Tanker now calls out tanking air speed

[Eaglewings]

I have just been practicing air to air refueling again after a while.

I noticed tanker now calls out their air speed for tanking.

This is absolutely brilliant and welcomed

Has this been there or it is a new addition that came with 2.5.6 update.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Eaglewings

[shdwp]

I wonder if they call out incoming turns now. Speed was not the problem, sudden change of direction was.

Edited February 17, 2020 by shdwp

[Fri13]

Yeah, tanker should call the incoming turns and get the response from the pilot that it is knowledge.

[rrohde]

I wonder if they call out incoming turns now. Speed was not the problem, sudden direction change was.

 

Besides them turning, speed was the problem for me - so this is indeed a welcome addition. :thumbup:

[Notso]

There was a thread not long ago about the tanker calling turns and how that is not terribly realistic. It's not a common call that is required or done. It occasionally is done as a courtesy if a non-standard deviation is coming up or if the tanker pilot is bored and/or chatty. At least in the USAF. I can't speak to what is Navy SOP.

 

In addition there are standard airspeeds that the fighters can expect the tanker to fly for the Air refueling sequence - Typically 295-310 KCAS for most fighters and 220 KCAS for the A-10 (KC-135). I don't know what DCS defaults to, but unless different than this SOP speed, the tanker generally would not call out the speeds IRL.

 

Of course it is helpful to have this info in the game (sim) as you learn the procedures. But the speed should be mostly irrelevant once you're in the pre-contact position. You should be able to do the intercept using the FCR speed and closure readouts and then once in the pre-contact position and moving to the contact position, you are flying formation and should not be looking at speed.

 

One way to figure out the tanker's speed is to either get to the precontact or observation position and just fly formation for a while. Once you're stabilized, your speed is his speed. It also allows you to get comfortable flying a very specific formation position before you try to go in and get plugged on the boom or hose.

[Eaglewings]

There was a thread not long ago about the tanker calling turns and how that is not terribly realistic. It's not a common call that is required or done. It occasionally is done as a courtesy if a non-standard deviation is coming up or if the tanker pilot is bored and/or chatty. At least in the USAF. I can't speak to what is Navy SOP.

 

I believe I also reading that thread. Not really mandatory to inform fighter pilot when about to do a turn but it was pointed out that the rate of turn of tanker in the sim maybe too sharp and abrupt compared to in real life.

 

Yes, once you get the hang of formation flying, tanker speed is low in priority approaching the tanker but it felt nice to be armed with the tanker's speed.

[The_Pharoah]

While tanking you can certainly pick up when the tanker starts to turn AS LONG AS it doesn't bank more than say 10 degs which I've seen tankers online do. Then you have no hope. Much easier with probe/drogue than boom I find. Still nice to get speed notifications though.

[Mars Exulte]

The speed call out is indeed new. In real life, they have standards, in DCS we have whatever semi random number the muppet creating the mission used, so it's welcome lol

 

For turns I always have em in a circular orbit. The turn is sharper as you approach, but he levels off a bit as you slot into pre-contact. I have never had a tanker make any significant movements after beginning a tank. I have has them level off suddenly, but nothing hard to correct for if you're paying attention.

 

Are all you folks complaining about turns using a racetrack orbit?

[The_Pharoah]

I'm certainly saying it as I've seen/experienced it firsthand, mostly on the TTI servers which I think have racetrack patterns. Its a PITA when it happens but it doesn't happen often, and sometimes I think probably due to lag (lets not even talk about that).

 

Either way, we digress - the speed calling out is great. If they can incorporate turns as well, nice but not essential. All my tanking to date has been without speed calls, but then again I usually fly formation on the tanker first before tanking to get an idea of the tankers speed. The only issue I find is where you fail to make the final call to the tanker whilst in formation (say you're lined up behind it and make the final call, which I forget), then the tanker suddenly speeds up by 10 kts and you're left wallowing whilst trying to match its slower speed! lol.

[GazAce]

Haven’t heard it yet..

 

Hmm that’s funny, I did an AAR the other night one day after the Update and didn’t hear Texaco call any speed or heard any speed called in the past. I created this mission so does that matter? And was a Race Track Orbit. Would be a nice addition though.

[draconus]

GazAce, tried S-3 last night and after my call "Intent to refuel" it was "Proceed to pre-contact at 15 thousand at 2, 7, 0".

[Gierasimov]

Nice one!

I asked Hornet driver and he said the tanker would usually call course direction, such as "tanker coming left" and then initiate the turn.

[GazAce]

Please clarify

 

GazAce, tried S-3 last night and after my call "Intent to refuel" it was "Proceed to pre-contact at 15 thousand at 2, 7, 0".

 

Hey thanks but I’m a little confused here. At 2, 7, 0 I thought was the magnetic bearing. So this number is the speed in knots?

[draconus]

yes, kias was around that, but may have to check the bearing too

[GazAce]

yes, kias was around that, but may have to check the bearing too

 

Ok cool, thanks

:thumbup:

[draconus]

It was F-14B "Refuel Fight Recover" in Caucasus and it happens to start at heading 270 ;) Have to check other sorties.

[Gierasimov]

Velocity

 

It was F-14B "Refuel Fight Recover" in Caucasus and it happens to start at heading 270 ;) Have to check other sorties.

 

I just tried with my own mission,

 

Tanker at 20000 feet MSL @ 394 kts (GS in ME) with heading 090 - it calls proceed to precontact at 20000 at 290 - in the pop-up text there is also a word "velocity".

 

Nice addition!

[1987kess]

Really nice addition!

 

 

Would definitely make easier AAR for people like me.

 

 

Can't wait to try it.