself), to start a blog here on the BMS site (Or anywhere really) and chronicle your learning experience for other new players to see and follow along with.
Detailed tutorials from an experienced player are always full of great information and detail, but most people who have never been a real instructor (General sense, not flight sense) tend to forget that certain terms and “general” knowledge are not always common to everyone. Detailing the experience from the perspective of a newer player would offer an incredible amount of insight for other new players, as well as the individuals creating the included training missions and tutorials by highlighting things that didn’t make sense, were harder in practice than concept, or didn’t transfer very well from the training documentation to the mind of a new player who lacks the fundamental knowledge of the game.
Additionally, if you really want to get involved in the game, this would be a good motivator to keep you going. If you write well enough and generate some interest, it also becomes an excellent avenue to get answers from other community members who may have experienced similar issues during their learning process, or experienced members who may be able to further explain something you’re having trouble with.
Being the one of the writer I’d love that kind of help.
The ones who actually helped in that regards can be counted on the fingers of a single hand.
The ones who either complained or praised the manuals can be counted of hundreth pair of hands.
What’s described above is typical and a trap we tried hard not to fall into, but regardless how hard we tried, it’s so easy to fall into it that we certainly at some point failed.
The other side of the coin of course is to also avoid to constantly repeating the same thing - and making the manuals impossible to read because of these repetitions. I guess the trick is compromise and that’s what we have tried to achieve. But don’t get me wrong. It is very hard not to fall into that trap a few times at least when writing 1000+ pages of manuals. -
An example of this is that it doesn’t say you press the RTN button to get back to the “main” display on the DED. Pretty simple thing, but if you don’t know that it’s frustrating when you get caught in the COM1 menu or the ALOW menu and can’t figure out how to get out (l assume I eventually searched in one of the other manuals and found it, but for something that basic and critical you shouldn’t need to).
let’s use this example - which I perfectly understand.
But IMHO it’s by design - The author team has to put some rules at some point or another to be able to organise their work and provide efficient documentation maintaining the big picture in mind:Dash1 page65 - UFC chapter
5 Override Modes
- COM1 (ICP button)
- COM2 (ICP button)
- IFF (ICP button)
- LIST (ICP button)
- F-ACK (left glareshield pushbutton)
Override modes provide direct access to the functions of the corresponding button. You can revert back to the initial page by pressing the override mode button again.
In addition to the 5 override modes there is a special override mode that returns the UFC to CNI (Communication, Navigation & Identification) page on the DED. That mode is accessed by moving the DCS (Data Command Switch) to the left (RTN position).
Dash1 page 66 - UFC chapter
The DCS is a four way momentary switch situated on the bottom row of the ICP, next to the DRIFT C/O – WARN RESET switch. The LEFT position is labelled RTN and allows exit from the current DED page or return to the CNI DED page.
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To return to the default DED (CNI) page, move the DCS to the RTN (left) position.Dash1 page 76
DCS RTN exits back to the CNI page.
So in the UFC chapter of the Dash-1 manual, which is supposed to be the one explaining how the aircraft system works, this specific example has been explained at least 4 times, with a bonus for difference from regular page and override modes.
Training manual does not refer to the RTN button I do fully agree with that,
But that’s by design as explained in the foreword:This document is not intended to explain how the BMS aircraft systems work.
The F-16 and its systems are explained in the BMS Dash-1 (TO-BMS1F-16CM-1) manual.
Weapon employment procedures are explained in the BMS Dash-34 (TO-BMS1F-16CM-34-1-1).So while on one hand I understand the argument, on the other hand, we decided of a philosophy of how the manuals interconnect with each other.
Which is kind of our prerogative (after all writting all this in a constantly updating sofwatere is a mammoth task). And I can tell you all that keeping the author motivated is a task on its own.
We don’t want authors to quit because the task became more frustrating than rewarding do we ?The users on the other hand should also try to understand the way the manuals are meant to be used. (IMHO, before starting to read)
That by the way is explained on all back cover of the printed manuals - Which I agree is probably not the best place as not all of you have hard copiesBut If I have trouble with specific issues in training, it should be obvious to revert to the aircraft system documentation and then find what’s the problem, learn its solution and then go back to the training manual, no?
That’s how I’d do it. And to be honest with you guys, that’s how we do with any kind of documentation (being software, hardware, aircraft, cars, hifi, …, … no?When I learned to fly for real, My IP never quite got into explaining to me how the GNS430 worked. he showed me pretty quick way to do simple stuff
After that I had to get the added information, dig into the manuals and finally was able to plan full routes and using the advanced functions of the avionic system.
Nowaday my tablet and dedicated software do better, but again, I had to learn that all by myself.
Because it’s meant to be by design and because pilots or stdent pilots or virtual pilots all come from different horizons and different level of knowledge, motivation and experience and the manuals should be made for all of them.
To scratch the surface of that goal, rules and philosophy of use must be decided, enforced and explained. -
@Chu:
I get where i gotta start, but there’s definitely around 98% of your posts that I have no idea what you’re saying because I have the whole aircraft vocab of an Unguided Bomb. Neither of us actually understand, and both of us can explode if we fall from a certain height. Although one can actually damage things.
The road ahead of me is too long for me to actually want to blog things, and blogging will make it longer. I’m not THAT patient. Like, what’s an RTN button? getting back to the main display on a DED? Bu-but what even is a DED? Forget getting out of it, how do i get in it?! O.o
I’ll start by first getting some funds for a Hotas. Then, seeing as now i barely understand what anyone’s talking about in Setup/Config threads/videos/In general, I may advance a step. but for now, i’ll just poke things.
No really, there’s so much I have to go through that explanations for explanations need an explanation. If only F-16’s weren’t so cool…
It is normal that all acronyms are not explained again and again in every chapters … otherwise the 900 pages document would becomes a 2000 pages documentation … and you would be even more puzzled.
Do the thing in the right order :
- Learn your desktop: Dash-1 for cockpit and fundamental systems.
- Learn avionics systems : Dash-34 (no need to deeply study the whole thing at the first shot, you will come back on some chapter later for more specific needs).
- Read the training manuals and fly the training missions .
- Learn the software itself for better understanding. This might need a quick look at the beginning for proper setup and configuration (this could even be the first thing to do actually) , then after, dig it for specificities.
Understand that there won’t be any magic solution. This is a study sim. You are close to fly the real stuff … do not imagine it can be mastered in one week.
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+1. What DeeJay says is spot on - you are learning to fly an F-16, and from the sound of things you are not only learning that, but you are also learning to fly…which means you have a lot of basic things to learn about airplanes, let alone about combat airplanes. BMS isn’t a “game”, it’s a simulation…and a very good one at that. Don’t expect to just jump into it and go - I’ve been flying Falcon since the 80s…and still learning from/with BMS.
Small steps - lots of reading…more reading…fly/practice…read a lot more. Then rinse and repeat.
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@Chu:
I get where i gotta start, but there’s definitely around 98% of your posts that I have no idea what you’re saying because I have the whole aircraft vocab of an Unguided Bomb.
Don’t worry about things you don’t understand NOW. You will get there. Talking about the DED was just an example and while it won’t make sense NOW, it’ll make sense when you get to that part of the F-16.
Bottom line –- don’t sweat it.
Get a HOTAS, get your gear set up… even that will require some learning and configuration depending on what HOTAS you get… but that will greatly simplify the learning process working with a HOTAS compared to just a KB/mouse setup.