DCS F/A-18C Hornet Tutorial - CAS & Interdiction - Flying the Overhead

Hey guys, This DCS F/A-18C Hornet tutorial covers some of the debriefing points we had in our last CAS and Interdiction Focused Sunday mission which you can find here: • EPIC 1200 UNIT DCS MUL...
Please keep in mind that this video applies to all of the aircraft in DCS World not just the F/A-18C. We are going to go over tips and tricks for finding targets with your targeting pod, as well as how to fly most effectively in the overhead around a target area may that be a strike target, an interdiction killbox or a CAS request from friendly ground forces.
0:00:00 - Intro
0:00:40 - Situation & Targeting Pod Tips
0:04:10 - Aircraft Setup
0:11:55 - How to Fly the Overhead
0:15:30 - Engaging Short Range SAMs
0:22:55 - Searching for and Engaging Armor
0:31:20 - Wrap up and Review
►►System Specs DCS/Gaming PC:
GPU: GeForce RTX 3090
CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-10900K CPU @ 5.20GHz
Memory: 64 GB RAM 3600mhz
Current resolution: 2560 x 1080, 144Hz
►►System Specs Dedicated Server/Video Editing PC:
GPU: GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3800X @ 3.9GHz
Memory: 32GB RAM
►►Here is a link to my Patreon Page every bit of support helps make awesome DCS videos and missions possible!
/ spudknocker
►►If you want to contact me with feedback on videos or want to collaborate feel free to join my personal discord here:
/ discord
►►And if you do donate to my Patreon make sure to link your discord account for your Roles in my Discord server.
Warthunder dcs apache amraam dcs f/a-18c tutorial mirage f1

[@Spudknocker]

Hey guys, if you would like me to go into more detail on where you can expect to find targets like tanks, or SHORAD or APCs let me know in the comments here, I have a whole study done by analysts during the Cold War!

[@tenderkaj3632]

I would love it!

[@mikechin185]

You definitely know how to teach people the finer parts of flying! Would pay you more than just a donation. The tutorials are excellent I am a newbie to DCS but have flown simulators from 1985-1993 then stopped for work and kids. Retired now so I’m all in !!!

[@Spudknocker]

Awesome dude! What ever you think is fair works for me and no pressure at all!

[@bruto12]

Excellent video and extremly interesting matter. Once you are able to take off and land, the most difficult aspect to understand is how you should perform the missions. This video is a big help. I would need help to understand other kind of missions, in particular barcap ...

[@daronsneed8180]

As always, fun, educational and helpful! Thanks Spud!

[@SGTJackMorgan]

Nice tips! This one is going to get a few re-watches from me since I have really taken to the ground strike roles.

[@youraveragejoe9298]

Hey Spud, it would be awesome to see your setup! My favorite part of flight sims is all the kit you can get, so it would be awesome to see yours! Thanks!

[@Spudknocker]

Good idea!

[@PolTen72]

Nice info to take into account. Thanks Spud.

[@SteviePonder123]

The HSI grid mode combined with JTAC is also pretty useful, you might have brought it up in some part of the video I missed. Anyways spud, you and ralfi's tutorials are making DCS soo accessible its crazy, keep up the good work man

[@Spudknocker]

So true!

[@stewartckeith1]

where is this HSI grid mode? AG Radar?

[@SteviePonder123]

@@stewartckeith1 HSI - DATA - GRID, you can then select a grid and enter coordinates, you can also hit the "precise" button to get even more accuracy. I think there is a bug or something right now where if u move your TDC a tiny bit after selecting a grid square it cancels it so i just use the enter key.

[@romangmunder4238]

Thank you spud for another great tutorial. Although i'm not using it a lot personally, i would imagine that the markpoints could help newer pilots to sort the targets or quickly attack multiple targets when jdams are available.

[@EbonySeraphim]

@@SteviePonder123 does this give the F/A-18C a target designation from the coordinates? That's pretty cool. Most certainly you should be making a markpoint of it though. Unlike the A-10C which generally holds onto a SPI until you overwrite it, the F/A-18 seems to be much more loose such that a slew off of a selected target changes it. Essentially the SOI is always designating the SPI.

[@gregpruitt1647]

This was one of your best training videos.

[@FrankPetersonIII]

Very helpful, thank you.

[@sloppydog4831]

Hey Spud, great video. Yes, I would like to see what Cold War analysts said about enemy placements. And your video showed how throughout one has to be to find targets. Casmo made a video showing that the engagement part is the last part of an attack, pilots spend lot of time looking for targets, then assembling a mental picture of the area, and then making the best strategy to attack. Real life, and DCS, are not just a point and shoot videogame, and your tutorial here showed just that.

[@german7ospina]

Hey Spud Thank you a lot for the help, nice video

[@EbonySeraphim]

I guess there's a difference between real tactics and "DCS tactics" sometimes. For example, there is sensible tank and AA/AAA placement to cover airspace which requires some level of exposure in real life, but in DCS you'd be surprised how many missions place AA/AAA in places that is adjacent to a building or buried in trees. Buried in trees is especially nasty because AAA fire and missiles don't seem to collide on them while at the same time, they can track and see you, while your ability to spot them is basically zero. Even shy of that scenario, lots of "next to buildings" scenarios happen such that you pretty much always want to fully circle your target before flying close to it if buildings are tall enough. You didn't mention for A/C setup: consider where your TGP is placed, and how to place munitions next to it that won't occlude it. JDAMs are far smaller than their equivalent laser guided versions. So unless you need to hit a moving target, stick with those. Also jettison fuel tanks. In the F/A-18C you've most certainly emptied external fuel tanks before getting on station. These are "DCS things" as JDAMs IRL are far more expensive than dumb versions, and likely more expensive than laser guided versions as well. Fuel tanks may also have a cost that pilots don't want to just throw away because of convenience. Also, mark points. Though they aren't as convenient to use as the A-10C, in more dense areas, I would at least create one as a reference point to get sensors in the right area or areas to examine.

[@jakubdabrowski3846]

Good video, full of useful advices. I found GBU-38 bombs equally effective against SA-8 as Mavericks, if you fly at proper speed and altitude.

[@Spudknocker]

Just stay above FL200 and you should be good!

[@jameswilliams1085]

Very interesting. Thank you. I know your Real Life and Virtual comitments are huge , but , would a ten minute video on Mark Points and transfering that data to the TP be posible? Or, if another viewer would be able to point me to an article/video? As always, thank you.

[@skiinginmt]

Kept thinking your black mouse curser was a bug on my screen 😂

[@Spudknocker]

Seems to be a MT bug

[@pccs10]

Hey Spud,awesome video! Could we get the mission file to try it out?

[@TwistTornado9]

Which targeting pod do you recommend, ATFLIR or LITENING?

[@99AudiMan09]

your head tracking is so smooth compared to mine. i feel like i found your settings on the forum somewhere and copied them and mine is still not as smooth. mine isnt terrible, just not AS smooth as yours haha

[@Spudknocker]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKOmZHx5a9R5pas This should help!

[@MrChaosProf]

Why does laser code 1687 feel so wrong? :)

[@lcn2snipe]

Hey spud! Im new to patreon and not to sure how it works, but ive purchased the one for lessons and was wondering how to set that up with you? I think ive sent you a message on patreon but my app seems to not work very well so im not sure if it actually sent. Anyways great content as usual 👌

[@Spudknocker]

Hey man! Thanks a ton for supporting the channel! Please send me a PM on Discord, the Patreon interface kinda sucks

[@klausgrothe7197]

Awesome information. But why you add this disturbing music??

[@iuliand.8446]

Any chance to get the mission file? THX

[@indigosaiyan4738]

how can I get the livery? looks amazing

[@Spudknocker]

Join my discord!

[@VET0264]

I stopped watching the grim reapers, you n drewskii rok. I was a crew chief on the F-4e at Ramstein AB Germany 81 to 83, Spudknocker.. what do you fly or flew previously??

[@KP-lt4kt]

What skin is that in the intro?

[@Spudknocker]

Custom skin I made for our ongoing campaign

[@fonesrphunny7242]

8:55 ... and then you play online, realizing that most of the time targets are just semi-randomly scattered around convenient waypoints.

[@Spudknocker]

Targets are realistically placed in my missions!

[@Ijustpooted]

So I’m doing something wrong because I’m definitely not able to laze targets lol

[@TubaHorse]

What plane are you flying? If it's the F/A-18C, make sure your laser is armed w/ the switch on your right panel, then in the FLIR screen make sure [MARK] and [TRIGG] are boxed, which means the laser will activate on trigger pull

[@lordlazerwolf]

It's really hard to focus on you and what you are saying with the music. Thanks for all the great content though!

[@simx98]

Hey guys not spud here