Also, what is the proper protocol for dropping fuel tanks - max speed? Do you ever return to base with empty fuel tanks or always jettison before returning to base?

Anything carted for jettison so tanks, bombs, rocket pods but not missiles.

Selective Jettison (S-J) is OSB#11 on the SMS page.

Does selective jettison then override the normal jettison command, as in;

pre-selective jet, the button dumps 'all the heavy stuff'

post-select jet, the jettison command key jets what ever you profiled via the select jet page.

PS. regarding dropping the tanks. Even though stores don't cost actual money in BMS, the squadron stores are limited, and I have gotten to a point in one campaign where the 370 gal tanks supply was running low. Fortunately they didn't run out, but that's a thing to watch out for. I'm not entirely sure how squadron stores are set in the BMS Korea theater, but IRL it's possible that a squadron might not have one pair of wing tanks and one centerline tank for each and every aircraft in the squadron, as it's very rare or even downright impossible that every single jet will be in the air at the same time. So you can imagine that if you drop them in every mission they will run out very quickly.

The F-16 block 50 and block 52 in BMS are able to carry 7162 lbs of JP5/8 fuel internally.

1. concerns real world procedure. You guys wrote you'd only drop them in an emergency situation. How do you define such a situation? Does fighting other fighters, or avoiding anti-air already count as such?

I usually put the fuelindicator on external tanks during ramp and when empty I pop them off rarely having to think of their being or not when things go hot.

The "simulated" stabs be damned! My "simulated" logistics and maintenance staff will have a new one on before the next "simulated" mission.

Here's my impression of what the "uber realism" crowd deserve in a sim (we'll assume Balkans Camp):

Day 1
First, no time compression. You have to spend an hour in a briefing screen, where you are given all your ident, target intel, tanker, nav, radio, codewords and ROE (let's say a searching alt of 10,000 and an attack alt of 15,000. Only green miltary vehicles may be targeted and if there is a structure within 1000m of yout target you must call for clearance to attack..if you violate this during the mission you can't fly for 2 days in the campaign).

Next you spend 20 mins in a maintenance screen where you look over the logs on your jet and do a "simulated" preflight.

Finally you get into the jet to ramp start. After 30 mins you are scrubbed for weather and told to stand down for the day. You have to leave the sim running until 24 hours has passed. total time elapsed for no flying time: 1h 50m.

Day 2

Repeat all of the above. Take-off. 45 mins to tanker. 20 mins at tanker. 45 mins to target area....nothing there. an AFAC directs you to a lone APC in a revetment on the side of a hill, but by the time you get there weather has socked it in, and you're low on gas. 45 mins back to tanker. 20 mins at tanker. 45 mins back to target area. You see a red vehicle drive into a town and set it on fire and leave. due to your ROE's (which state only green military vehicles can be hit) you call for target approval. After 30 mins ABCCC calls denying permission to attack. 45 mins back to tanker. 20 mins at tanker. 45mins back to home base. Total elapsed time for no ordinance dropped: 8hr 45m.

Day 3

you look at a CSAR alert screen for 12 hours...no calls.


Sound fun?? No, it sounds like work. Like a job that only a highly trained and motivated person would or could do. I don't know about you but I fly falcon for fun in the time I have for such pursuits. I like the feeling that I am learning and employing real-world systems and tactics, but in the end I know it's a far cry from what it actually takes to leave my family and friends for months and strap on the jet everyday and get shot at.

So while you decry that some of us want what YOU consider an unrealistic mav loadout. Ask yourself where is your "reality" threshold?

Real World bring em home unless tactical requirements to drop, they cost $$ afterall