Been way too long since I've done this, and search isn't helping. FWIW, running IL-2, patched up to 4.10.1m with UP3 RC4.

The menu commands seem to be the solution if you are flight leader (under flight -> navigation), but...well, that kind of feels like a hack way to do it. Is there no keymapping (I didn't see one in the UI?) to allow you to manually switch the gyro compass between waypoints?

Actually, I think I'm seeing the reason for the confusion. Prior to 4.09, the gyro (repeater) compass had an indicator that always pointed to the next waypoint. That's no longer the case!

So...uhhh...I guess the next question is...what IS the point of waypoints on the mission planning, of only beacons are usable for direct navigational queues?

The point is to tell the pilot where to go, before he takes off. In WW2, mostly, pilots did not have in-cockpit aids to point them to the next waypoint. They actually had to NAVIGATE.

Cheers,
4S

Only the flight leader can use the Navigate next/previous waypoint command.

Also, to utilize this, turn off "realistic navigation" difficulty setting.

Sure, I guess what I was getting at is that the waypoint system, with 'realistic navigation' on, really IS just suggestions. There isn't any tie-in to cockpit instrumentation.

So...what do you do for all the campaigns and co-op missions released prior to 4.09 that don't have radio towers or broadcast beacons in them? "Just look outside the window" is great advice...when you aren't flying over water or the flat, plain, featureless steppes of Russia.

You turn off that difficulty option!

Well, that's...less than ideal.

Curious if you reviewed the user guide for 4.10? Page 28 begins some explanation of the new "Navigation Improvements"

Just thinking that you may have missed what they were attempting to do with this and why. More or less they have added more realism to the sim with this feature enabled.

Yes, I get that this is an 'improvement'. I just didn't realize it broke the previous system, and that there is thus nothing really available (aside from 'disable that realism option') to stand-in on the older missions.

Would have been nice if there was a way to at least have some generic navigation beacons/aids put on some of the maps without needing to have it done in-mission in every case (for example, all of the cities are obviously going to have AM broadcast stations).

But that would be a somewhat fundamental change from what is includable in a map vs a mission file, so I suppose I can see what it wasn't done.

Still, it's a shame. Means there is no 'backwards compatibility' to older missions with the newer navigation realism options.

Well, that's like saying there's no backwards compatibility" to older missions that would include new planes. ?