Air Refueling - Any tips?

I found big canopy frame of A-10C to be quite bothering. It obstructs forward view alot, so it is harder to see tanker and fly perfect formation.

Always considered myself a slacker in this area.

I avoided refueling for fear of failure and frustration.

I could never refuel in F4, Flanker, FC, F/A 18 or any other...

An hour ago. By complete accident, I screwed something up in the cockpit and speed and altitude froze on my HUD --stuck at 167 indicated...

I was on my way to tanker and said, what the hell.

Best thing I ever did.

I paid close attention to the sound of the engine. Stopped "playing the digits" to the left and right of the HUD and focused on ever-so-slight adjustments with Velocity Vector and focused on the sound of the engine to indicate speed.

Once connected, I just breathed and focused on the velocity vector.

It took a few times, but finally got the word that I was full.

Best flight I've ever had in a Sim.

My advice: experiment with adjusting the slider on your throttle

Breathe while you're connected. Just focus...

--But, above all, don't give up. You'll surprise yourself.

If I can do this, anyone can.

~Moosh

You should be focusing on the tanker, not the TVV. Try shutting offyour HUD completely and then refueling :)

I discovered a cheat - if you rub his fat belly, he will give you more gas :D

good flyin simfreak,have to try that!!

good flyin simfreak,have to try that!!

It's fun. Here's a track. Flying with hangover and trim on keyboard.

RF_goof.trk

I discovered a cheat - if you rub his fat belly, he will give you more gas :D

Or if you try to sit on his wing :)

Man its a tough thing to master!!

As others have said, properly trimming the aircraft before pre-contact and practise are the two main tips i can think of. It does take a long time to master.

Speaking of trim: I have a Cougar HOTAS and the trim keys are mapped to the H1 Hat. For the love of me I cannot get the thing trimmed perfect. It's either to high or to low by just enough to mess things up.

Any hints on trim?

perfect trim is not reachable....

Also when you change speed..the speed itself becomes a factor.

So what I do is: make an ok trim and fly from there and compensate for it.

(edit) have at least 10 hours of flight time before you attempt refuelling, by that time you should be comfortable with the plane and how it moves. Il2 is a very good teacher on flying :)

I find it helps to trim nose down and keep back pressure on the stick. That's just my personal preference though, fly like that nearly all the time especially in formation flights.

Even if I connect while being steady as a rock the guy still calls 'Disconnect'. It appears that I am still taking fuel though and still getting the 'Latched' message on the right side of the HUD.

I find it helps to trim nose down and keep back pressure on the stick. That's just my personal preference though, fly like that nearly all the time especially in formation flights.

 

Even if I connect while being steady as a rock the guy still calls 'Disconnect'. It appears that I am still taking fuel though and still getting the 'Latched' message on the right side of the HUD.

Sometimes the audio is out of sync with the action.

Sometimes the audio is out of sync with the action.

Thanks, helps to know I'm not doing something wrong.

You should be focusing on the tanker, not the TVV. Try shutting offyour HUD completely and then refueling :)

Absolutely!!! The best tip I would give anyone struggling with refueling, and the one thing that would have saved me a lot of frustration and loud swearing, had I done it sooner!

It does take a LOT of practice to be able to refuel, as in real life, but I still feel that the tanker AI/boom operator AI still needs a lot of work!

Absolutely!!! The best tip I would give anyone struggling with refueling, and the one thing that would have saved me a lot of frustration and loud swearing, had I done it sooner!

 

It does take a LOT of practice to be able to refuel, as in real life, but I still feel that the tanker AI/boom operator AI still needs a lot of work!

I agree 100% with the boom dude needing work! Take a look at some real life vids on YouTube of A10s refueling.

Well in real life your response from the aircraft is MUCH different and you get far more feedback from it as well.

Hey, that sounds like one of my hook-ups!! :thumbup:

zeke, you wouldnt happen to be the "oldzeke" from ww2 online would ya?

I have not tried air refueling with a10 yet, but it was extremely difficult in falcon as well. Very small inputs.

Agree, the boom operator needs some work in order to give our warthogs a bit of care:

Very small inputs.

sounds like one of my hookups..

...ahem.:cry:

I agree 100% with the boom dude needing work! Take a look at some real life vids on YouTube of A10s refueling.

Heres a good one i think

wait heres better one.. Second guy sets off flares :)

Heres a good one i think

 

 

 

wait heres better one.. Second guy sets off flares :)

 

In my humble opinion the boom operator AI requires work! In the sim, we are looking at a Monitor (TV screen). As sim pilots we do not have the spacial awareness of the RW jet and therefore I suggest some increased input from the AI boom operator!

Several times when I approach the tanker and am holding position, the boom operator has fallen asleep. Boom does not move at all?

Its kinda like I would like to even up the difference between sim world and real world. I do not mean "make it easy", just give the boom operator an "excellent" AI rating, instead of :sleep:

Just a thought.

Cheers.

Or if you try to sit on his wing :)

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I guess next step is to land on his wing to save fuel :D He can be our flying carrier.

I guess next step is to land on his wing to save fuel :D He can be our flying carrier.

Makes me think of Crimson Skies! :D

Agree, the boom operator needs some work in order to give our warthogs a bit of care:

 

Looks like he already took some battledamage, as the left gear seems to be extended :smartass: