Flew first MP tonight - had a great time!

[ClarkKAUS]

Thanks everyone for a very enjoyable first MP experience! Thanks for your patience and watching my six. It didn't go as planned but I was just happy to keep up on a night mission, at least until the bandits showed up.

Thanks to JayBee (I think) who shot a Mig 23 right out the tight circle he and I got into. Turn, turn, turn, hey he's a fireball. Good shot all the way from Finland!

I'm looking forward to our next sortie!

Indy

[Harlequin]

Despite the mass destruction of our flight... it was a good time all the same. We'll try something closer to home next time...

Good flying with you!!

[ClarkKAUS]

So last night was pretty intense because I rarely (maybe twice) fly night missions. So learning wingie roles/formation flying/comms/datalink while *in the dark* strung me out good. I'm starting to think the Lead activated music right after takeoff just to make sure I didn't lock him up accidentally and shoot him while I fumbled around.

Did you guys use night vision goggles last night? I didn't and I couldn't see crap.

Did you guys dim your HUDs? I couldn't recall the keys to do so, so the bright HUD ruined my vision.

Did you guys turn on flood lighting? I did. The soft green light didn't seem to hurt but I could have turned it off I guess since I didn't need to flip switches very often.

Did you guys leave on your formation lights (not the blinking nav lights)? If you did, I couldn't see them. If you didn't, maybe next time we could try them and see if that helps me stay with you. To be honest, I don't even know if BMS F16 has dim formation lights but I want to check...

Did the lead usually fly at 100% MIL? I really couldn't keep up with my throttle at the detent, although I think my detent is at about 90% just to be certain I'm not in burner. I needed to use AB alot to station keep until I get better.

Did you guys silence your radar? I did not because I didn't even think to do so and missed any call to do so. Maybe radar and ECM off would allow us to get closer without detection?

There were no runway lights when I returned home and I couldn't see the runway until 4 miles. Is that typical? I didn't use ILS because I expected lights for a visual approach.

Do you guys use the 3d kneeboard mod? I don't have that and I guess that would have been useful to see the airbase frequencies. I'm not sure where that mod is but I guess I should go get it.

Thanks again
Clark

"Fly formation or set switches in the cockpit - please pick one"

[ClarkKAUS]

I also failed to set my bomb switches while still on the ground where it would have been easy...

[Harlequin]

So last night was pretty intense because I rarely (maybe twice) fly night missions. So learning wingie roles/formation flying/comms/datalink while *in the dark* strung me out good. I'm starting to think the Lead activated music right after takeoff just to make sure I didn't lock him up accidentally and shoot him while I fumbled around.

Ha ha! He put jammers on early because he was scared shitless.

Did you guys use night vision goggles last night?

I use NVG when flying formation (well, my bastardized version of it), but turn it off for BVR, and back on again for knife-fights. Oh yeah, has to be off for A-G ops too as you won't be able to see your radar on the MFD.

Did you guys dim your HUDs?

Yes. There's a toggle switch on the right panel for DAY, AUTO and NIGHT settings.

Did you guys turn on flood lighting?

No. I only use floods during a ramp. I turn on backlighting to see the switches and buttons though. There is a rotary knob on the right panel, just above the flood rotary.

Did you guys leave on your formation lights (not the blinking nav lights)?

All lights are off after fencing in. Flying in formation is possible with NVGs.

Did the lead usually fly at 100% MIL?

Can't answer. It's always harder to keep up with a lead when heavy... which we were. All about momentum. I find i'm slowing down and speeding up lots when following. Lead just has to point and go, so there is little momentum lost.

Did you guys silence your radar?

The original plan was to go in high behind our SEAD, but once they went down in flames, we talked about going in NOE with radar silent. We never really got to talk about snoozed radars though as we started getting engaged by the 23s. Normally there would be a "snooze radar" call as you suggest.

There were no runway lights when I returned home and I couldn't see the runway until 4 miles. Is that typical? I didn't use ILS because I expected lights for a visual approach.

Maybe there were less lights because it was an airstrip, not an airbase? Airbases are easy to see at night. Again, NVGs might have helped. The airstrip didn't have ILS anyway.

Do you guys use the 3d kneeboard mod? I don't have that and I guess that would have been useful to see the airbase frequencies. I'm not sure where that mod is but I guess I should go get it.

RAM will definitey want to chime in here. I did use it, but later experienced some issues with my install that may or may not have been associated with this modification. Personally, i loved it and wish i still had it. I also had the Blk-40 HUD mod installed at the same time, which could have been/not been a problem as well. I'm waiting until it becomes officially added to the sim.

Thanks again

Anytime and i look forward to doing it again!!

[JBlaze]

Thanks everyone for a very enjoyable first MP experience! Thanks for your patience and watching my six. It didn't go as planned but I was just happy to keep up on a night mission, at least until the bandits showed up.

Thanks to JayBee (I think) who shot a Mig 23 right out the tight circle he and I got into. Turn, turn, turn, hey he's a fireball. Good shot all the way from Finland!

I'm looking forward to our next sortie!

Indy

That was a fun flight.
I don't remember killing any 23's in that mission. Might have been Spaz, cuz I was busy poking with 4 ship of SU30's all by myself (I think I got two of em) the same time all of ya were trying to kill a single MIG-23. C'mon
Did feel a bit abandoned there.. LOL

Oh yeah I did down that MIG-21 at the end before I ate one radar missile.


You should definitely use NVG's at night time.

[ram22]

Yes, the use of NVG is crucial. I do turn on the flood lights, but as noted above, turn them off at certain times.

Regarding any mod to the pit. It's not a good idea in general at this point to install any mods for the HUD or anything else related to the pit. You'll just end up with problems in the end.

Not to mention, eventually BMS will release mods, Dunc even stated that Update3 is intended to be the final update for fixes and they hope the next release will be a version change which will indeed contain BMS mods.

So what that means is, if you have any mods, possibly including theaters, you will have to do a full delete and re-install.

Clark, I think you did a fabulous job last night. At the beginning it seemed you were a little leery of how things would go, but you sailed through everything. Good Job.

The keeping up with the lead is a pain in the ass sometimes. If you don't rotate and have the speed up when the lead takes off, you're gonna lag. Best bet is once the lead starts his turn and goes out of AB, stay in AB at that point to keep up with him as your climbing out. Once the lead is steady at a certain AOA and speed, then get out of AB. That will help with the issue of constantly going in and out of burner during teh whole flight. Of course, this is not guaranteed as of course, all of us get busy with things in the pit and one moment we are at 325knts and the next thing we know were at 390knt and trying to throttle back as to not leave the wingies.

Steve on the other hand used to have the opposite issue, lol. I'd be lead most of the time and the next thing I know, about 5 miles off the base, Steve would be about 5 miles ahead of me. It happened damn near every time we flew a few months back. Not that I cared. But he now seems to have that spastic speeding habit LICKED, Uhmmm

LMAO

Brian

[Harlequin]

Steve on the other hand used to have the opposite issue, lol. I'd be lead most of the time and the next thing I know, about 5 miles off the base, Steve would be about 5 miles ahead of me. It happened damn near every time we flew a few months back. Not that I cared. But he now seems to have that spastic speeding habit LICKED, Uhmmm

I actually did it again last night! I started ripping off towards the 23s that took you and Ty out. Before i realized it, i was 5 or 10mi away from my flight and gave JB something to bitch about!! "You guys made me engage all the baddies on my own... i got shot down... didn't have any support... WA WA WA WA!!" LOL!!

[ram22]

HAHHAHAHAHA on the JB front, that was funny, I listened to it all. DAMN GIRL SCOUT!!

I was more talking about just taking off and ingress when not being engaged.

Hell, I really have no issue if a wingie want's to sacrifice himself for me in the heat of battle, yep go right ahead. Just let me know your off to commit Hari Kari and I'm all good with that!!!!

Brian

[ClarkKAUS]

Roger. NVG and no mods.

[Voodoo]

Oh yeah, has to be off for A-G ops too as you won't be able to see your radar on the MFD.

Bottom left of both MFD's is the brightness control.... I turn them down when I fly with NVG's... even makes the TGP usable.

[Harlequin]

Bottom left of both MFD's is the brightness control.... I turn them down when I fly with NVG's... even makes the TGP usable.

True. I've been playing with this as well... but sounds like i haven't turned them down enough. I get "so-so" results with the radar, so i have traditionally just turned the NVGs off. I'll play with it again. Thanks!

Good hearing from you by the way!

[JBlaze]

Steve on the other hand used to have the opposite issue, lol. I'd be lead most of the time and the next thing I know, about 5 miles off the base, Steve would be about 5 miles ahead of me. It happened damn near every time we flew a few months back. Not that I cared. But he now seems to have that spastic speeding habit LICKED, Uhmmm

I actually did it again last night! I started ripping off towards the 23s that took you and Ty out. Before i realized it, i was 5 or 10mi away from my flight and gave JB something to bitch about!! "You guys made me engage all the baddies on my own... i got shot down... didn't have any support... WA WA WA WA!!" LOL!!

The thing is I didn't get shot down there so I guess I didn't need your help after all. (I can take on a few SU30's no problem LOL) Tho I had to fire both my AIM120's and turn defensive.

Pretty hard to defend yourself against those big baddies without slammers

But your on the right track there, Steve. It was your fault LMAO

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