This is an A-10A campaign flown in the Flaming Cliffs 3 module to DCS: World. These videos fall into the AAR category with commentary provided throughout. I focus more on tactics and techniques and less on system operations since this is a lesser fidelity simulation of the A-10 than you get in the DCS: A-10C. That is not to say this simulation is not realistic, it is just different and reflects an earlier version of the aircraft and systems.
Also keep in mind that this is a pre-release version of the software and some hiccups are to be expected.
These videos are viewable all the way up to 1080p using the YouTube player so they should look good even when viewed full-screen.
I realize the videos are a little long and no normal human being wants to listen to me talk for an hour at a time. I will provide time references to major events so you will be able to pick and choose what you want to see.
Any requests for clarification of anything I go over or recommendations for additional topics are welcome.
Mission 1
- 00:00 - 14:30 Campaign and Mission Briefing - 14:30 - 21:15 Take-off and Navigation - 21:15 - 23:00 JTAC Contact and Vis ID - 23:00 - 30:15 AGM-65 Employment - 30:15 - 37:00 Mk-20 Employment - 37:00 - 39:40 Navigation and RTB - 39:40 - 46:05 Landing and Taxi to Parking - 46:05 - 49:57 Debrief
I have flown all the way up to mission 10 and still have a little ways to go. The campaign is looking like at least 12 - 15 missions now and the missions keep getting tougher and tougher. Everybody feel free to discuss, debate, or nit-pick anything you see me do. If you have a tactic or technique you would like to see me try, just let me know. I am open to suggestions, especially as the defenses start to tighten up and I look for better ways to get in and out of the target areas.
#3711967 - 01/04/1306:01 PMRe: A-10A - The Valley Campaign - Video AAR
[Re: Bunyap]
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 15,827Mace71
Dread pirate Mace
Mission 6 is now up. Missions 6, 7, and 8 are going to be my best efforts so far. Mission 9, 10, 11, and 12 are going to be a little painful as I deal with new threats in the area. The SA-13 is absolutely amazing but I will not spoil it for you.
#3716761 - 01/12/1309:37 PMRe: A-10A - The Valley Campaign - Video AAR
[Re: Bunyap]
All 16 missions of the campaign are now posted. I hope some of you found them useful, especially if you are new to flight simulations. Sometimes just seeing someone else go through the motions of planning and flying a mission from beginning to end can make a big difference.
This was just a week and a half snapshot of flying done by someone who had not flown for several years. I read over Andy Bush's articles on A-10 employment again in the week or two since I finished and have spotted a few things I would have done a little differently if I had it to do over again. I am sure a lot of you have some different tactics, techniques, and procedures you would have used as well. I am still happy with most of what I described in real-time during the missions but I am glad to have a good civil discussion with anybody who has different ideas.
Thanks again for watching.
#3717001 - 01/13/1312:16 PMRe: A-10A - The Valley Campaign - Video AAR
[Re: Bunyap]
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 15,827Mace71
Dread pirate Mace
Thanks Bunyap, I'm going through your videos and it is good to see someone else tackling missions. Still not seen you use the WP rockets though don't you have to be pretty close to the area you want to mark to be able to use them effectively?
Yeah, I got distracted with other considerations (like staying alive!) and never returned to the willie petes. I am almost positive that 25,000 feet is the distance the reticule in the HUD for rockets is supposed to be accurate to. I have yet to try it out in the C model but it doesn't really matter as long as you know what you need to do to get the rocket into the right general area. There should also be a CCRP mode in the C model that allows for a loft delivery of illumination rockets. I would assume it would work for willie petes as well. (Maybe that is the mode that is accurate out to 25000 feet???). I am at Nellis AFB for Red Flag for another week so I will have to investigate when I get home.
I have been trying to remember where I read about the technique of lofting marking rockets and I think it was in a book called "Misty" that was made up of stories from the F-100 Misty FACs in Vietnam. It is a great read... I will try to track down the exact passage.
I do have one correction to make from the first video. I called the mission designer out for using "attrite" instead of "attrit" during the mission briefing. It turns out that attrite is an accepted alternate spelling of attrit. I looked it up after a briefer at a Red Flag mass brief used attrite in one of the slides. Now, the briefer in question did pronounce it wrong. It is pronounced as if the e were not there no matter what spelling is used. Needless to say, I did not stand up and correct him!
#3725362 - 01/26/1311:20 AMRe: A-10A - The Valley Campaign - Video AAR
[Re: Bunyap]
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 15,827Mace71
Dread pirate Mace