Virtual Crew Chief for BMS
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I think I missed it, but do we still have to use the keyboard to have the wheel chocks removed/ installed?
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@CriticalMass said in Virtual Crew Chief for BMS:
Amazing work, though I’m getting stuck on the big movements, my stick is enabled in VA.
I get a Command canceled: Another command is allowing others to execute…
is there any way to bypass this? (other than the cancel button in the VA UI)
Edit: I use Icer’s helios profile that doesn’t have Pitch and Roll keyes defined (Is that an issue?).
Before I start gettin PM’s, it’s “Ice’s” profile, I use Helios but it’s “Ice” that is the Helios guy…
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@Crassus
As I understand it, when you are ready to have chocks pulled, the crew chief is no longer plugged in to the comms circuit with the pilot - the pilot uses hand signals to have the chocks pulled. @Ricky had a command to pull chocks in one of our test versions but I don’t recall if we left it in the V1 download version or not, since it wasn’t realistic. (EDIT: I just checked the profile. The command for chocks has been removed.) Personally, I made a command to pull (install, remove) chocks in AVCS4 Falcon BMS Radios (V13M.42) profile.[TLDR] yes use keyboard or a voice command in another profile (such as AVCS4).
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone) -
@CriticalMass
I suspect that the Virtual Crew Chief for BMS profile hasn’t registered your joystick axes. Try this:-
Open Voice Attack - I am assuming you are using AVCS, so the Active Profile in Voice Attack should be: “AVCS4 Falcon BMS Radios (v1.42)”
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In the line for the active profile in Voice Attack, click on the drop down arrow and select “Virtual Crew Chief for BMS” as the active profile. Voice Attack should make it active, and you should get a popup box explaining that Virtual Crew Chief for BMS needs to determine your joystick axes, and instructing you to follow the instructions in the Voice Attack events window with a button to Continue.
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Press the continue button and the box should disappear, and in the events window, Voice Attack will ask you to move the joystick corresponding to Pitch. The profile should tell you it’s captured, and ask you to press the c key to continue.
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Follow the instructions for roll axis, rudders and toe brakes (if your setup doesn’t have toebrakes, hold the s key to skip that step).
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When it’s completed, Voice Attack will inform you that the profile has captured your sticks, and tell you that you can repeat this process any time with the voice command “Configure Joysticks”.
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Then click the dropdown down arrow in the active profile line (top of the Voice Attack window) and select “AVCS CORE (v1.11)” from the dropdown window. Voice Attack will go through the process of making “AVCS4 Falcon BMS Radios (v1.42)” the active profile again.
You should only have to do this ONCE (not each time you want to use VCC4BMS). The “Virtual Crew Chief for BMS” profile stores the joystick axis information you just gave it.
By the way, you can escape from any Virtual Crew Chief for BMS Command by saying “Standby” or “Disregard”. Crew Chief will acknowledge and you can then do another command, as needed.
Give it a try and let me know if this worked or didn’t. Copying @Ricky so he sees this as well.
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone) -
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Guys what you did here is awesome, thank you!!
Now to complete this venture, maybe we could talk to BogeyDope about a proper shutdown after the flight and add this to the routine. That would add a even better step towards immersion into our beloved simulator.
Hotpit is not something, the crew chief would plug in, would he? -
Awesome work @Ricky ! Congrats on your first release!! Voice control in BMS just got a new dimension of awesomeness!!
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@Korbi said in Virtual Crew Chief for BMS:
Guys what you did here is awesome, thank you!!
Now to complete this venture, maybe we could talk to BogeyDope about a proper shutdown after the flight and add this to the routine. That would add a even better step towards immersion into our beloved simulator.@Ricky has been in touch with BogeyDope about adding new responses when checks fail, (such as a hot start). Not much to be done on shutdown by Crew Chief other than chocks and pins (and the ladder). Reporting gripes can happen outside the cockpit, so I don’t see a lot for VCC to do on shutdown.
Hotpit is not something, the crew chief would plug in, would he?
A ground crew does plug in for Hotpit refuel. I have been in touch with BogeyDope about adding responses for Hotpit Refuel (and I sent him the BMS Checklist for Hotpit Refuel). It’s low on the list, but maybe we will see that one day.
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone) -
@Tomcattwo Thank you for that answer! Looking forward too what Bogey Dope has in the box for us
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@Crassus ,
I just got the same question asked on my YouTube post, and was provided with this OUTSTANDING video by the author of the comment (tommyzDad). I encourage everyone to watch this all the way through: it is a real USAF F-16 ramp start taken from the perspective of the Crew Chief (who was wearing a GoPro or similar head camera). After seeing this, I will revisit with @Ricky about adding the T2 (pull chocks) command to the “Cleared off” command.Enjoy the video!!
Regards,
Tomcattwo
((VoiceClone) -
@Tomcattwo Great video thank you! I wonder why the crew chief waves his hand across each panel after he closes it.
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@danster said in Virtual Crew Chief for BMS:
@Tomcattwo Great video thank you! I wonder why the crew chief waves his hand across each panel after he closes it.
Its a secondary check that the panel and locking tabs are flush with the aircraft surface. I only did this see-off a hand full of times in my RAF career, as I was second line servicing, where aircraft serviced (which could take months) carried out a flight test before being released back to the flying squadron. Panel security is of high importance along with the removal of safety pins. What we don’t see are the removal and storage of the seat safety pins and storage in the cockpit. They are stored in clear view of the pilot. The pilot usually removes the last seat pin (between his legs) and stores it with the other 4. All actions are ‘habits’ that are used to make sure everything is carried out in order and correctly. There are no parking spaces up there.
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I just thought, I’ve never seen seat pins in the F16. So here is a pic of the Jaguar I worked on for 13 years. The seat pin storage highlighted.
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@Tomcattwo Oooookay, then. (Amazing vid, BTW. Thanks.)
I have questions. (For any of the experts in this thread)
I’m going on the basis that there is no such thing as a stupid question, so - forgive me if the answers are obvious.
- He seems relaxed when he ducks past the nozzle a few times, right…?
SO - during the RAMP, when the throttle is pushed forward and the nozzle closes somewhat…
- What would happen if someone were standing BEHIND the nozzle…?
Would they be blown backwards (like with heavy commercial jets)…?
Would they get BURNED…? (Like - is that exhaust ridiculously hot…?)
Both…? Neither…?
Also (related) —>
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When the nozzle is completely open. What would happen if one were standing right behind the nozzle…?
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Assuming that it WOULD hurt (so this question is irrelevant if the above answers were: “nothing would happen”)…
- What would be a SAFE distance to stand behind the nozzle as it is:
a.) Open. b.) Begins to close up…?
- The safety pins on the landing gear…
IF he had forgotten to pull one of those pins… (I am assuming here that they don’t seem in any way connected electronically; they seem physical)
- Could the jet still taxi and take-off; the issue only becoming evident when he tried to raise the gear…? Or - are those pins actually connected somehow, and would not allow taxi…?
I just can’t believe that in the entire history of military jet-aviation that not a single person on any one of a million occasions has not forgotten just one pin. Head-trauma from a year prior; concussion from last week; hangover; depression; thinking about a sick relative; simple brain-fart. Surely - statistically - it must have happened.
Sorry for SO MANY questions, but - I just need to know.
(I actually cut out another three that I have) - He seems relaxed when he ducks past the nozzle a few times, right…?
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Yeah, man.
@jagfour was one of the guys I thought of when I posted the questions.
I’d really love answers.
Maybe Ricky could hit up BogeyDope the next time he’s in contact…?
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@Aragorn
This might help:From “USAF F-16 Emergency Extraction Card.pdf”
Idle thrust is the bottom picture. I am guessing the PW 200/229 Engines have a similar danger area.
For some frame of reference, generally a human cannot hold their hand/fingers in or on something that is 140 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter.
Regards,
TC2 -
@Aragorn said in Virtual Crew Chief for BMS:
@Tomcattwo Oooookay, then. (Amazing vid, BTW. Thanks.)
I have questions. (For any of the experts in this thread)
I’m going on the basis that there is no such thing as a stupid question, so - forgive me if the answers are obvious.
- He seems relaxed when he ducks past the nozzle a few times, right…?
SO - during the RAMP, when the throttle is pushed forward and the nozzle closes somewhat…
- What would happen if someone were standing BEHIND the nozzle…?
Would they be blown backwards (like with heavy commercial jets)…?
Would they get BURNED…? (Like - is that exhaust ridiculously hot…?)
Both…? Neither…?
Also (related) —>
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When the nozzle is completely open. What would happen if one were standing right behind the nozzle…?
-
Assuming that it WOULD hurt (so this question is irrelevant if the above answers were: “nothing would happen”)…
- What would be a SAFE distance to stand behind the nozzle as it is:
a.) Open. b.) Begins to close up…?
- The safety pins on the landing gear…
IF he had forgotten to pull one of those pins… (I am assuming here that they don’t seem in any way connected electronically; they seem physical)
- Could the jet still taxi and take-off; the issue only becoming evident when he tried to raise the gear…? Or - are those pins actually connected somehow, and would not allow taxi…?
I just can’t believe that in the entire history of military jet-aviation that not a single person on any one of a million occasions has not forgotten just one pin. Head-trauma from a year prior; concussion from last week; hangover; depression; thinking about a sick relative; simple brain-fart. Surely - statistically - it must have happened.
Sorry for SO MANY questions, but - I just need to know.
(I actually cut out another three that I have)Lol, correct there are no stupid questions. You don’t need anyone who doesn’t know what they are doing messing around with aircraft.
- The crew chief ducks down as he passes the nozzle. No one would argue with jet flux just like a civvy would not argue with a tank. Unless your Chinese. I argued with a Hercules once when he engaged reverse. I was at least 100m in front of him and he still won as I didn’t have my safety goggles on. The dust cloud was ginormous in the desert.
2 and 3 are only for the stupid. We all get trained to respect jet flux and safety distances around aircraft.
- A safety pin would hold the leg in the downward position and would be shown as a red landing light when u/c up is selected when the other lights go out. The pilot would just land at the earliest opportunity. They would also likely be informed by the ATC that 1 leg is down. No big deal but embarrassing for the pilot. The pins are not connected to anything electrical as far as I know, but I can’t speak for every aircraft. The red flag on every safety pin is a visual sign from distance of a pin still fitted.
- He seems relaxed when he ducks past the nozzle a few times, right…?
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Cheers for the answers, dudes.
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This post is deleted! -
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@Aragorn
Gorn, also note in the Launch Procedure video I posted, the Crew Chief never ducks under the “jet blast” - he only ducks under the nozzle. This forces him physically to get lower than the expected jet blast. You can see this clearly around time 8:50 - 9:15 when he is moving from right to left sides to pull the chocks.
Regards,
Tomcattwo
(VoiceClone)