General Category > Unofficial F/A-18 Acceleration Pack board

Idea for a "trainer-mission"

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Tregarth:
Dear FSX NP.

I have been away for a while and see you have not made any new posts.  Are you still working on your extra missions or are you posting them on a new location?

Thank you,

Tregarth

Sludge:
Serge...

I flew your missions this weekend and they are very good.  Definately make you work to keep within the rectangles and once you clear the final, you get the beauty of flying the Ball down to a skidmarked touchdown point.

My only problem is a tech issue.  I checked out both the folders and still cant get the "sounds", so Ill give it another look over to make sure I installed everything correctly.

Later
Sludge

Paddles:
Guys,
My FCLP missions pack is ready to d/l at avsim.com. Go to category 'Flight Simulator X - Missions' and search for 'FCLP Missions Pack', or use direct link http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=153677&CatID=fsxmsn.
Have fun!  ;D

I'd like to express many, many thanks to Phil Thompson for the tremendous support he has provided during my work on these missions!

SpazSinbad:
Razgriz, I'll only make generalised comments with none meant to offend anyone I hope.

Mission 5 is really difficult. My suggestion is to at least do Mission 3 at night time altitude 1,200 feet (1,000 feet AGL) to adjust to the new pattern, even though it is more day time than night time. The pattern is longer to base turn because higher to allow interception of glide slope further away or at least see the carrier deck to do that in good time. If a lower pattern altitude is used then chances of seeing the very small carrier deck are decreased.

Mission 4 is a great mission because of the light effects of dusk (one can see the ground) with the carrier deck lights being visible. Instrument flying is required some of the time but looking abeam downwind to gauge carrier deck and the abeam position. During the turn it is best to be looking into the turn as much as possible and NEVER go below 600 feet AGL or 800 feet above the runway without seeing the carrier deck.

Mission 5 is really difficult. Instrument flying is required with also lookout to carrier deck which can be disorientating so get back onto instruments ASAP. During base turn once again do not go too low without seeing the carrier deck. Attempt to transition to flying visually without reference to instruments once the carrier deck and meatball can be seen. If the meatball is seen at last part of base turn onto finals then fly the meatball and of course line up on the carrier deck. GOOD LUCK.  ;D

Just attempting to fly totally on instruments will not have much success. Yes instruments mostly until last half of base turn when one must look into the turn for the carrier deck and meatball to be able to transtion to visual flying 'from the start' when the LSO is saying call the ball. It is good to concentrate ones flying to the basics here. Meatball, lineup and airspeed - this is what night FCLP is all about. One can see why night carrier landings are not done from such a short circuit (pun intended - a short circuit in one's brain!). ;D

Usually night carrier landings are done via a long straight in approach (more or less) with a gradual descent to allow an easy transition where appropriate to visual flying for the last part with minimal turning or fast descents to disorientate the pilot so keep that in mind with night FCLP. One needs to use a combination of instrument and visual flying at night to keep orientation to the pattern, carrier deck and final approach totally visual. For myself I don't look at the TACAN but it may help around the pattern but not on final approach. Practice practice practice. Do more Mission 4 practice before going to Mission 5 for sure IMHO.

SpazSinbad:
Razgriz, are you saying you are doing an instrument approach? I'm talking about night FCLP - taking off from OLF Coupeville to enter the FCLP circuit left hand at 1,200 feet AMSL (airfield is 200 feet above AMSL). Night FCLP circuit is higher and therefore a 'longer' base turn point to allow pilot to be safe and to pickup the meatball / carrier deck in good time to then transition to a complete visual approach for 'at the start' / call the ball.

One can use an ersatz TACAN approach straight in (old style one started overhead at 20,000 feet to descend outbound on a radial to around 10,000 feet to then turn inbound to level at 1,000 feet AGL at around several miles from the TACAN station to allow time to get visual with runway below cloud base or in this case 'carrier deck' at night.

However the mission is about FCLP with an 'illegal' night takeoff (from a closed runway in reality but this is FSX). Below is my screenshot (with all the BLACK edited out) for start of Mission 5. Shudder! ;D

I might add that the only thing 'unrealistic' about the night FCLP mission is a takeoff (from a closed runway) with only the carrier deck lights visible. An actual night FCLP takeoff from the same FCLP runway would be done with the runway lights switched ON but switched OFF once 'aircrafts' airborne. For example at NAS Nowra, NSW Australia FCLP was done on the main runway there with all the base lights switched off and nearby base housing lights minimal. It was BLACK. Takeoff was via runway lighting then downwind only the carrier deck was visible (portable limpet lights - no abeam light) however circuit height was higher than day FCLP for safety reasons as described above. And it was difficult.

Back to FSX. IF one keeps the centreline (don't touch anything) having the brakes release with engine at full burner with the initial condition (enough fuel to be at max landing weight when downwind) then the FCLP Hornet will take off by the end of the carrier deck (with the strong 25 knot wind down the runway centreline). FsxNP tells me it was not possible to replicate main runway lights switchoff in FSX so this is a compromise for single mission night FCLP from OLF Coupeville.

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