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Training priorities


SlapStik

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Hey all, in the interest of knowing how to get (back) into simming the right way for noobs as well as those of us who have been out of it for years. Please share your recommended steps to learning an aircraft (kinda from a VFW perspective).... in other words, what do VFW or sim trainers have new virtual pilots learn from the start on to being competent enough to enjoy the sim and do some serious damage?

 

 

 

I'm just trying to start a nice thread that may be helpful to people new to DCS or serious simming get the most out of their experience.

 

 

Thanks in advance! :smartass:

SlapStik

TM Warthog #1547, TM TPR Pedals, TM MFD pack & TIR4

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The steps I usually follow are:

 

1) Read the pilots manual.

2) Read it again.

3) Read it again just to make sure.

4) Go through the in-game training modules 1 by 1, with the manual to hand.

5) Make sure I've mastered each section before moving on.

 

Once I'm competent at start-up, take off, navigation & landing I'll spend hours & hours just practicing flying under all sorts of conditions before I even think about learning about weapons employment.

 

DCS is definitely a sim that rewards practice & hours spent on patient practice.

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Personal wish list: DCS: Su-27SM & DCS: Avro Vulcan.

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My workflow usually goes:

 

 

1. Cockpit familiarization (either a glance through the manual or starting cold and checking the tooltips)

2. In-game training missions, writing down each important step in a way that makes sense and thus making my own checklist

3. With a good idea of what is where and how each component works, I go over the manual

 

 

Of course, between the serious learning there's the usual Take-Off instant action mission to get a feel for the plane, then some aerobatics and finally the inevitably heavy landing or crash.

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Thanks for your feedback..

 

 

Question, do you feel the need to get all sections committed to memory like communications or the various Nav modes? Just curious how much training is suggested for sub systems versus actual combat.... thanks again!

SlapStik

TM Warthog #1547, TM TPR Pedals, TM MFD pack & TIR4

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Including the above advice about reading the manual, circuit bash until you're dizzy.

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.

... Please share your recommended steps to learning an aircraft ...

 

Assuming one already knows your way around DCS settings and basic mission editing, my workflow with a new plane is:

 

1) setup the hotas axis in order to at least have rudder, aileron, elevator and throttle controls working.

 

2) use a provided free flight quick mission, or make my own, starting with the aircraft already on the air.

 

3) Fly for a while trying to get a feel for the aircraft, how it manouvers, learn to turn coordinated without changing altitude, practice climbs and descents, etc.

 

4) Bind the trim controls and the airbrake to my hotas, then refly (3) using trim to fine tune the flight path

 

5) Now, read the manual, all the chapters related to aircraft systems and flight procedures ... leave out the armament docs, as initially I’m focusing on actually flying the aírcraft to the best of my abilities.

 

6) write down the basic flight procedures, this helps me to learn them better and goes a long way towards memorizing them. i usually write in MS Word using A5 paper size, then print it on PDF format and finally use Alaskan Grizly’s utility to put the PDF on the aircraft’s kneeboard, so I can refer to them while learning to startup, taxi, take off, circuit and land the plane.

 

6.5) take the time to bind the more needed functions into my Hotas, be flexible and willing to change it as weapons practice experience suggest which functions are more needed on the Hotas.

 

7) once comfortable with the basic flying of the aircraft, I start learning its armament and sensors, one by one ... I create simple target practice missions to learn each weapon. This is by far the longest stage, as many aircraft have quite a big variety of weapons.

 

Best regards

 

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Thanks for your feedback..

 

 

Question, do you feel the need to get all sections committed to memory like communications or the various Nav modes? Just curious how much training is suggested for sub systems versus actual combat.... thanks again!

 

I like to reach the point where basic admin tasks such as comms, mode manipulation, systems adjustment etc. become instinctive muscle memory before I move on to weapons & combat.

 

One thing I forgot to mention: since we're not actually risking our lives or £100,000,000 worth of cutting-edge aircraft, I do like to take things beyond the limits which inevitably ends in crashes. You won't really know where the bleeding edges of the flight envelope are until you push out there & exceed them. I'd never do this online or in a combat mission, but just single practice I like to get comfortable and instinctively know how far I can push the limits before a departure will happen, and if it does, what to expect & how best to recover if possible.

 

Simply put, I like to learn how to fly an aircraft before I start learning how to fight in it.

System Spec: Cooler Master Cosmos C700P Black Edition case. | AMD 5950X CPU | MSI RTX-3090 GPU | 32GB HyperX Predator PC4000 RAM | | TM Warthog stick & throttle | TrackIR 5 | Samsung 980 Pro NVMe 4 SSD 1TB (boot) | Samsung 870 QVO SSD 4TB (games) | Windows 10 Pro 64-bit.

 

Personal wish list: DCS: Su-27SM & DCS: Avro Vulcan.

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I also think it's very important if you are serious about it to start with good quality equipment, and have it set up the right way. Fine tuning your axis curves and controls, how you have different things mapped can really have an impact.

 

Also, stick with one airframe and really, really learn it.

 

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This is what worked for me for the A10C:

- Read the manual.

- Play the tutorials several times each, until you feel confident.

- Read the manual again. Now that you have experience with the basics, the manual will be more clear, and you will understand stuff than previously you couldn't grasp.

- Fly some basic missions, either free flight or "training" missions.

- Ask in the forums about your doubts with some of the systems.

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