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Thread: Night AAR Questions

  1. #1
    Retired Pilot Tex's Avatar
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    Night AAR Questions

    Snoopy et al.,

    I had a question on night AAR in the A-10 as it is something that I have been working on lately in DCS. Do you all use NVGs in the contact position during night AAR or de-goggle prior to contact? It appears from the 476 checklist that you do not use goggles (which matches what I have found in the actual A-10 procedures) but I am having a hell of a time seeing the tanker with out 'em. It seems the KC-135 in DCS doesn't have under-wing/nacelle lights which are normally on during night AAR. The slipway lights up the boom fine once in contact but I can't see my visual references on the tanker. Is there something I am missing in game to get those lights on? Do I need to adjust my monitor/graphics settings? How do they do it in the real A-10? I ask as we have done it both on and off goggles in the MC-130 depending on the situation. Thanks in advance.

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    Member Crom's Avatar
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    I'll let the smart guys answer, but for me I'm always green when doing night AAR. As I have found the same problems as you tex. No proper lighting in game and when you start running mods like sweetfx which makes blacks blacker by eye visibility is much harder.
    Crom Wills it[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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    Member JayPee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Crom View Post
    No proper lighting in game and when you start running mods like sweetfx which makes blacks blacker by eye visibility is much harder.
    I have exactly the same issue. I'm not saying my checkride would've been perfect otherwise but it almost cost me my IQT night ride.

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    476 vFG Founder Snoopy's Avatar
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    Refueling with NVGs on will fail your MQT check ride.. No one should be refueling at night in the 476th with goggles on, that is direct disregard for published internal procedures.

    Talking to pilots in the real 75th and 76th yes they do wear NVGs but only when the tanker has external nvis lighting.
    Last edited by Snoopy; 24Mar15 at 19:11.

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    Member JayPee's Avatar
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    Huh, how will that have you fail the checkride?

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    Member Crom's Avatar
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    Understand what it says in 476th documents. But like was stated above people's setups all have different contrast ratios and the fact dcs world does not portray proper lightning one would think it's a mett situation. Also other factors come into play like the ambient lighting in this bad sim engine. Putting myself into the shoes of a pilot I would not even attempt to AAR if I can't see shit by eye and request the tanker go nvis for green. But we don't have that ability in this sim. I can do both by eye and by green not worried about it but their is certain conditions in this sim that will make it very unrealistic by eye due to the crappy lighting and setup of the tanker.
    Crom Wills it[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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    476 vFG Founder Snoopy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JayPee View Post
    Huh, how will that have you fail the checkride?
    Because it CLEARLY states NVGs are not to be worn when air refueling. What part of that isn't clear?

    Quote Originally Posted by Crom View Post
    Understand what it says in 476th documents. But like was stated above people's setups all have different contrast ratios and the fact dcs world does not portray proper lightning one would think it's a mett situation. Also other factors come into play like the ambient lighting in this bad sim engine. Putting myself into the shoes of a pilot I would not even attempt to AAR if I can't see shit by eye and request the tanker go nvis for green. But we don't have that ability in this sim. I can do both by eye and by green not worried about it but their is certain conditions in this sim that will make it very unrealistic by eye due to the crappy lighting and setup of the tanker.
    Seems like a lot of excuses to me, I don't have a problem and use sweetfx.

    Basically I read "I know what the 476th rules are but I ain't gonna follow them."

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    Member Crom's Avatar
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    Seriously? Thats not what im conveying at all. Interjecting some real world common sense. Just because it states something in a OI, Sop,ttp, doesnt make it the proper procedure for all situations. Hence the question, if you cant see shit by eye it only makes sense to go green. Im sure like me you have seen countless night AAR youtube videos? When the pilots are going in just eyeball its very bright with proper lighting. I can speak to this from the Pit of an c-130 as i was lucky enough to witness an AAR refueling at night with out nvgs. Lighting is very sufficient. Dcs world is nowhere near the proper level.
    That being said like many things that lack in this sim it will be sucked up and executed. Not making excuses simply listing the short comings of this particular aspect of this sim.

    In regards to sweetfx im pretty positive we all have different config setups in that regards, which you can simply deactivate in game at night for these situations.
    Last edited by Crom; 24Mar15 at 19:53.
    Crom Wills it[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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    476 vFG Founder Snoopy's Avatar
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    Actually in the USAF if it is written in an OI then yes you have to do it. to do otherwise will result in a QA fail or an IG finding.

    Now that we've gone completely off topic my answer to the original question is in post 4.

  10. #10
    Retired Pilot Tex's Avatar
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    Thanks for the quick feedback and answers. Having been on both sides of many similar arguments, this thread is starting to sound like a real flying squadron with the back and forth As a guest, I'll abstain from offering my opinion but I do have a follow up question. Can someone post a pic or video of night AAR in DCS without goggles? One in the astern and one in the contact position would be ideal. I imagine there are some tweaks to my graphics/displays that will help do it un-aided. As I'm set up now, I can see the 2 wing lights, tail light, and director lights but no outline of the actual tanker.

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