DCS F-14 Tomcat Air to Air Refueling Tutorial

[@MongooseTacticool]

Me: Ready pre contact Tanker: Return Pre contact x20 eat a sidewinder

[@sebastiaanfranckaert411]

Hahahahaha laughed pretty hard with this one

[@cloudreaper_6583]

for me I poured a good 100 rounds of 20mm into where the boom operator should be

[@XXNerdzillaXX]

I prefer guns. But yeah, that's my experience.

[@djmustang000]

"Do not look at the basket, look at the fuel pod". Wow! Huge thanks, super simple yet very effective tip, applies to all aircraft I've tried it with. Managed many contact almost effortlessly in a few minutes, while I usually wouldn't manage one properly in about 30-45 minutes of frustration and usually would just ditch trying to refuel altogether.

[@themalcore_]

Air to air refueling is one of the most frustrating thing to do in an aircraft. That's why as a RIO I will kick my feet up and relax while my pilot does all the annoying work lol

[@tanall5959]

Actually, the RIO has a better line of sight on the probe compared to the pilot. So your chauffeur would likely appreciate you calling corrections if they get out of sorts.

[@bazej1080]

Air refuel and formation flying in general is a lot easier in VR. On a flat screen it's actually more difficult than IRL.

[@DoveEnigma13]

Lol. Ditto bro

[@brycechetwynd4932]

@@DoveEnigma13 gay.

[@DoveEnigma13]

I see you want to use jester instead of a person lol

[@RedKiteRender]

Awh no shots of hookups from the rio's perspective! Awesome instruction as always Mav. Great to hear jester calling out fuel levels, though i suspect human rio's might have other things on their mind, like taking pretty pictures of your neighbours refuelling!

[@hvymtal8566]

I would hope not, my focus as RIO will be on the checklist, lineup, and fuel gauge, since I have two hands to work with and the pilot needs to fly the pod!

[@latein1148]

I tried to do refueling before watching this video and i was all over the place now watching this video im going to try and trim first then attempt to refuel. Thanks for the outstanding tutorial!!!

[@104th_pyromaniac5]

Finally, the Tomcat gets its shot at Fuel School! And like any of your AAR tutorials, done to perfection. Thank you. Can’t wait to put that flight model through its paces.. Very glad to hear it meets with your thorough approval, I’m expecting a relatively life changing experience the Wednesday after next.

[@Hellreign82]

Might change my Handle to 'The Oscillator' :D Cracking tutorial as per usual Mav. Top work

[@cowboy10uk]

Just sending this video to my pilot. He’s got some skills to learn. 👍 Love seeing some switch work from the Rio seat as well. I know it wasn’t much but it’s the first footage of someone operating working switches from the Rio seat we have seen.

[@derrickchennault6562]

Sweet. I was an air crew on a C-130 refueling squadron in the Suck. VMGR-252, 2nd MAW, Cherry Point. N.C. Sgt.

[@teb1687]

Disconnect checklist: forgot to add "flares"

[@ivan.exposito]

Tanker, tanker, we love you! Jester is the best.

[@J_C7-1]

Iván Expósito *Thank you Tanker, we love you!

[@averageaviationgeek9318]

@@J_C7-1 Just what I was thinkin'

[@reyco1987]

This is me gushing, but this is legit like dream come true stuff lol...growing up, watching Top Gun pretty much religiously. Now, getting the chance to learn how to fly the coolest friggin invention in the history humankind! ...and on top of that, the level of quality and simulation is apparently above anything we've seen so far on the stupidly awesomely fun DCS?! Son of a bitch, this is too good to be true! Very well put together vid btw, Mav. Very well flown too.

[@adamparsons1725]

+1000000 Are we there yet! Here I was thinking the F-5 was best thing ever(for a Top Gun Fan)...NOPE!!!

[@adamparsons1725]

Couldnt get over all the details in cockpit!! Man looks like this bird has been used, A LOT. Cool to see their attention to details, makes for a great 1st impression! Can hardly wait!

[@jamesc9001]

During the time I worked on the flight deck, we would occasionally see a Tomcat return and trap with a basket on it's probe. I wonder if that can happen in the DCS sim world? :)

[@fastfiddler1625]

Very great tutorial. Not looking at the basket is a hugely important tip that I should have deduced from real life experience in very regular planes. When landing, the last thing you want to do is look at your touchdown zone when you're crossing the threshold. It's a good way to screw it up. Instead, you should transition to looking toward the far end of the runway and I almost defocus my eyes because peripheral vision is what's going to help you feel your actual height. This is especially important to force yourself to do at night when your landing lights give you a nice little lit spot to stare at as you flare late and bang it on. Or I can blame my shoddy refueling work on my Logitech joystick.

[@davidblizzard9577]

Perfect timing. I moved overseas to Germany in late January. My desktop and flight gear finally gets here Monday. The day before the release.

[@Armysniper360]

Old school refueling, very nice. One of my favorite fighter aircraft of all time.

[@eatleadcobra]

Awesome guide. Still have a lot of practice to do, but after watching this I was able to tank enough fuel for mission 4 of the included Tomcat campaign. Great stuff!

[@chocken4867]

i find staring at the basket way easier than using my peripheral vision, it could just be me.

[@prichardgs]

THANK YOU for posting this! I have struggled with this for some time. Throttle control is my worst enemy.

[@104thMaverick]

Glad it helped mate, you're very welcome!

[@prichardgs]

@@104thMaverick Ok I have been working on this-a few problems- Trim-it seems to constantly want to travel up or down-gain altitude lose altitude-am I missing something? Throttle is still a problem-I think I am to aggressive -I'm using the winwing F18 throttle. Now in the F18-I have no problem-it's just the F14. Suggestions? I have learned so much from your videos-again thank you!

[@prichardgs]

And of course when I do get connected I get excited and blow it. like a teenage boy.

[@DanielLanducciSpotting]

Damn, best tutorial so far! Love it! Hope you bring more videos/tutorials/tips of Tomcat!

[@Warlock7seveN]

It puts the nozzle in the basket or it gets the hose again

[@crimsoninterceptor]

Really really well done tutorial, Gareth! Thanks! Love your videos!

[@MikeLitoris66]

Awesome vid with great tips. And like you said NEVER CHASE THE BOOM. That's the first thing i had to learn when doing AAR.

[@Scoobydcs]

youre SOOOO much smoother than me haha iv spent over an hour today trying to get plugged in and i was all over the place

[@WinchesterDelta1]

LoL i was just about to say... You should have let this vid be made by 104th Mav. Then i checked :D Great vid again man.

[@regamuffin2000]

Great video maverick, learnt a lot from your aar teachings over the dcs module course

[@Dg-zj6jo]

brilliant looks amazing sir

[@King2Stone]

That Tomcat livery is freaking sweet!

[@captaindutt6407]

excellent video sir! thanks for the help!

[@amosk24]

I like how jester is looking hard left as you're about to connect 😀

[@adamparsons1725]

Luck Bastad..LOL I know, I know, but are we there YET! Dusting off the Top Gun Soundtrack has begun! AWESOME video, Sir

[@soarsoar4218]

Seems that things are easier to learn when explained with a nice accent

[@504smudge]

Awesome vid! it's great to finally see a bit more of the back seat to, been itching to get my hands on this for months

[@RevFilmore]

Would love to see this with rctrl+enter so one can see inputs on stick and throttle. Guessing a lot here.

[@Froobyone]

Great video. You make it look easy. My time flying A2AR practice in the Bug, assures me it is not. Something's just jumped out at me about the Cat. Shouldn't the B variant (or more aptly, the A+ variant) have a combining-glass HUD? -and not the windscreen projection like the standard A? (Hoping I'm wrong and someone from HB doesn't go "DOH! Delay the release...")

[@Scoobydcs]

i thought the b was just a reengined a? the d got avionics upgrades which id love to see

[@Froobyone]

Yes, you are correct. Initially, the upgrade was the more powerful engines. After I posted that question I did some more research and uncovered evidence that the B model also had a later upgrade which included the fitting of a split-glass HUD. This happened in the late 90s and therefore after the date at which Heatblur's F14B is based. TLDR Heatblur got it right. :)

[@Ked_gaming]

Great moves maverick, tips are very usefull

[@Warman_12]

From 1 Jock to another, kraken Vid Mav.........Jester's hilarious.

[@104th_raccoon]

Well done as usual Mav! Counting the days. :)

[@h4wk_63]

VF-143

[@efoxneo]

Beautiful.

[@baltod4978]

This is surprisingly difficult for me to do in VR. I think my eyes get a little cross-eyed trying to make sure the pod is on the right side of the front handle- but still.

[@axiis1301]

I've always found it odd that the Tomcat's artificial horizon doesn't actually sit on the horizon like the Hornet. Gonna take some getting used to after many hours in the Hornet

[@Scoobydcs]

i really dont like the hud at all, its nearly useless to me

[@Prophet_waffle]

This had no right being so cinematic

[@Ohgr819]

Great tutorial as always Mav, thanks!

[@Mak10z]

Jester Mocks me! That Bastard! No Jester, you are not allowed to misquote Starwars at me!

[@jcbak]

Thanks for making these videos. I noticed that you have a clear view of the refueling pod throughout the process. My view in the cockpit is too high and I lose view of the pod long before contact. Did you adjust your default view? The handle on top of the canopy blocks my view of the pod. Not being able to view the pod makes things a little difficult when judging lateral spacing.

[@EnDSchultz1]

Don't know what control setup you use, but I add a keyboard modifier to my view control (Which I have to manage with a directional switch) that causes it to slew rather than rotate. So I can move my view down when refueling for a better view up and ahead.

[@GunSlingerAUS1]

Hey mate, I'm practicing the Tomcat with KC135, and I noticed in your video you dropped seat height to see the fuel pod. Did you just use the keyboard shortcut for seat down to do so, as it seemed very quick and accurate. I'm trying to figure out a keybind on my Virpil Throttle to do the same, but it's a much slower seat movement. Any ideas? Btw, great video! Thanks from one rather frustrated wannabe Tomcat pilot!

[@104thMaverick]

Hey boss! Try Rctrl + Rshift + Numpad 2 to go down and Numpad 8 to go up

[@GunSlingerAUS1]

@@104thMaverick ahh, so that's the same seat change speed as the default. Which is what I've bound to my throttle. In your vid it seemed that you dropped down much more quickly and accurately. Yet you just use the seat up and down binds? Thanks for clarifying.

[@104thMaverick]

I was using track Ir my friend so all I did was lower my head position

[@T-Tailer]

Pretty cool stuff, can't wait for it.

[@CakePrincessCelestia]

Nice guide there :) Being able to do this with a total lack of peripheral vision will be the ultimate challenge though, as it is already in any of the other modules ;)

[@ahmedkamal3227]

Thanks for the instructions, very helpful

[@jep1103]

Very informative and helpful...and I'm gonna need all the help I can get lol

[@robh4671]

cheers Mav excellent

[@josearjona]

Great video, do you have AFCS ON, I mean autopilot on or HOLD altitude ON?

[@104thMaverick]

No, AAR should be 100% manual with no aids

[@nicksmith2361]

Very good, informative video, thank you 👍

[@HEATER_]

Ok, Mav makes this look easy. And if you're like me (a DCS MO-RON!!!), "a li-il beh of practice" means, A LOT of practice in the Tomcat! You will practice your closure rate to the tanker ("Is that guy speeding up and slowing down???"). Lock the tanker up with your ACM radar, "Tie up" to establish your closure rate. You will Practice your proper trim. The Kitty likes to fly 5 degrees nose high (on the pitch ladder) for level flight. I personally switch my HUD to LDG to see the flightpath marker and more "rungs". Using all of Mavs wisdom, I place the 10 degree rung just above the basket and drive in. When you can let go of the stick to grab the mouse and call "Ready pre contact", and the kitty doesn't move, you have proper trim. Then you will practice the throttle. I split mine. I use both engines to get close to tanker speed, Left engine to fine tune my closure rate for contact (Then I will adjust my Right engine ONLY, to make that sweeeeeeet contact). I've been trying to A2A refuel this bird since its release. And for some reason, I always disconnect when I push the basket 10 feet too far forward (Oh yeah, there's that). To date, I now have 2058 tanker kills! I remember flying EF2000 for 3 hours trying to tank up before I realized, all I had to do was hit the basket with my HUD to connect. Brilliant or lame?

[@MongooseTacticool]

I can't AAR to save my life. Which is it's very purpose lol

[@स्वस्ति-renyks]

Thank you for guide, go to practice!👍🏽

[@104thMaverick]

You got this!

[@Parafundk4176]

Great video. Any chance you could add the controller input status window to see how you manipulate the throttle?

[@juniorslothsix5562]

YES THIS!

[@kayakutah]

Interesting. In the real world, the bow wave off the front of the F-14 always pushes the basket slightly to the right as you get close. Just wondering if that could be programmed into the model. It certainly would increase the realism.

[@Crainshaw83]

oi slag, yer lucky to have it that suoon, gud vid by de wey

[@Anaximander29A]

Air2Air refuelling is easy with the Tomcat?! ^^ Idk, maybe I am doing sth wrong. But for me refuelling the A10 is almost a piece of cake, while doing the same with the F14 feels very close to impossible. I am getting pretty close to the basket, but like 10feet away from it I am moving the stick like 1/10 mm too much and booom: Pilot induced oscillation.

[@104thMaverick]

PIO is normally initiated by the pilot looking at the basket, fight the temptation to do so my friend and use your peripheral vision instead and you’ll find it much easier 👍

[@Neelfy01]

Jeeeezus this is so feckin amazing and beautifull it almost made me greet! :-D Oh and nice to hear a fellow Scot for a change too ;-) \m/

[@averageaviationgeek9318]

My body is ready.

[@Jazzaconda]

Great Channel!

[@coxy8102]

Great stuff

[@hondarider100r]

Wings at 55 degrees makes it so much easier.

[@Tamburello_1994]

I can form fly all up in someone's face six ways from Sunday, but cannot mate with tanker with out fumbling it left, right and center...Very frustrating.

[@Relax2437]

Great video! Can you turn up your mic sound volume next time please? thanx!

[@arkady86]

Time to sing the Boom Operator song!

[@ghostrider1827]

good vid. Easy to understand; but the questions I have is....HOW DO YOU TRIM!?!?!?!?

[@104thMaverick]

Raffeal Morris I use the HAT switch on my joystick. You can assign trim controls in the F14 pilot options under Adjust Controls

[@ghostrider1827]

@@104thMaverick Roger that!! Thanks

[@Benny-high5]

It looks so easy.

[@gungriffen]

Hey Maverick, is Knight alright? He disappeared without notice.

[@104thMaverick]

He's doing very well mate, just a little bit low key at the moment but he's doing great.

[@gungriffen]

@@104thMaverick That's all that matters then, thanks.

[@RevFilmore]

When Jester says "lil left" etc - bank or rudder? Rudder at all?

[@keepwalking6041]

TRIM, how to TRIM, what i mean is i have set up the trim on my 8 way hat on the stick, but the up or down click is too much, it will overshoot, what i mean is i can't use trim to make the freaking thing to zero horizontal line, i will overshoot it, i need how should i say, slower movement per "click", is it possible to configure the trim button in same way as joystick curves? i don't get it, how do you do it? it seems no matter what i do i will either have airplane pulling gently upwards or downwards.. impossible to fly formation like this let alone refuel

[@GoldPicard]

I really kinda surprised you didn't slip in the "right now" from the Fighter Fling 2002 vid...….

[@xzxchx]

Ive been trying for hours and cant figure out how to 1: Set my trim right and 2: not panic and swerve all over. Ill keep at it for a little longer, but I have the idea that I'm never gonna get this down

[@mcthemis62402]

Love Me currently cursing this game for not making the damn tanker hose to come out...

[@DesertPunks]

Any luck?

[@pizzaparty-r1c]

When I get up to the tanker, the basket never extends out. Yes, I select precontact, but nothing happens.

[@arzhangsadeghi]

amazing tutorial, thanks ,

[@iberian21]

Great video!

[@baardk2]

I just wish the K130 could get the f*** basket out. It did before...

[@schnitzelmopi]

The KC-135's AAT doesn't give you bearing, only range. I'm not too sure about the KC-130, though.

[@PeterMatthess]

SO HYPED

[@patientmental875]

How did you get that view from the tanker?

[@Scoobydcs]

you sound like scott manley!

[@AliKiani7887]

Air refueling in night already has this instructions?

[@tea7923]

Hey do you have any tips for when you’re right in front of the boom? I put the same tiny inputs when driving in but it keeps crazy when I’m right at it and flings me. Also when I actually get the boom on it the thrust is too powerful and the cord disconnects 20/10 times. I literally almost smashed my joystick and rudder pedals doing this.

[@HEATER_]

I don't know if it was all the plugging and unplugging, but I've finally got a boner for this jet! Trust me, I've been fond of it since TopGun but a haven't reached for my wallet just yet. I remember waiting for the hornet. I'd hate to purchase early then get hit by a truck before I can fly it! Thanks Mav.

[@JayDKB]

I never got the hornet on the boom so I know I’m not getting this done

[@dwightestey9060]

Informative...thanks.

[@rws1467]

That video is the dogs bollocks!

[@mr.incognito8704]

Do you use curvature on the axis commands to make movements more precise?

[@104thMaverick]

Yes, I never recommend flying without any curves.

[@mr.incognito8704]

104th_Maverick thank you. How much would you recommend? Sorry but I’m new to DCS

[@104thMaverick]

Start with 15 on all 3 axis with a deadzone of 1 and see how you like it ;)

[@mr.incognito8704]

@@104thMaverick thanks a lot.

[@kabzebrowski]

Is this even possible on a cheap stick with no Tracker/VR? I'm trying with a PXN 2113 and so far no success, the throttle doesn't seem precise enough to keep formation, no matter what curve I try (I've conected to the basket but fail to decrease Speedo, it always change by too much). I'm using no curves for the stick since it's an analogic plane, but deadzones are high on ~15 to avoid play/drift.

[@104thMaverick]

Yes it’s possible, I made that video with a $40 flight stick. Try changing your deadzones to a maximum of 2, I recommend 1 and a curve of 15 on all stick axis

[@Hatredy11]

Is this with track ir? Any chance of a VR version? I have noticed the visual cues are different when trying to use your F-15 AAR tutorial.

[@DannyP159]

From what i know Mav doesn't have VR. Also whilst mavs visual cues are good and work well, you should be trying to find what works best for you

[@Hatredy11]

@@DannyP159 I'd be glad to. Can you give me access? lol

[@GW2Vids1]

What's your warthog settings, maverick?

[@104thMaverick]

Phobos Productions I don’t use one

[@GW2Vids1]

@@104thMaverick ohh which stick do you use?

[@JFulls94]

How on earth do you remain so still, even with trim my aircraft slowly osculates

[@104thMaverick]

Lots and lots of practice my good friend

[@turo6027]

i don't know why the tanker does not respond when i call the rejoining, it doesn't work even with the correct radio channel and i don't know what to do, can someone help me in some way?

[@Anthonychua1982]

How do you trim the cat perfectly level like that? No matter how I trim, my cat creeps up or down...

[@MasterUxi]

One of the autopilot options locks in the roll and another does heading.

[@محمداسماعلي-ع6ع]

مذهل رائع خلافة ممتازة جميع امكنيات

[@waffle3470]

When I go to refuel I fly straight through the basket and it does not connect. Watching you and every single other Air Refuel it looks like the drogue auto connects when you get close enough. But I literally fly through the whole drogue and basket and nothing connects. I submitted a ticket to DCS dev's along with video of the problem but they have yet to get back to me with a solution. Am I doing something wrong? Has anyone else had this problem? I fly as straight and smooth as he does in the video yet it does not connect.

[@104thMaverick]

You need to use the radio menu and select READY PRE CONTACT from the tanker menu before you connect mate