Dim F-18 Taxi Light

I am finding the F-18 taxi light to be so dim that it is functionally useless as a ground light. It fails to illuminate anything further than about 10-15 feet in front of the aircraft. I find myself taxing with the NVGs instead.

Is there a setting somewhere in DCS that I can change to fix this?

I think its a problem with the current DCS, created after deferred lighting or something. Most aircraft seem affected by it. I experience the same difficulties in the Mirage. I also think there is a thread about this. Only solution is to go back to an older version or use nvg. I also do the nvg mod to remove blurr so I can read instruments, and added nvg on the Mirage, mostly for taxiing at night due to this issue.

This is useful in the simulation but in real life landing lights are never (or really occasionally) used in the NAVY

On the other hand, the AI, taxiing behind you in broad daylight, shines directly into your cockpit and makes the whole cockpit look extremely washed out. In broad daylight.

This is useful in the simulation but in real life landing lights are never (or really occasionally) used in the NAVY

You silly man you, of course they are used, not during the day and not until on runway but for taxiing @night, they are always used until they approach the ground crews or in short bursts

Comparing the taxi light on the Viper with that of the Hornet leaves so much to be desired in the Hornet.

I noticed some squads night carrier landings have their landing lights off.

This correct?

AFAIK, USN (all navies in general, where applicable?) aircraft never use their landing/taxi light for carrier ops. The light stays off during the CASE III approach and during deck operations. So, off all the time.

Yes, off all the time in the carrier environment. LSOs need to be able to look at the indexer lights. As a matter of fact all lights are off during deck ops and you use your strobe/anticollision lights as a form of saluting the launch officer to get you going on night ops

Yes, off all the time in the carrier environment. LSOs need to be able to look at the indexer lights. As a matter of fact all lights are off during deck ops and you use your strobe/anticollision lights as a form of saluting the launch officer to get you going on night ops

This is correct. Also for those who haven’t noticed even in the civilian world, it is extremely difficult for a person to marshal an aircraft in to park with the taxi light on. That light is extremely powerful, bright, and usually with a wide beam. Now imagine that in an environment on a deck of a ship being directed everywhere you go. It would be unwise and unsafe to use any taxi or landing light on a carrier. The only time I’d would imagine it’s use would be if the jet is out of control on the deck and you’re warning people to get out of the way.

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You silly man you, of course they are used, not during the day and not until on runway but for taxiing @night, they are always used until they approach the ground crews or in short bursts

To be fair there is some confusion crept in. Topic was taxi light not landing.

Re the later post again saying navy used NIETHER on carrier. I could swear ive heard/read a RL navy pilot talking about the LSO using among other things, the position/visibility of landing light to help judge incoming jets lineup etc. Might have been CW LeMoine or similar.

I just compared the taxi lights of the two carrier based aircrafts (Hornet and the Tomcat) on the same scenerio and the Tomcat taxi light outshines the Hornet by much.

The taxi light has a light brownish tint to it and this reduces the amount of illumination it gives.

From external view, the Hornet taxi light seems bright but through the HUD, illumination is tamed.

To be fair there is some confusion crept in. Topic was taxi light not landing.

 

Re the later post again saying navy used NIETHER on carrier. I could swear ive heard/read a RL navy pilot talking about the LSO using among other things, the position/visibility of landing light to help judge incoming jets lineup etc. Might have been CW LeMoine or similar.

In certain scenarios the LSO might ask the pilot to turn on the lights. But these are rare occurences. However, since I'm not a naval aviator and cannot confirm this claim all the way, I'll dig a bit more into it and report back

Edit:

Heard back from a naval aviator. Here is his answer, verbatim:

Taxi/landing light is NEVER on except for extreme low vis landings where paddles says “99 taxi lights on”.

Daytime, no lights are ever used. Pinky switch is all the way aft.

Night time, when ready to go, use the pinky switch and set the lights all the way forward to signal your salute for ready to launch on the cat. After trap and motion has stopped, bring the pinky switch aft as you bring the throttles to idle to turn off all your lights.

In carrier ops landing lights are forbidden on landing because the LSO´s need to see the AOA lights in the front landing gear, as already stated above. After landing count, "one potato, two potatoes, lights off", lights on deck means brake problems, so always off on deck and only to ON when ready for take off or night ops (the same rules of day ops applied). Landing lighs are used with CASE II with bad visibility because the LSO sees the lights first than the pilot see the carrier. The airboss is the one to authorize taxi lights on deck.

AFAIK, USN (all navies in general, where applicable?) aircraft never use their landing/taxi light for carrier ops. The light stays off during the CASE III approach and during deck operations. So, off all the time.

What about for airfield ops?

I am finding the F-18 taxi light to be so dim that it is functionally useless as a ground light. It fails to illuminate anything further than about 10-15 feet in front of the aircraft. I find myself taxing with the NVGs instead.

 

Is there a setting somewhere in DCS that I can change to fix this?

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=255133

What about for airfield ops?

Sry for necro but I found this, the red light used for landing at night on a carrier. probably later model but wouldnt be surprised if lot 20 had those lights too.