Basic flight-and massive confusion-Which manual applies…
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Almost no one is going to agree with me, but I always start with the original Falcon 4.0 manuals.
I actually agree. These are a good start for basic skills.
Then, as these manuals are outdated for quite a few things, seeing the dash-1 (basically, all the panels are explained here) and BMS-Manual (for more advanced stuff) is most of the time mandatory
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How much of Falcon 4.0 manual is written by Bonanni? He is a great instructor. He is clear without losing the audience.
Always with F-16 learning it is like eating a whole elephant. No one in BMS who knows a lot learned it in one day. It is too much. You have to each the elephant one spoonful at a time. Focus on small, manageable task skill upgrades one by one.
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How much of Falcon 4.0 manual is written by Bonanni? He is a great instructor. He is clear without losing the audience.
Always with F-16 learning it is like eating a whole elephant. No one in BMS who knows a lot learned it in one day. It is too much. You have to each the elephant one spoonful at a time. Focus on small, manageable task skill upgrades one by one.
+1
Learn by doing, in solo mission. You can do the training TEs with the manual one Alt-Tab away. Watching tutorial videos beforehand cannot hurt.
Then, when you feel you know enough to make a campaign, start one, and pick up your skill one mission at a time. I actually learned how to use the HSI and TACAN when I took battle damage, and couldnt rely anymore on my HSD to do the navigation for me :mrgreen: Pause button, a look at the manual, struggling a bit with the control, and that was it !
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Update
Read through some of the original falcon manual and got my first Missile AA kills last night. something other than guns, yay!
Short attention span you say? Ha. This is a at minimum a college level course, if not university! lol. Has to be an easier way to lock up a target though other than through the MFD?
This guy locks up one after another in rapid succession in this video. How’d he do that? And he even forgot what BMS the acronym for. That’s just funny.
Yes! This is not a game. It is a sim (simulation). And, learning everything on this bitch takes lots of time. But, with enough practice, everything will seem quite simple enough later on. But, with an extremely high detailed sim such as this, there will always be something new that comes around to challenge you. I have been flying Falcon 4.0 since December 1998! Been through ALL of the mods past 1.08 (eRazor to SP to FF to RF to GF to BMS, I might have left 1 or 2 out, it’s been a long time). Even after ALL of that, I still come across something I either have to re-learn, or study. It is on going. Anyone who says they have mastered this sim is only fooling themselves. Add the MP environment, and everything changes. It is never the same twice. But, this is not World of Warcraft, this is FBMS! It does take a grain or two of brain matter to fly this sexy bitch!
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+1
Learn by doing, in solo mission. You can do the training TEs with the manual one Alt-Tab away. Watching tutorial videos beforehand cannot hurt.
Then, when you feel you know enough to make a campaign, start one, and pick up your skill one mission at a time. I actually learned how to use the HSI and TACAN when I took battle damage, and couldnt rely anymore on my HSD to do the navigation for me :mrgreen: Pause button, a look at the manual, struggling a bit with the control, and that was it !
And for the love of Allah, learn the desired aspect in the calmest, easiest, fastest situation you can. I can’t count the number of times my explanation went in one ear and out the other because the student was juggling the airplane or under threat or otherwise distracted. On the ground, autopilot on, or in a non-hostile piece of sky unless it’s absolutely necessary to do otherwise.
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And for the love of Allah, learn the desired aspect in the calmest, easiest, fastest situation you can. I can’t count the number of times my explanation went in one ear and out the other because the student was juggling the airplane or under threat or otherwise distracted. On the ground, autopilot on, or in a non-hostile piece of sky unless it’s absolutely necessary to do otherwise.
9 out of 10 training flights with my friends especially on new weapons systems last about an hour and never even get off the ground. Just remember in Falcon to switch OFF the tower frequency…
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9 out of 10 training flights with my friends especially on new weapons systems last about an hour and never even get off the ground. Just remember in Falcon to switch OFF the tower frequency…
Ahh, ok. So I am the lucky one - never tried online flying. At least I get airborne all the time :mrgreen:
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Ahh, ok. So I am the lucky one - never tried online flying. At least I get airborne all the time :mrgreen:
I read an F-16 book, though I can’t remember which one, that equated training pilots to piling bricks on a single sheet of glass. It works as long as you do it carefully one at a time, without putting to much pressure on at once. I take the same approach when teaching my friends - especially because they typically have less interest and much less of an invested interest in learning it successfully then a real pilot would.
Because of this, I find it’s much easier to get them to understand the MFD menus and settings on the ground while not also trying to operate their jet, and they are much less likely to drive themselves into the side of a hill while staring at the MFD this way.
Then it’s just a matter of quizzing them outside of Falcon (usually while playing something else - probably ARMA 3) until I feel they have it down pat, then we try a mission, and usually they are able to successfully employ whatever I taught them.
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A good and surely rewarding approach, ASharpe! Nevermind my small joke on the online crowd. Soon enough I have to join a server and hope for friendly competition.
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Who is allah? I know who God is. Couldn’t resist.
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A good and surely rewarding approach, ASharpe! Nevermind my small joke on the online crowd. Soon enough I have to join a server and hope for friendly competition.
Well over the course of the last several decades I have bought multiple copies of F4:AF (before I knew about BMS, I swear! Don’t judge me!) and joysticks and handed them out freely to anyone hoping that one day, someone would fly with me.
The ARMA 3 link seems to be the trick that sucked them all into Falcon. Now that they can actually see a purpose behind it they are willing to learn what the Sim has to offer.
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Good news. I finally figured out how to set up chaff and flares. Sadly, in all the documentation there is no mention (that I have found so far, and there is a LOT of documentation) you need to set that up in tactical engagement or even campaign before you can use chaff and flares in instant action. (There is no option to set up data cartridge in the instant action choice.)
I set flares and chaff to unlimited and went at it. Had 4 mig 21’s on me as I went bingo fuel, and the poor things were all out of missiles. Those 21’s are hard to fight close in, never could out turn them, could only match them. Still have yet to figure out how to get out of dogfight mode after pressing d. Seems like once I do that, all other options are off the table. (no MFD’s come back after hitting enter or backspace)
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Good news. I finally figured out how to set up chaff and flares. Sadly, in all the documentation there is no mention (that I have found so far, and there is a LOT of documentation) you need to set that up in tactical engagement or even campaign before you can use chaff and flares in instant action. (There is no option to set up data cartridge in the instant action choice.)
I set flares and chaff to unlimited and went at it. Had 4 mig 21’s on me as I went bingo fuel, and the poor things were all out of missiles. Those 21’s are hard to fight close in, never could out turn them, could only match them. Still have yet to figure out how to get out of dogfight mode after pressing d. Seems like once I do that, all other options are off the table. (no MFD’s come back after hitting enter or backspace)
The “c” button cancels “dogfight” and “missile” master modes.
Mig 21’s are pretty easy after a while. You will get bored with them at some point. It sounds like you need more practice with “energy management” and offensive/defensive maneuvering. Take the time to learn just a little bit more each day. In a few weeks, you will be flying the jet like an ace!
btw; I am soooo jealous of your computer system! I want to get something like that but I have to save money.
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Good news. I finally figured out how to set up chaff and flares. Sadly, in all the documentation there is no mention (that I have found so far, and there is a LOT of documentation) you need to set that up in tactical engagement or even campaign before you can use chaff and flares in instant action. (There is no option to set up data cartridge in the instant action choice.)
I set flares and chaff to unlimited and went at it. Had 4 mig 21’s on me as I went bingo fuel, and the poor things were all out of missiles. Those 21’s are hard to fight close in, never could out turn them, could only match them. Still have yet to figure out how to get out of dogfight mode after pressing d. Seems like once I do that, all other options are off the table. (no MFD’s come back after hitting enter or backspace)
If you set up your data cartridge in a TE or campaign, and save it, you will have your ECM programs in Instant Action
- D for entering Dogfight,
- M (or , on AZERTY keyboard) for entering MRM mode (quick link to your AIM120 for BVR engagment)
- C (as jhook said) to Cancel either mode.
About the MFDs : you can set which page will be displayed for all modes (AA, AG, Nav, MRM, Dogfight) in your DTC. You set up three “quick link” pages per MFD for each mode, and you control which of these will be displayed by default.
I think you can set up to 4 MFDs (you could indeed have 4 MFDs in the original Falcon, in a special view), but you only need the first two. MFD1 : left, MFD2 : right.And a piece of advice : to out turn sb, pay attention to your speed and be aware that turning too hard means losing more speed. The F-16 has a “corner” velocity (ie : max turning rate) between 330 & 440 kts, depends on your altitude.
Better be too fast than too slow : you can trade your excess speed for altitude to get back to corner speed, and then descend and gain some speed should you need some.
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If you set up your data cartridge in a TE or campaign, and save it, you will have your ECM programs in Instant Action
- D for entering Dogfight,
- M (or , on AZERTY keyboard) for entering MRM mode (quick link to your AIM120 for BVR engagment)
- C (as jhook said) to Cancel either mode.
About the MFDs : you can set which page will be displayed for all modes (AA, AG, Nav, MRM, Dogfight) in your DTC. You set up three “quick link” pages per MFD for each mode, and you control which of these will be displayed by default.
I think you can set up to 4 MFDs (you could indeed have 4 MFDs in the original Falcon, in a special view), but you only need the first two. MFD1 : left, MFD2 : right.And a piece of advice : to out turn sb, pay attention to your speed and be aware that turning too hard means losing more speed. The F-16 has a “corner” velocity (ie : max turning rate) between 330 & 440 kts, depends on your altitude.
Better be too fast than too slow : you can trade your excess speed for altitude to get back to corner speed, and then descend and gain some speed should you need some.
I kept my bird in the 400 kt range + - some, for much of the deck fight, until I ran out gas that is. Tried not to hit AB so as to conserve some fuel. With 4, 21’s maneuvering, it got confusing and kept breaking padlock. I guess the “good” news is I was able to “cheat” with unlimited counter measures and did cause the enemy flight to expend all missiles.
Radar also seemed to stop working after initial mig 21’s pass, even changing range. This isn’t a complaint or whining post, but a “I am making progress” post. Thanks for the tips Jhook, l3crusader.
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Radar also seemed to stop working after initial mig 21’s pass, even changing range.
If you were in Dogfight mode, I think I get what happened.
The radar change mode when you enter Dogfight, it goes in to ACM modes. Radar goes off when you enter Dogfight, but you can turn it on quickly :
When radar is off:
- TMS Up will enter BORE mode and activate radar.
In BORE mode, a cross appears in your HUD, and whatever aircraft passing inside this cross, at less than 10 NM, is instantly and automatically locked. - TMS Right will enter *20 30 mode, and activate radar as well.
The radar sweep an area roughly equivalnt to the HUD view and lock the first target it sees. - TMS Down will enter 10 * 60 mode (and activate radar too).
The radar sweep in a vertical bar, going from 10° down to 50° up. Very useful for locking a target when you are both turning, and you dont want to pull too hard on the stick to get it on the hud. That allows you to fire even if target is off the HUD.
If the radar is on in any of these modes, doing a TMS-down turns it off. TMS up goes to BORE if you are not, TMS right goes to 20*30.
You cannot change range in ACM mode, it is fixed at 10 NM. These modes are useful to quickly point the radar at a target you already see, in order not to lose time acquiring it on a MFD.
- TMS Up will enter BORE mode and activate radar.
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Get yourself a copy of the latest Weapon Delivery Planner. This gives you the option to include your chaff and flare programs in your data cartridge. A quick Google moment will find it for you.
It also gives other options that are not immediately accessible from the sim itself.
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Get yourself a copy of the latest Weapon Delivery Planner. This gives you the option to include your chaff and flare programs in your data cartridge. A quick Google moment will find it for you.
It also gives other options that are not immediately accessible from the sim itself.
I have the link to WDP, just not jumped in to download it yet. In my tweaking (old xp system here) today something went weird and now campaign test flights are back to slow fps. Still trying to undo what I did. Meanwhile, if anyone has an old 2 yr old clunker pc they want to donate….lol. Oh wait, where was that site where I could download more ram? Har har har.
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you need to set that up in tactical engagement or even campaign before you can use chaff and flares in instant action.
I know what you mean is that the in-game DTC editor is only available as a button in those areas, but the wider truth is that you can program EWS programs while flying. Throw the thing in standby and hunt through the ICP/DED menus for it and everything you can do in the DTC file you can do in cockpit. Of course it is convient to have EWS pre-set in DTC. DTC file is simply a text file which can be edited with in-game editor but also with WDP or Notepad. I encourage you to open up callsign.ini once in Notepad to see how simple and not-scary it is. WDP is a nice editor because it knows about more options for DTC data than even the Falcon in-game editor. You can force HUD dimmer 50% on load for example.
Those 21’s are hard to fight close in, never could out turn them, could only match them.
Maneuver combat is one of the hardest, deepest subjects of study for a fighter pilot. It starts from moderate knowledge of aerodynamics as well as some lightweight physics and trigonometry. That’s just to max perform your own jet. You need knowledge of the opponent and his relative parameters to develop a strategy to exploit your advantages. Add to that sensor use, weapon delivery, teamwork with other assets, and the larger mission context and it’s plenty challenging. Don’t feel bad if you struggle with it. Here’s a good video about BFM.
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I know what you mean is that the in-game DTC editor is only available as a button in those areas, but the wider truth is that you can program EWS programs while flying. Throw the thing in standby and hunt through the ICP/DED menus for it and everything you can do in the DTC file you can do in cockpit. Of course it is convient to have EWS pre-set in DTC. DTC file is simply a text file which can be edited with in-game editor but also with WDP or Notepad. I encourage you to open up callsign.ini once in Notepad to see how simple and not-scary it is. WDP is a nice editor because it knows about more options for DTC data than even the Falcon in-game editor. You can force HUD dimmer 50% on load for example.
Maneuver combat is one of the hardest, deepest subjects of study for a fighter pilot. It starts from moderate knowledge of aerodynamics as well as some lightweight physics and trigonometry. That’s just to max perform your own jet. You need knowledge of the opponent and his relative parameters to develop a strategy to exploit your advantages. Add to that sensor use, weapon delivery, teamwork with other assets, and the larger mission context and it’s plenty challenging. Don’t feel bad if you struggle with it. Here’s a good video about BFM.
WOW, this takes me way back! Haven’t seen Pete and the BFM vid in a very long time! Thanks for that FrederF!