Air to air refuel

[colubridae]

Finally put more fuel in than burned lining up. Needs more practice.

 

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[Shimmergloom667]

Ok

[Eaglewings]

Finally put more fuel in than burned lining up. Needs more practice.

 

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Just keep at it. Tiny stick adjustment after connection to the drogue. It would become second nature sooner than you know it.

[Harker]

Finally put more fuel in than burned lining up. Needs more practice.

That's the way it should go. Keep at it. :thumbup: Pick a point of reference on the tanker and fly in formation with it. AAR is nearly mandatory for employing the Hornet in realistic missions.

[Gruman]

I guess good job.

Just do it every flight and it gets easy soon.

[Tusker]

Still waiting for that day to come, but I can see progress. I started out watching my airspeed on the HUD, but soon realized that I need to just relax and 'become one' with the tanker... flying with it and ignoring everything on the HUD. I now just dim the HUD down so it doesn't distract.

[colubridae]

Thanks for all the encouragement guys.

 

 

I watched every youtube video I could. All very helpful, but the one that cracked it for me was Cap's from grim reapers.

Big thanks to him.

 

 

tusker, keep at it, you'll get there.

[RaisedByWolves]

Ok

 

yep

[Kubiz]

Took me something like 20 hours of practising to be somewhat decent at it. Usually 1-2 hours and then a break or called it a day. I practised a formation flying a little bit before though.

[statrekmike]

For a good long time, I was kinda anxious about learning to refuel in DCS. I suppose it was probably because the online community surrounding DCS would often make a lot of fuss about how incredibly hard it is and how frustrating it can be. That rather negative, rather demoralizing view really stuck in without me really realizing it. For some years, I played DCS without even really trying it for myself to see what it was like. I just kinda took the internet's word on it and that word was discouraging to say the least.

 

When the Hornet first came out, it was clear that I was going to need to learn if I was going to do realistic/authentic feeling missions in it. There was no avoiding refueling in that kind of jet (at least not without seriously compromising mission authenticity). The first try was a disaster. I really didn't know what to expect (beyond the theory behind it) and while I was able to occasionally connect, it was usually in spite of myself and never for long enough to matter. After that session frustrated me to a immense degree, I decided it would be better to simply step away and try again tomorrow. Maybe something would be different.

 

The next day, I was surprised to find that it was a lot easier. It was still a challenge but I was able to do a full refuel after some effort. It wasn't perfect but it was a obvious step in the right direction. The day after that was even better. I continued my daily practice for some time and now I can refuel pretty reliably. I am still not perfect but I am okay enough to count on being able to refuel without a serious issue.

 

Interestingly enough, I recently took a jab at refueling the F-16 and the cycle kinda repeated itself in a way. I could do the basket and probe thing pretty well but flying the lights was a whole different ballgame and required a sort of "back to square one" approach. The first attempt was a frustrating disaster but the next day was a lot better. I just need to keep that practice up and I will eventually get it pretty reliably.

 

Additionally. I have found that it is a perishable skill. You do need to practice every now and again to make sure you still have it down. If you don't, things can get a bit frustrating when you come back to it.

 

If anything. Learning to refuel highlighted a pretty serious issue in the larger online DCS community. Sometimes the narratives surrounding DCS's difficulty do more to discourage than we perhaps think.

[Richard Dastardly]

Don't try and move in all three dimensions at once - if you can't get the probe lined up with the basket as you're coming in, stop moving forwards rather than trying to "grab" it, just fly in formation with it & work on the other two dimensions. Other thing I found really useful is to watch the horizon line in the hud all the time ( mostly in your peripheral vision ) & make sure the velocity vector is on it, that'll help reduce PIO considerably.

[JUICE-AWG]

Did you set up your HOTAS with some deadzone and curves for Pitch, Roll, and Yaw?

[ultrablue2258]

Not sure if anyone has already mentioned this trick but if you line up the orange circle as shown in the picture with the centre of the basket on the tanker you will connect almost every time. The red circle is for when you are refuelling in a corner which is a constant 10° bank (between the two bank angle indicators at 6:05 o'clock and 6:30)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RT0rf7P9Xhl6msAYzbEAwNQZg7JKtqsz/view

Edited January 8, 2020 by ultrablue2258

[Mule]

For a good long time, I was kinda anxious about learning to refuel in DCS. I suppose it was probably because the online community surrounding DCS would often make a lot of fuss about how incredibly hard it is and how frustrating it can be. That rather negative, rather demoralizing view really stuck in without me really realizing it. For some years, I played DCS without even really trying it for myself to see what it was like. I just kinda took the internet's word on it and that word was discouraging to say the least.

 

When the Hornet first came out, it was clear that I was going to need to learn if I was going to do realistic/authentic feeling missions in it. There was no avoiding refueling in that kind of jet (at least not without seriously compromising mission authenticity). The first try was a disaster. I really didn't know what to expect (beyond the theory behind it) and while I was able to occasionally connect, it was usually in spite of myself and never for long enough to matter. After that session frustrated me to a immense degree, I decided it would be better to simply step away and try again tomorrow. Maybe something would be different.

 

The next day, I was surprised to find that it was a lot easier. It was still a challenge but I was able to do a full refuel after some effort. It wasn't perfect but it was a obvious step in the right direction. The day after that was even better. I continued my daily practice for some time and now I can refuel pretty reliably. I am still not perfect but I am okay enough to count on being able to refuel without a serious issue.

 

Interestingly enough, I recently took a jab at refueling the F-16 and the cycle kinda repeated itself in a way. I could do the basket and probe thing pretty well but flying the lights was a whole different ballgame and required a sort of "back to square one" approach. The first attempt was a frustrating disaster but the next day was a lot better. I just need to keep that practice up and I will eventually get it pretty reliably.

 

Additionally. I have found that it is a perishable skill. You do need to practice every now and again to make sure you still have it down. If you don't, things can get a bit frustrating when you come back to it.

 

If anything. Learning to refuel highlighted a pretty serious issue in the larger online DCS community. Sometimes the narratives surrounding DCS's difficulty do more to discourage than we perhaps think.

 

This is exactly my experience. So well put. It sums up the whole a2a refueling thing perfectly.

 

:thumbup:

[VpR81]

Very nice, congratulations. When i started to train AAR i thought it was the hardest thing on the planet. I played with activated wake vortex from the beginning and it took me uncounted tries before i was able to refuel complete, but it felt awesome when i finally made it. After that, it got better pretty quick. Now able to fully refuel with 3 ext. tanks, stay in position when the tanker starts turning and easily connect during the turn and/or to brake down perfectly with massive overspeed (was not a goal, but i simply suck at measuring velocity). Just keep training and it will become very easy.

[DeathAngel1]

Very nice, congratulations. When i started to train AAR i thought it was the hardest thing on the planet. I played with activated wake vortex from the beginning and it took me uncounted tries before i was able to refuel complete, but it felt awesome when i finally made it. After that, it got better pretty quick. Now able to fully refuel with 3 ext. tanks, stay in position when the tanker starts turning and easily connect during the turn and/or to brake down perfectly with massive overspeed (was not a goal, but i simply suck at measuring velocity). Just keep training and it will become very easy.

 

ААR will never become "very easy". You just get better.

[VpR81]

Well that's true. I meant very easy in comparison to the first try of course. "easy" is always relative...

[Cowboy10uk]

Not sure if anyone has already mentioned this trick but if you line up the orange circle as shown in the picture with the centre of the basket on the tanker you will connect almost every time. The red circle is for when you are refuelling in a corner which is a constant 10° bank (between the two bank angle indicators at 6:05 o'clock and 6:30)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RT0rf7P9Xhl6msAYzbEAwNQZg7JKtqsz/view

 

Intresting never heard that mentioned before. Thankyou will give it a try.

 

For some reason I can refuel on the KC130 ok, but the KC135 is the spawn of the devil. For some reason I cannot connect and stay connected for the life of me with that tanker.

 

Don’t suppose you know the tricks for the harrier as well do you. :helpsmilie::helpsmilie:

[AegisFX]

I started practicing my AAR in the 18 this weekend. I never needed to do it in the 104th servers before because I was always in the SU-27/33, or f-15C. Now I'm trying to actually get competent. Unlike the other modules, I've been flying with no curves other than whatever was set by default. Have you applied any curves at all during your practice?

[RV8ator]

I found VR made my AAR so much easier, and not having a death grip in the stick... fly a reference off the tanker. For me it’s the wing until I connect, then both the wing for lateral position and a fixed point on the tanker fuselage for depth, for me normally the stabilizer. Make micro throttle adjustments by slowly wiggling the throttles open and closed to maintain position, this is a constant action until your completed refuelling. During refuelling look right through the hud, the info is meaningless and your only concern is your position In relation to the tanker.

[Harker]

Intresting never heard that mentioned before. Thankyou will give it a try.

 

For some reason I can refuel on the KC130 ok, but the KC135 is the spawn of the devil. For some reason I cannot connect and stay connected for the life of me with that tanker.

 

Don’t suppose you know the tricks for the harrier as well do you. :helpsmilie::helpsmilie:

Could the KC-130 vs KC-135 MPRS thing be a matter of wake turbulence? Maybe try being a little lower on the 135, if that's the case.

 

For the Harrier, the in-game tutorial is actually pretty good. I think the Harrier has the best tutorial set in DCS. IIRC, you line up the basket with the top of the left mirror. Obviously, don't look at the basket, since the probe is behind you. I just give it a very quick glance, only once, after it passes me.

[Cowboy10uk]

Could the KC-130 vs KC-135 MPRS thing be a matter of wake turbulence? Maybe try being a little lower on the 135, if that's the case.

 

For the Harrier, the in-game tutorial is actually pretty good. I think the Harrier has the best tutorial set in DCS. IIRC, you line up the basket with the top of the left mirror. Obviously, don't look at the basket, since the probe is behind you. I just give it a very quick glance, only once, after it passes me.

 

Fairly certain it is wake turbulence that’s kicking my butt, given that it’s a larger aircraft, just got off pc after another 2 hrs practice in both Harrier and F18, again KC130 and the S3 was no issues, connected to both within a few goes and stayed on till refuel was complete.

 

However, still failed to connect for more than a few seconds with the KC135. Will turn it off tomorrow and see if I can actually connect. At least that way I can rule it out or not.

 

Either that or only choose servers without the 135 as the tanker. :thumbup::thumbup

[BMGZ06]

Well you are doing better than me. After a week I still cant hook the f18 to any tanker period. I almost got close once...if you consider 20ft close. I am having hard times get the speed and stick movement right. Ordered the softer spring for the Warthog stick. hoping that less resistance in the stick well help.

[Joghurt]

I did set custom axis curve for X and Y axis with a *very* shallow center (like "0" in the center and "3" as the next value) and it works good, even with the original Warthog springs. Just remember to look at the plane, not at the basket/boom. ;)

[BMGZ06]

I did set custom axis curve for X and Y axis with a *very* shallow center (like "0" in the center and "3" as the next value) and it works good, even with the original Warthog springs. Just remember to look at the plane, not at the basket/boom. ;)

 

are you saying you have no deadzone and a 3 saturation for x and y or a 3 for curve?