Can't refuel…
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Got an odd one…
I’ve refuelled loads of times before. In many campaigns of different flavours. But recently, on day 3 of my KOREA 2012 campaign, I cant refuel at all.
Its nothing to do with staying in formation or handling. (at one point I got so stable - and in the perfect position that there was no move between us for easily 30 seconds plus… he was a sticker on my glass)
He clears me in. I’m well within 10nm. I retried being within visual range of his nav lights -pretty much within 20 meters of contact range.
I call Y1. He responds. But the NAV lights don’t even light up to say back, forward etc…
5 - 10 mins trying (well within the perfect range). I give up and AI refuels perfectly.
I wonder if this particular refueler is bugged? can that happen?
I must add that this was a package that was auto generated and I simply moved the waypoints and adjusted the timings. I didn’t change the waypoints by adding or deleting. (kept them as they where - ie. 6 waypoints and didn’t change the actual refuel waypoints other than move them and adjusted timing)
I had a bug that when I did change the waypoints and added some - the refuel waypoint timings would go to zero - so it would never loiter. (spelling?)
(I couldn’t seem to get him to stay at any time… 1hr or 5 hours (default) etc… every time I flew I would see he was on his way back home. in the debrief - his refuel waypoint was set auto changed to 0)
…just strange. I’ve had it happen once before - but took it as a one off.
I seem to be doing everything right. Fuel door open, position - sim difficulty set to realistic - Y1 wait…
I checked the manual, I checked this forum.
have I missed something.
Maybe I’ve forgotten the y2 command? I don’t think ive needed to use this before?
it has been a while…
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With what do you try to refuel?
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Have you opened the refuel door?
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First thought would be what Earlybite said: is your AAR door open?
@Cpt:
I call Y1. He responds. But the NAV lights don’t even light up to say back, forward etc…
What settings do you use to refuel? I’ve been told that anything other than Realistic could cause issues, and the part I put in bold indicates that you may not be refuelling on Realistic settings.
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Thanks all for the quick replies…
realistic mode yes… fuel door open and it was a f16 c block 50 or 52… cant quite remember now. I know it was definitely one of the two…( i read somewhere that f16 d variants had issues)
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you just missed one important point in the refuel procedure: the pré contact position.
You won’t get any lights or clear to contact ad long as you didn’t clear the precontact position.
To get the correct precontact position put your noze very close from the tip of the boom and stabilise.
You will then receive a new call for clear to contact position
And yes this is BMS specific
Besides as in real you won’t get lights unless you are connected. You will just have the red extreme lights before connection. À there aré no more radio calls
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glue your gun cross to the tip of the boom. Dont actually connect with the tip though.
Once your position is relatively glued, you should get the cleared contact call.
Alternatively if you are number 2, just fly echelon left reallll close on lead while he is refueling. You can get cleared contact directly that way.
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I do hear a clear to pre contact position so I’ll give it another go. Sounds like I’m getting in to the perfect contact position too early despite hearing the call.
Will try again…
(Thanks again)
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Also…
Do u need y2 call?
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This post is deleted! -
@Cpt:
I do hear a clear to pre contact position so I’ll give it another go. Sounds like I’m getting in to the perfect contact position too early despite hearing the call.
….
Not possible, I think.
@Cpt:
Also…
Do u need y2 call?
No
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Just to be clear, you hear two calls from the tanker, after the Y1 command.
1. Clear to pre contact position
This is when you pull up behind him and stabilize with fuel door open.2. Clear to to contact position.
This is when you get underneath and let the boomer plug in. -
@Cpt:
I do hear a clear to pre contact position so I’ll give it another go. Sounds like I’m getting in to the perfect contact position too early despite hearing the call.
Will try again…
(Thanks again)
Pré contact position is behind the boom , not below tanker
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just gave it another go…
I got right in front of the boom - right after “pre contact position”…
…waited…
…waited…
no “clear to contact position”… despite being there for 1 minute or so…
as it happened, the boom then went up and over the canopy and I stuck right in the right place for a good while. 3 turns… no joy.
looks like I got to wait for that “clear to contact position” for a bit longer. despite hearing “pre contact position”
will give it another go…
hehe… this is fun.
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In order to get “Cleared to Contact Position” call from the tanker:
- Put you gun cross on the tip of the boom; move forward until it feels like the end of the boom is right in front of the canopy. Stabilize.
Insure the fuel door is open if you’re in position, but get no clearance call.
The general sequence is:
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At 10 nm or less from tanker, call ‘Y1’;
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Receive “Clear to pre contact” call; tanker will descend from orbit altitude and slow to refueling speed; boom will drop;
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Snooze your radar, Master Arm Off, Anti-collision lights on, Fuel Door Open*;
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Move to pre-contact position; wait for “cleared to contact” call;
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Move to contact position and refeul;
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When done (either full or manual disconnect), press ‘Y3’ to ‘reset’ the tanker for the next AC or other flights.
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- only the Fuel Door Open is required. The rest is merely good practices/procedure.
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@Cpt:
just gave it another go…
I got right in front of the boom - right after “pre contact position”…
…waited…
…waited…
no “clear to contact position”… despite being there for 1 minute or so…
as it happened, the boom then went up and over the canopy and I stuck right in the right place for a good while. 3 turns… no joy.
looks like I got to wait for that “clear to contact position” for a bit longer. despite hearing “pre contact position”
will give it another go…
hehe… this is fun.
You just miss the previous contact position
Put your gun cross into the boom and stabilise
Watch YouTube video to vizualise the pre contact position
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Its ok. I got it!!!
done it!
I just wasn’t waiting long enough for the second call. for those reading this and struggling - it may take a while.
Took way too long to come despite not moving around.
track ir died on me tho - so restarting the hour flight to it!!
lol…a million thanks to those replying. such a rewarding feeling!!!
(strange tho…never had this problem before. just goes to show how time away from refuelling can make u forget things)
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@Cpt:
Its ok. I got it!!!
done it!
I just wasn’t waiting long enough for the second call. for those reading this and struggling - it may take a while.
Took way too long to come despite not moving around.
track ir died on me tho - so restarting the hour flight to it!!
lol…a million thanks to those replying. such a rewarding feeling!!!
(strange tho…never had this problem before. just goes to show how time away from refuelling can make u forget things)
It’s not a problem of waiting
The wait is zero when you are in correct position with correct speed.
You will see when you will be used with the correct position you will clear the pre contact at lightspeed
My bet is that your speed is not stabilised.
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Your absolutely right… it wasn’t the handling… it was the position.
Thanks m8 for yr input
