Background

I got inspired by DBonds plan to do another AAR.
Really enjoying to read others Falcon AAR posts I thought I would do my part too.
If I get to it I will do more AAR posts from this campaign in here but my intention was just to show how a campaign-start can look and unfold.

Please notify me if the pictures can't be seen, have this issue with the router so I can't see them from inside my network.
Should be good though.

Set myself up for a Tiger Spirit and started off looking through the OOB and initial ATO trying to make myself an overall picture.

This is not how I usually do Falcon Campaigns but last spring/summer when we did 24/7 dedicated falcon server I kept listening to DBond's approach to campaigns and realized there is so much more in there that I've never looked at.

Campaign

Tiger Spirit
80th Fighter Squadron
F-16C Block 40

I planned to show the DPRK Order of Battle but it was just too many pictures.

But just for the overall picture I'll list the important ones:
Two squadrons at Panghyon North/North-West of Pyongyang with 18x Q-5's and 18x MiG-17's each.
A few miles east of those at Taechon there are two squadrons with 18x MiG-19's (J-7) and 18x MiG-21's (J-8) each.
And another few miles east of that at Kaechon there is a another squadron with 18x Q-5's.

I'll show Panghyon, for reference, east of them you have the two other airbases:



Nothing too serious so far.

Adding to those they have MiG-29A squadrons far up North-East that I don't expect to meet just yet.

China is active with pretty serious assets, Su-27 and Su-30MKK, far up North-East in Shenyang and Liuhe.




Planning

So what do we have to deal with those.
I won't bother you all with the complete OOB but this is the initial ATO:



As seen most flights are late starters as the campaign starts off at 08:00 already and I plan to make a classic HARMCAP as I've learnt from DBond

To not fly all blind and seeing the first AWACS comes around some time after 10:55 I decide to frag an AWACS with a 2-ship Eagles HAVCAP taking off 5 minutes before me (I plan to go at 08:15)

What I did forget was to frag a couple of A-10 flights.

Once the AWACS package has been created I arrange my 2-ship flight from Haeju:



Having spent some time on the map, most nearby known SAM sites have been marked and I also put a HARM point in a good stand-off position - planning to keep that one as I work through the red airdefence the upcoming flights.

As you can see I have also arranged for a frontline from coast-to-coast (took me two pre-planned lines)

Campaign has also been loaded with BMS-Inclement weather and "Maps auto update" is ticked in weather setup.

First Flight

I commit the flight with RAMP having some 15 minutes to get all things up and running and looking out my rain stained cockpit I see my wingman and an all empty airbase.

Knowing airbase activity will spark later on I do feel very lonely at this very moment as tension starts to build up realising the two of us will be the first guys entering enemy territory.

But I've learned my "DBond moves" and will not fly blind as the AWACS soon will start calling out contacts.

Taking off and hearing ATC call out "Resume own navigation" I know the game is on.

I take the freedom to head for steerpoint 3 straight on and as #2 calls airborne I look at the landscape covered in BMS Inclement Weather:



Once at angles I take a look outside at my "1999 Campaign Graphics"



Reaching steerpoint 3 the first SA-2 (and an eager SA-3) shows up on the RWR and I switch the left MFD from FCR to the HAD having a look at what my HTS pod can see from under my left intake.

I select the first of my two planned SA-2 sites to be killed this flight preparing to call my wingman on it as soon as it turns red.



Soon enough I get that awaited RWR launch warning and I call wingman to attack my target while I bank left activating my ALQ and while doing too much at the same time I glance outside seeing an angry missile heading right at me and expecting disaster I just hear a dark swoosh and with my nerves on my outside I do the stupid thing to check external keen to get a good picture for you guys only to notice two missiles just passed us:



Classic Falcon stuff one usually forgets to slam the printscreen since one is totally occupied trying to survive but this session was meant to be an AAR and I managed to keep focus on taking pictures - but it can be fatal.

I survived this time but it is a stupid move

Turning back into the next SA-2 I planned to kill (steerpoint 4) I notice the first one has gone silent, good job wingman!



Only 20 miles out I let go of my first HARM and keep turning left/north.
Suddenly a chirp on the RWR notifies me I'm aboot to overfly a g'dmn SA-15.
I try to flank him having another SA-2 up north in mind as I hear my wingman starting to engage MiG-21's.
Activating the datalink trying to keep a good SA only to realize I really don't have a clue what's going on haha.

In the mist of chaos I make an effort to reach and kill that northern SA-2 and once my last HARM is off I activate the datalink in continuous mode looking for my wingman that's been calling out MiG's all the time.
I find him and a nearby MiG-21 (according to AWACS) and launch my first slammer. I does track well but I've done blue-on-blue before so these seconds are nerve-wrecking.

Just a minute later I find my black-smoke-trail-evasive-manouver wingman being chased by another MiG-21.
I lock him up in doghfight mode using boresight and just then I get hit by something (debrief told me it was an SA-15) and my HUD goes bye-bye. I expect "nothing" as I press the launch button but off goes a hungry 120C and splash one bandit:



We're both two black-smoke birds and I call wingman to RTB and look down to see two black MFD's.

My luck is running out fast and I need to get the hell outta'here.

I switch on my TACAN but get no signal.
Turn south with the help of the classic compass.

I still have good engine but no AB so I start a long slow decent through the think clouds.

Once I see the ground I can see the southern suburbs of Pyongyang and I call AWACS for heading to home plate - Now the move to frag an AWACS flight manually comes off as a very good decision. Once again, thank you DBond

After a very confusing zig-zag flight I manage to see the runway but calling "Emergency" only give me a tower response of "yada yada emergency vehicles" (that part is so cool though) followed by "missed approach, abort" - Are you kidding me?

I do a "go around" manually and almost lose sight of the runway but manage to line up for a landing.



Without the FPM and a pretty unforgiving weather I make a perfectly fine touch down (to my surprise).



This was one of the most intense flights I've had for a while and being a bit Falcon-rusty I told myself:
"Welcome back to a true combat simulator, Mr.Oden".

Debrief

Excellent rating! (no thanks to Mr.ATC)
Two Fishbeds and two Fan Song killed.
Wingman killed one Fan Song and a ZSU23-4 (never noticed!).
..and he got home (he called for alternate so he's out there somewhere)




With that result I updated the planned threats removing the two SA-2 sites and marked that pesky SA-15 (part of a moving HQ battalion so it will degrade in value over time) and one now detected AA unit:





Mission Type: AI
Flight Unique Id: Serpent1
2 Ship Flight
Ac type: F-16CM-40
Contry: U.S.

FLIGHT EVENTS
Event theOden joined as Serpent11 at 08:00:19
Event SA2 launched at theOden 08:26:06
Event SA2 launched at theOden 08:26:16
Event SA2 launched at theOden 08:26:27
Event DPRK Fan Song F destroyed by Serpent12 at 08:26:40
Event SA2 launched at theOden 08:27:58
Event DPRK Fan Song F destroyed by theOden at 08:28:04
Event DPRK ZSU23-4 destroyed by Serpent12 at 08:29:34
Event DPRK Fan Song F destroyed by theOden at 08:31:05
Event DPRK MiG-21MF downed by theOden at 08:33:04
Event SA15 launched at theOden 08:34:00
Event DPRK MiG-21MF downed by theOden at 08:34:44
Event Serpent12 landed at 08:41:02
Event theOden landed at 08:50:16
Event theOden exited from Serpent11 at 08:50:43

Wow, awesome, and it's not even breakfast yet

Like you I love reading this stuff, so what a nice surprise to find this waiting after work. A great read Oden, and lots of nice details. You clearly do your preflight stuff (except for forgetting your Warthogs haha), and no doubt it pays off with elevated situational awareness and hopefully that translates in to better mission performance. And you are one of the best I've flown with at getting a wounded bird back home safely. Another impressive effort on your part.

Your HARMCAP did a number on the air defenses, and that's what's it for. I'm liking the weather too

I think you pasted the wrong pic on that last one

Nice AAR... and yet again I am tempted to start my own campaign and show you guys how a total newb does it!! Haha! I'm also getting the feeling that PAUSE and SCREENSHOT are two callbacks that should be mapped to the (shifted layer) HOTAS. What do you think?

I always admired the ability to make AARs way back when BeachAV8R was doing them.... I could never do it as once flying, I'm "in there" and do not really think about the ability to pause the action and get my SA back up again and get some screenshots.

Keep them coming!! Also love the references to the latest discussion in the "other forum" hahahaha!!

Very Nice... You making me want to try This newer BMS.

Thanks for another Ripping Yarn! Seriously I had quit flight sims almost 10 years ago & never really got that good at F4, now it is my main timekiller.

Just reading Dbond & ICE & others & struggling with the BMS tutorials I decided to start a campaign (autopilot set to fight) started working with buttons
& radars & weapons on the long ride to & from targets. Creating my own missions and starting to get a understanding of all that is going on just so
fascinating & fun I am spending almost all my gaming time on F4.

It is gonna be months or a year or 2 before I can write anything as interesting as you trail blazers but the work it takes to put this together is appreciated, thanks!

Wow, very nice work. Love the landscapes too. Awesome all around.