Air-To-Air Refueling - HOW TO CONNECT!! 

Enjoying your videos. It’s refreshing to see you cover “the basics” which so many content creators forget to mention. Many people are so caught up on by the book real world procedures, they forget that DCS game mechanics don’t simulate some of these things. These types of videos are essential for first time DCS pilots. Forget all of the real world, milsim, elitist shenanagins. Just keep it simple.

"Transfer complete. Disconnect." is BY FAR the most satisfying and rewarding voice line to hear in all of DCS. One of the major difficulties I had on refueling the F-16 is to maintain the perfect alignment (as perfect as humanly possible in that situation) with the Tanker. Having to manage deviation in all 3 axis of movements while hooked up to the tanker is extremely demanding on your hand-eye coordination. And in that aspect, the F-16 has one design choice that, in my humble "not-a-real-life-pilot" opinion, is not a good choice: As soon as you open your refueling hatch, it disables your autopilot, so you can't have the aircraft hold altitude on its own, and then you'll be constantly struggling with vertical PIOs during the entire process. I have a little bit more experience with A-A Refueling in the F-15 than the F-16 (which I only did once, a couple of days ago). In the F-15 (considering it's a "low fidelity" Flaming Cliffs aircraft), the autopilot can be used to maintain altitude and attitude and this alone eliminates the vertical axis of movement from your muscle memory workload, which in this circumstance, makes it A LOT LESS stressful. One other pro for the F-15 in this process is, simply due to it having two engines, you can minimise deviation on another axis of movement - the lateral axis - by simply controlling the asymmetric thrust on the engines. For instance, if you notice the jet deviating from the tanker to the right, you simply add a little bit of power on the right engine, and the Autopilot Attitude Hold will prevent unwanted roll caused by the asymmetric thrust. This still doesn't make Aerial Refueling an easy task by any means, but it certainly is less stressful than doing it with the F-16. But, to be fair, the F-16 has one small good point in the process. Since the refueling hatch is all the way back in the center of the aircraft, you'be seating further ahead (in comparison with the F-15) below the fuselage of the tanker, making the two position indicator panels easier to read.

You are correct. The proper procedure is to check switches safe (Master Arm off) and nose cold (FCR off) prior to re-fueling. Not a pilot but I am a weapons director and that is one of the safety calls that we make prior to pushing the fighter over to the refueling (boom) frequency.

07:16 ...would be nice to see one of the most critical moments from inside the cockpit. Thank you for your description, it is very helpful for a AAR noob!

You make it look so easy. Great content, keep it coming.

That was a joy to watch with great information and will watch a few more times till it sticks because seriously I've shot a hell of a lot of tankers down out of frustration which in a way feels great!

Hate that when I complain in ED forums that they say the positioning lights are bright enough and realistic. They are all but invisible. Worse than this in VR...

well ... overall just thank you so much for all the guides you have put out there to the community, you are probably the most practical and "go to the point" guy in these DCS guides, thanks brother, 5 stars

Excellent Advice ! And technic.

just point the flight path marker on the tip of the boom. That makes it so much easier. It's what they do in real llife as well. Then the operator is supposed to steer the boom around the cockpit so you don't hit it. In DCS there's a slight delay for the operator top steer it up and to the side around the canopy, so don't do it fast, but that's the way to go. Then you're already at the correct altitude.

Some great tips there, I've not seen those elsewhere :)

You made that look easy! I'm motivated

Well done. Finger tips good advice. Just curious what curves, spring, and hotas setting you use on that x52. I have x56 and recently upgraded to a metal gimbal hotas since I couldn’t do that his procedure! Needless to say, I still can’t AAR, so this is helpful advice!

Just got my “transfer complete” last night!!!

Great videos!!

I wonder how it would be with pressure sensitive stick. One way or another, probably the most difficult thing in this game. I feel like, I'm using lights just to make contact, once I'm in position, I just go by feel. Thank you for the video. I love the channel!

so smoothe at the end...i've only achieved connection twice, and immediately disconnected due to ocillation...will try to do it with finger tips, seems logical.

Devil's in the details. Tx!

Your sub number is surely missing a couple of zeros. Great flying and great videos, and I hope you keep at it. (That ALT+Backslash thing was totally new to me, and I've played DCS for a couple years now.)

I've been trying to drogue AAR with a tomcat and just can't seem to kick oscillating the pitch. It's such a snappy and responsive plane that one, makes it extremely difficult for me to even just try maintain alt and keep level. The F16 feels a lot steadier so I'm a little more confident in trying to AAR with it. This video certainly preps my mind that it's possible if you're patient. I'll just have to learn here and transfer knowledge to the tomcat ahah.

mate you make sick videos

Nice vid. Would be nice to have a more specific show & tell on the actual light indicators. Many vids talk about the lights but none really focus on what they mean and how to interpret what they are telling you to do.

Wow very interesting, thanks I’ve learned a lot … cool and exciting 👍

Nice tips! I've been practicing A LOT of AAR recently to the point that on the Hornet, it's almost pretty much routine to me. On the Viper tho, it is really proving to be a bigger challenge, sure I've completed transfers, but I just want to be perfect and just keep re-watching the tracks and do it all over again and correct my mistakes. One problem I've found was, the viper accelerates fast and decelerates just as fast when you spool up/down the engine; and you'll really feel this difference with the Hornet AAR. So, anticipation and counter movements are really the general "tips" I have in mind every time I practice an AAR. One question tho, how do you bring up the boom view? that's pretty sick for a screenshot :D cheers

good stuff! you should mention the way for your TACAN to display distance readout. Even more helpful once you turn your radar off. Tanker lights show up at precise 0.5nm away. Also worth mention for the Viper, once you get plugged, and something happens and you disconnect, the light from your right eyebrow will turn red, and you won´t be able to reconnect again unless resetting it by pressing "NWS, A/R Disc, MSL Step" button. Thanks for the tutorial!!

ALT Backslash! Jeez, I've spent HOURS with people trying to coach me on aerial refueling. Nobody ever said ALT!

in the immortal words of Doug Masters: This is da blue bird.. I be ready to refuel

Speed control is my biggest challenge. I can close up nice and easy, but matching speed is where it starts to fall apart. So, before even attempting to worry about the boom, you must be able to close up, pace the ship as far as you can without getting too jerky. Once you can do that, the rest is pretty straight forward.

Iv just started flying the viper. I can't see thet lights at all lol

Loving the videos is that the waited x52 ? Downloaded dcs torn between f18 or f16 what to learn and stick with it

Got the same stick with 25 for curves and 2 for dead zones on both axis Tried bomb mode with speed brakes to have more throttle fine adjustment I can’t manage to refuel the F14 I’ve spent so many years trying

when i do the UHF radio keybind it just does the normal one

When you want to prevent to squeeze the stick; hold a pencil between with your index and ring finger over your middle finger. For relaxed rudder input; wiggle your toes.

also, switich to CAT 3 instead of CAT 1 on the FBW. makes it a lot easier too. I just glide right in on that setting.

One of the hardest things to do in DCS

Don't forget to close the fuel door or try it and see what happens :)

Looks like your stick is easier to do that with than the Thrustmaster A10 HOTAS. I do know that I suck at using the boom vice the basket...sigh.

what kind of stick do you have?

Oh shit that's why I couldn't get shell 1-1 to respond. Didn't know about alt+\

I find using the basket on the f-18 much easier

I have a feeling I'm going to shoot down the tanker at least half a dozen times once I try this!! lol

Except for me, when I push Alt \ F6 and in my case F4 the contact Arco 4-1, he doesn't respond at all, and neither does Arco 3-1 in my DCS Squads server.

Just knowing that I have to be right behind them and get a ready instead of return is probably most of my problem.

Anyone got the music of the intro its really good ngl

Just the tip u say?

At the beginning I saw an explosive way to refuel the f16.

Still easier the Top Gun on NES!!

tried on my xbox pad but hell no ain't happenin

Fingertips... who would've known.

I fly in a keyboard tho

What map is that?

Ouais mais t’es courbes de stick ne reflètent absolument pas la réalité ou dans un F16 le stick bouge à peine de quelques millimètres…ici forcément c’est beaucoup plus facile mais pas réaliste du tout

F18 much easier

Not a good tutorial at all. Definately won't help newbies. One definately need to adjust the roll and pitch sensitivities to ensure they they can microadjustments easy. I had to keep tuning on the vkb gladiator to get it right. The other things is zoom level on the field of view and the perfect frame to which the tanker will connect. There is a sweet spot. The other thing is getting used to reading the tanker green light markers to tell you if you are too high or low in altitude and how far and near you are to the tanker. The lists goes on.