A/A refueling question...

the stick has a rubber boot around the base. I put an elastic band around the boot to gather it in to the stick. It provides enough stability to center but still allows very small corrections. So much less fatiguing to fly as well. Now I can hammer into a 6g turn with just my finger tips and a small stick deflection when before required a full hand grip and lots of pressure to overcome the spring. There are some downsides though, centering is not as precise so letting go of the stick can be tricky at times. It is particularly a fantastic setup for helicopters though, I can put the Mi8 on any rooftop I choose now with no trouble and holding the huey in a hover is routine.

I just successfully completed my first re-fuel!!!!!!!

Wow, I'm a mess

All the suggestions were totally true.

For pre-contact use the trimmer and TINY stick movements to lock in your formation. After pre-contact, focus on the pod - never the basket. Keep the throttle moving. After contact continue a few yards and then use the fuselage as a reference. Only with practice comes the muscle memory (for the stick movements) and ability to correctly judge your delta velocity.

You can do it!!!

I just successfully completed my first re-fuel!!!!!!!

 

Wow, I'm a mess

 

All the suggestions were totally true.

For pre-contact use the trimmer and TINY stick movements to lock in your formation. After pre-contact, focus on the pod - never the basket. Keep the throttle moving. After contact continue a few yards and then use the fuselage as a reference. Only with practice comes the muscle memory (for the stick movements) and ability to correctly judge your delta velocity.

 

You can do it!!!

Congratulations! Yes I'm still working on it, getting the occasional 'Taking Fuel' for about 2-3 seconds then being so excited I forget to stay focused

I'll put more into getting lined up at pre-contact, thanks for the trim tip.

And yes I know what you mean by being a mess...LOL.

the stick has a rubber boot around the base. I put an elastic band around the boot to gather it in to the stick. It provides enough stability to center but still allows very small corrections. So much less fatiguing to fly as well. Now I can hammer into a 6g turn with just my finger tips and a small stick deflection when before required a full hand grip and lots of pressure to overcome the spring. There are some downsides though, centering is not as precise so letting go of the stick can be tricky at times. It is particularly a fantastic setup for helicopters though, I can put the Mi8 on any rooftop I choose now with no trouble and holding the huey in a hover is routine.

My centering spring has softened making it nice on roll/pitch but I find Nyogel grease amazing, keeps the butter feeling.

I tried a new stick TM Warthog and TM 16000m, both have very strong centering springs, takes getting used to.

Congratulations! Yes I'm still working on it, getting the occasional 'Taking Fuel' for about 2-3 seconds then being so excited I forget to stay focused

I'll put more into getting lined up at pre-contact, thanks for the trim tip.

And yes I know what you mean by being a mess...LOL.

I did not see it mentioned anywhere so another small tip would be - use rudder for small lateral adjustments when connecting with the basket instead of bank.

Also, make your adjustments while moving forward. Lot of people have a tendency to get the basket into perfect position and then try to move forward to connect, but that's wrong (the movement forward = increased speed = you're out of trim = you must control pitch = your vertical control is harder)

Counter-intuitively, but as shown in Maverick's video, you should be approaching the basket at constant forward speed. Accelerating and decelerating will cause your plane to pitch up/down. If you move at slow speed forward, you will stay trimmed making your vertical control much more easier. Try to push through the basket too, don't aim to 'stop' where the basket is.

I did not see it mentioned anywhere so another small tip would be - use rudder for small lateral adjustments when connecting with the basket instead of bank.

 

Also, make your adjustments while moving forward. Lot of people have a tendency to get the basket into perfect position and then try to move forward to connect, but that's wrong (the movement forward = increased speed = you're out of trim = you must control pitch = your vertical control is harder)

 

Counter-intuitively, but as shown in Maverick's video, you should be approaching the basket at constant forward speed. Accelerating and decelerating will cause your plane to pitch up/down. If you move at slow speed forward, you will stay trimmed making your vertical control much more easier. Try to push through the basket too, don't aim to 'stop' where the basket is.

Excellent on both points!

I'll see how the rudder movement works out.

Yes that is probably what is causing my vertical instability...accelerating and decelerating as I approach the basket. I was really impressed by the smoothness of Maverick's approach to the basket and the little push beyond. I will remember to try and keep my approach at a steady speed. BTW, I usually close in on the basket at 1 knot above tanker speed.