Welcome to the 20th Virtual Fighter Wing and your first flight the 20th way

1. Welcome to the 20th Virtual Fighter Wingand your first flight the 20th way O-Flight Presentation SEPT 2011

2. Introduction: The purpose of the Orientation Flight is to introduce you to the 20th Wing Multi-player Standard Operating Procedures (the SOP’s). This presentation will convey the information necessary to understanding the mechanics of Falcon BMS multi-player operations, and the Standard Operating Procedures the 20th employ each time they fly. During the orientation it will be confirmed you comply with the 20th VFW SOPs as detailed in the New Pilot Checklist: Pilots must be fully prepared for this O-Flight which, includes all ports are forwarded. Please do not request an O Flight until all the above have been completed.

3. Port Forwarding & Speed Testing • Prior to attempting any online flight with Falcon you must ensure the following: • all anti virus software is turned off (Norton Anti Virus is prohibited); • Windows Firewall and Windows Defender are disabled through the Services menu of the Control Panel; • If behind a Router, ports 2934 to 2936 and 9987-9989 UDP are opened • Go here http://portforward.com/ for router configuring information and • Go here http://portforward.com/help/portcheck.htm to download a free Port Checker applet; • Go here http://www.speedtest.net/ to check and record your upload/download speeds • If you need help with any of these procedures get on Teamspeak and ask someone to help you out.

4. Falcon Setup: Setup the following to comply with all other 20th pilots online Simulation Settings Sound Settings Graphic Settings Controller Settings

5. Falcon Setup: Simulation Setup your realism settings to comply with all the other 20th pilots per the screenshot above. Choose either Realistic or Enhanced padlocking. Smart Scaling is recommended

6. Falcon Setup: Graphics Set your Graphic settings based on your individual system performance UsingVertical Sync will limit your frame rates to the refresh rate of your monitor

7. Falcon Setup: Sound Setup your sounds similar to the settings above. These are the recommended settings, however personal preferences may be used. Comms setting may be adjusted to your preference in the cockpit and comms volumes have priority over all other sounds.

8. Falcon Setup: Controllers • Verify your Controller Settings are correct. Make sure you have the right keymap file loaded. • Make it a habit to operate & center your controls every time you start Falcon. • Check that all buttons and switches function as expected . • Set the lower detent if available by right clicking and the upper detent by left clicking.

9. Falcon Setup: Advanced Views The Guided snap view functions like the old 2D Cockpit. Ensure your Track IR is running before setting the above functions.

10. Falcon Setup: Advanced Flight Controls 10

11. Falcon Setup: Advanced Avionics If you have rudders attached to your joystick these settings may change. 11

12. Falcon Setup: Advanced Sound

13. Following the 20th VFW SOPs Now that Falcon is setup properly, we can focus on the 20th VFW SOPs. The SOPs are designed to take you from talking in TeamSpeak to flying in the fastest and smoothest fashion. Each step is described in the following slides.

14. SOP No. 1: Connect to the Teamspeak 4 voice communications server SOP No. 1 is to establish a Connection to the Teamspeak 4 voice communications server. Advise other pilots in Teamspeak that you are on line by stating your “callsign, Mic Check”

15. Connection Setup Start the Comms Window • Enter the Host IP address • Bandwidth 500 or as directed • IVC, enter Voice Server IP address • When host calls “ Host is hot, Lobby is up, Theater of choice and desired bandwidth”. • Select “connect” to join the chat lobby. • You may go to desktop and if you do simply click on the Falcon BMS button in the taskbar. • You’ll get windows as follows next.

16. Connection Setup • Once the pilot is connected to the host, a “connection established” Commlink status window appears. • Select ok and the window disappears leaving a blank User Interface (UI). • Select COMMS at the top of the UI and the Chat Lobby window will appear

17. Entering the Chat Lobby • Upon entering the chat lobby type a text message in the text window, preferably the number of pilots you see in the lobby window. • Once all pilots have entered the chat lobby the host will initiate an IVC check in chat lobby order. • Each pilot will reply to the IVC check using the F1 key.

18. Entering the Game • The host will leave the chat lobby to set up the TE or Campaign. • All pilots will remain in the chat lobby until host has announce “Callsign in, clock stopped”. • All pilots will then join the TE or Campaign in chat lobby order.

19. Entering the Game • Commit to the host’s TE or Campaign by closing the chat window. • Select the online tab and click on the host’s name to turn it green. • Click on the aircraft in the bottom of the screen to commit to the game.

20. Host Invites Players to Join Game To stop clock select dropdown and select stop After you have established a connection with the Host the Host will setup a dogfight/TE/campaign mission and announce “Game is Up”. You will be asked to comply with Rules of Engagement settings if your game settings do not match. If you are hosting you will be prompted to choose the ROE. Clients will accept data from the host and enter the mission schedule screen. Once in the mission schedule stop the clock and announce (callsign) is in the game, clock is stopped". If you are the last player in announce the time of the stopped clock.

21. Flight Planning - Join a Flight/Package Join a flight by specific package number: The Takeoff time, Role, Package, and Status are displayed at the top of the MISSONS box. Look under the Package column, you will see numbers. That is the Package Number. The Host might say, “Join Escort, Package 3690.” You would find, 3690, and click it. You would then be viewing the package 3690 information. To fly within that package click on one of jets. This will place you in that flight and you will now see your callsign under the jet. Only flight leads may make changes to the steerpoint locations and loadouts. These are package numbers

22. Flight Planning and Briefing Assign Mission Commander, and Comm Channels. Each flight moves to its assigned Teamspeak flight channel to conduct their flight planning. This includes verification of flight callsign, comms, objective, targets, time on target, weapons loadout, threats, attack profiles and any other miscellaneous information. Munitions changes may only be done by Flight Leads Once flight planning is completed and all Flight Leads have made a call onIVC F1that their flight is ready to conduct a mission briefing, a mission briefing is conducted utilizing the IVC communication channel. This is a short, quick, briefing to communicate each flight's items that are crucial to the mission. The mission briefing is conducted by Flight Leads only. When the mission briefing is complete, a ready call shall be made. Flight members, 2, 3 & 4 to flight lead on the Teamspeak, i.e., ...Falcon 12, ready, Falcon 13, ready etc. Then, on IVC F1, Flight Lead announces "Falcon Flight ready". For this O-flight, you will be demonstrating that you can connect to the host, can understand and follow the SOP’s, can line up on the runway in the 20th Standard Takeoff Formation, can takeoff and fly to Angels 10, @ 350 Knots, on runway heading.

23. Flight Planning - Ordnance Only Flight Leads shall change aircraft ordnance for their flight. To change an aircraft’s ordnance you must deselect the other aircraft within the flight. Click all other pilot name, pressing their callsign button. The button will deselect and be shown as OUT. The callsign button of the aircraft that you want to make a loadout change to should remain pressed IN. Selected Deselected

24. SOP No. 8: Conduct a “Ready” Check-in • When the mission briefing is complete a ready call shall be made by each pilot. Flight Lead will initiate the ready call by saying “Falcon 11, ready.” • Flight members (if they are ready) will respond in sequence: “Two, ready”, “Three, ready”, “Four, ready” to flight lead on the Teamspeak channel • On IVC, Flight Lead will announce "Falcon Flight ready“ to other participating flights

25. Conduct “Committing” Call • Conduct “Committing” Call upon completion of the “ready” check-In. • The Host will commit to the game first by announcing "(callsign) committing to ramp/taxi" and selecting the Aircraft in the bottom right corner of the mission schedule screen. • The host will then call “All pilots, man your jets" signaling all other pilots to press the Takeoff button and commit. • Do not commit until after the host. Nothing needs to be stated by any of the other flight members until the in the jet.

26. Committed – countdown to departure After you commit you will see the Commit screen. At the 20th we normally do Ramp starts for all missions. In this mission we will be doing a “Taxi” start. “Ramp” starts normally require 20 minutes to complete. NOTE: If you commit after the departure time you will be put in the jet wherever it may be.

27. Committed – loading screen Get ready to fly. Falcon decompresses the data and loads objects into RAM. Keep comms to a minimum until you are in the jet. Loading Progress Bar

28. “In the Jet” Call and Taxiing Procedures • Once you are placed in the cockpit make the call “(your callsign - pit), in the chat window. • At this point mute your Teamspeak Speaker. • Now conduct a quick systems check in preparation for taxi. • When Lead is ready, he/she will make the call “(Flight Call sign) Ready to Taxi”. • Wait for the pilot ahead of you to make their radio call and then announce over VHF, “(your position #), Ready to Taxi“. (Note departure time is tightly scheduled. Working diligently to make your “Ready to Taxi” call allows sufficient time for taxi and departure). Have tower direct ground crew to remove your chocks. • Once everyone in your flight has checked-in, the flight lead should ask for clearance to taxi and proceed to taxi the flight to the runway. Wait for the jet in front of you to begin to move and also to hear the radio call that they are taxiing. When it is your turn, turn off parking brake, add throttle and call “(your position #), taxi” as your aircraft begins to roll. • Line up on the runaway as briefed/directed. • Depart as briefed/directed.

29. Prepare for Departure “Lead is position and hold Runway 16 Right” “2 is position and hold Runway 16 Right” “3 is position and hold Runway 16 Right” “4 is position and hold Runway 16 Right” This is the 20th Standard Departure Formation. Lead on downwind side of runway. We depart 2 at a time from this formation if load out permits, otherwise singly at 10 – 20 second intervals, determined by flight lead. During your O-Flight you should line up on the runway according to your position shown above. To complete the O-Flight, you will takeoff, climb to 10,000ft MSL, @ 350knots, on runway heading. Once at these parameters, make a call to the IP that you have arrived at these parameters. The O-flight will then be complete.

30. Flight Lead announces "(flight callsign) is Go" After takeoff, Flight Leads announce on UHF 15, "(flight callsign) is Go". This call occurs when all members in your flight are airborne and gear up. It is made so all of the other flights in the mission know that the entire flight is airborne and on route If at anytime, there is a problem, it is the responsibility of the flight lead to inform the mission commander and the other flight leads of the situation Fly the mission as briefed/directed RTB and approach airbase as briefed/directed

31. Crash/Ejecting Procedure All Pilots, excluding the host, who have either ejected or crashed should back out to the mission planner to prevent negative effect on the Mission (simulation player bubble). Under no circumstances should the host exit the game until all pilots have returned to base. It is recommended that all pilots remain in your jet until everyone has landed and is parked. This will keep your empty jet from moving around and possibly causing an accident. If you wish to rejoin the Mission, you must first obtain clearance from the Mission Commander via Teamspeak or by pressing F1.

32. Landing/Debrief After landing, exit the game and conduct a thorough debrief. Evaluate everything you and all other pilots did well, and everything done not so well. Learn from both. Use the ACMI tape to break down the mission, it can help you find out exactly what you did right and/or what you did wrong. The host should be the last person to the Desktop after the flight is complete.

33. Have Fun The final SOP is the most important. Get out there and have fun. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. We all have and will. Ask for suggestions for improvement from our skilled membership.

34. Welcome To The 20th VFW Congratulations!!! You have completed the O-Flight presentation. We have just covered the details and reasons behind our SOPs. You should now be able follow the SOPs and demonstrate that you understand and can follow them to an IP during your O-Flight. You are now ready to contact an IP to complete your O-Flight. After successful completion, you will be course loaded into our Basic Pilot Training program.