General Flight Tips
- Don't forget that the four
MFDs can be pre-configured on the cockpit screen
to the way you like it. Try to keep the displays
you use most for combat on the top three
positions so you don't have to look down in the
cockpit to see that fourth MFD.
- When checking your flight
path, see if you can alter some of the
navigational and patrol waypoints to set your
path through less hostile areas and possibly
avoid extra SAMS or AAA sites. When in flight,
staying below about 400 ft AGL will help avoid
SAM sites. Use the radar altimeter to get your
AGL altitude.
- When AWACS is available, use
them religiously! Shut down the radar and track
your targets via the LINK. If you have to
radiate, do so randomly and only long enough to
get an accurate picture (a few seconds). Avoid
long radiating periods.
- If you find yourself low on
fuel and need to get back to base, use military
power to climb to 45,000 ft then set engines at
about 75% power. Start your descent about 150
miles from base at idle power and hold about 250
knots in the descent.
- If wingmen fall back and fail
to attack a target order them to "Form on my
wing" and then order them to attack the
designated target. (Wingmen will react with
varying levels of skill.)
- The autopilot will not
"automatically" get you to the
designated waypoint on time (TOT). Be sure to
monitor your speed and closure on the target
point so that you can meet your flights/escorts
without having to "circle forever and act as
target practice for the enemy" right outside
the FEBA.
- Be extremely cautious with
your airspeed and the autopilot. This becomes
important since your IRCS will increase with
airspeed. Be sure to consider this in mission
planning when reviewing your waypoints and
airspeed/altitude. Also, frequently monitor your
stealth MFD!
- Speed is everything on landing
- be sure to keep airspeed above 150 until just
before touchdown - the bird falls like a brick
under this speed on the REALISTIC flight model if
you so much as bank it 1 degree.
Mission Tips
- Before you start a mission,
load up at least some of your wingmen with HARMS
to knock a path through the enemy defenses. You
may want to have a 'Wild Weasel' section and an
Air-to-Air section.
- Before you start a mission,
make sure to examine the Mission Briefing map
extremely closely. Check for all possible
anti-aircraft fixed positions (SAMS, AAA) in your
flight path and be sure to load weapons
accordingly. If there is abundance of SAM sites
try to pack a few HARMS. Keep track of where
enemy airfields are as well and be prepared for
enemy interceptors if your flight path takes you
near any bases.
- On the MAP screen, before
takeoff, be sure to "View other
flights" (right, center button on map
screen) and examine the flights of your escorts
and/or those brave soldiers you are protecting.
This is essential when, for example, you need to
rendezvous at WP2 to meet the B52 forces.
- On missions where external
stores are carried, use burner to 'punch through'
the Mach barrier and come back to full military
power at about Mach 1.05.
- When en route don't be too
quick to attack targets. If you're utilizing LINK
and not radiating, those contacts that are
possible problems can be tracked via the LINK.
Either generate a shoot list, or select the
target on the MFD. The avionics operates the same
when radiating, or not radiating and LINKED.
First check their altitude relative to yours,
then watch how they maneuver. Many times the
targets are of no concern and they will pass
without you being noticed, especially when their
altitude is well below yours. Get too
trigger-happy, and you will alert the world to
your presence.
- Try to stay above 25,000ft as
much as possible to take advantage of your
stealth and stay out of small caliber AAA and
SAMs.
Working with Wingmen
- Designate targets for wingmen
and order them to attack. The only way to survive
some of the generated campaign missions is to
really use your wingmen. You MUST give them
explicit orders to use them to their fullest
effect. Remember, get a shoot list, designate a
target for Wing2, and order him/her to attack. If
you hear "Missile went Stupid" this
implies he missed. Again, get the shoot list and
order to attack.
- If you are attempting to
attack bandits in SAM country, try to draw them
out from the SAM coverage into a more neutral
neighborhood and don't send your wingmen in to be
slapped by a SAM.
- Keep your wingmen alive by
watching their tail in multiple bandit encounters
(at least until they run out of missiles).
Targeting the Enemy
- When pulling your nose around
onto the bandit and the padlock switches to the
front view, it is a good idea to quickly relax
the stick a little to slow your turn rate because
you will usually transition too quickly from lag
pursuit to lead pursuit with the bandit ending up
under your nose requiring another correction and
giving the bandit more time to execute his own
move.
- When a missile is inbound,
always try to keep it in your forward quarters,
close as possible to the nose. Maintain the
highest possible closure rate which will result
in less time the missile has to react to your
maneuvers. When the missile is in close, dump
chaff/flares and make a really radical maneuver
that will result in a huge course/altitude
solution change for the missile (ole' vector
analysis), thereby throwing him out because he
won't be able to maneuver and maintain contact
with such a high closure rate. And hopefully the
ECM will fool him!
- Be extremely conscious of your
weapons loadout and what hardpoints they are
loaded on. When selecting AIM-9s in an internal
compartment, remember that the doors will open
once the missile is selected. This will increase
your RCS and probability of detection.
- Look at the color of the smoke
from a damaged aircraft. Black smoke means it is
on its way to becoming a dead aircraft. White
smoke means it is only damaged.
- To get extra range for
dropping bombs at low level altitudes, perform a
pull-up prior to reaching the target. This way
you can egress before reaching the target area
and avoid area defenses.
Multiplayer
- When navigating to the next
waypoint, rather than trying to keep close
station on the leader, try the autopilot. First
ensure everyone has the same next waypoint
selected on the Nav MFD. Then move out to maybe a
mile from the leader and/or other wingmen, then
all of you turn on your autopilot. This way
everyone will be going to the same waypoint and
will maintain the same airspeed and altitude
automatically. Then you can relax a little, enjoy
the scenery or keep closer tabs on the MFDs and
comm messages. But be advised that everyone is
converging on the same checkpoint. Turn off the
autopilot before you all collide. When past the
checkpoint just spread out and do it again.
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