June 5th AAR

Pruned: 7/22/13 - SS

Now that the accolades are over so much for the AAR Good....time for an AAR, less than good.

What needs fixed, improved or modified?

Comms and Blue Comms..

I think special missions should be on their own comms. Example Trench Mapping, NJ, me and Zed could have dropped down to Blue Central. The rest of blue flight could easily drag Blue Central into their whispers set up for Blue Entente. That way, NavyJake as BFL, could be reached but the TM mission wouldn't have had so much cross-talk to deal with.

SS as the CM just naturally brings too much chatter to Blue Comms. Too much of it centers around...what's next boss? - No ones fault really, just kinda has to happen. Solution?

Wingmen trying to find each other...huge comms hit. Maybe we need to assign buttons to actually move channels, a channel up and a channel down. Lost wingmen drop to a channel called.....Lost & Found.

My perspective:

Trench Mapping - NavyJake element lead - We never did see the package (ZED) we did know that we were close around and a flare would have brought us to him if needed. The balloon near Pic 3 or 4 went nuts shooting flares. They yanked it down before we could kill it. Should this be taken out ASAP even before the mapper gets in the area? I think so. It could have cost the mission.

NJ and I got split up after the TM completed. Once we were together we were a bit late for Blue flight hook-up.

Assigned with other BF members to cap Assevillers then on to cap Moislains. In combat. We worked 3 bad guys, no kills but we got outta-Dodge safe. Used proper tactics and never lost each other.

With the bomber field capped, I wonder if we shouldn't have a few hunter-killers for the bombers.

Ok that's it for now. I guess COMMs will always be a problem. It always has in all the Sims I have flown. Just no way to make it perfect...but we can keep trying!

No.42_Duff4r wrote:

SS as the CM just naturally brings too much chatter to Blue Comms. Too much of it centers around...what's next boss? - No ones fault really, just kinda has to happen. Solution?

Sounds like too much chatter on Blue. Unless there is actual combat comms should be relatively sparse, leaving plenty of time for the CO to give his directions. If there is combat, directions can wait for a few until comms clear. Lacking that commo, the FLs should be giving at least temporary directions to needy pilots. One thing that might well alleviate some of the chatter is to only have FLs contact the CO instead of every pilot needing an assignment. That is how it was supposed to happen, but apparently we fell short.

Quote :

Wingmen trying to find each other...huge comms hit. Maybe we need to assign buttons to actually move channels, a channel up and a channel down. Lost wingmen drop to a channel called.....Lost & Found.

Can, but that takes them out of the Flight for that time. I think time would be better spent practicing formations and specifically rejoining after separation. If everyone is going the same direction at the same altitude it is impossible to get separated by much.

Quote :

I guess COMMs will always be a problem. It always has in all the Sims I have flown. Just no way to make it perfect...but we can keep trying!

Comms problems are inversely proportionate to comm discipline. It appears we need to practice that.

Not much for AAR here, but it does appear that the enemy is taking our offensive seriously. When I spotted the train I also spotted 2x enemies low, so worked to avoid them with my superior speed. They appear to have had another higher CAP that did the intercepting.

For the last set-up mission we may need to have some escort just to counter their tactics. Fighter sweeps through the area, especially since the random spawns will be right near the front in this last battle.

I agree Space.

This looks like a great training opportunity on a few levels. comms, formation and flight integrity. I got some good ideas that I would like to work on in the next couple training evenings.

I can tell you Red flight is working like a well oil machine lately. Rooster has become an awesome flight lead and our comms last night were pretty darn good. Especially if you consider we were spread across the map and then were able to vector in to find that flight of 2 seaters.

Could it be better? Yeah, always, but I have to say we have come a long way.

As far as their defense is concerned this plane set has to be causing them fits. I love the Pfalz but its just so slow there isn't much they can do if were smart.

First, I need to know the when and where of the 2seater engagements.

I'm getting an idea of how we can manage a fighter sweep for Space and still repeat the effective defense we made.

No.42_Duff4r wrote:

Comms and Blue Comms..

I think special missions should be on their own comms. Example Trench Mapping, NJ, me and Zed could have dropped down to Blue Central. The rest of blue flight could easily drag Blue Central into their whispers set up for Blue Entente. That way, NavyJake as BFL, could be reached but the TM mission wouldn't have had so much cross-talk to deal with.

Wingmen trying to find each other...huge comms hit. Maybe we need to assign buttons to actually move channels, a channel up and a channel down. Lost wingmen drop to a channel called.....Lost & Found.

I would hope we could avoid the difficulties Blue Flight had with sticking together. We were inefficient in conducting the first hour and might have saved the bridge otherwise. Training in formation flying and navigation will cure a lot of what happened. I know because I've had the same problems and a little bit of training helped me overcome this being a big issue. There will still be disorientation, miscommunication, and flight separations. Training will turn these into minor events. We're flying a map with a lot of visual references. Pilots should be able to determine their general location within a short time. Since the next game will be on a clouded hazy map everyone should make an effort at familiarizing themselves with it. Best done by flying around navigating to various points of interest. Using this time to familiarize yourself with what each target defended/attacked looks like is great preparation.

Splitting a flight on comms so one half can get back together will only further fracture the flight. So unless the flight has more than 6 pilots, moving to another channel is probably a bad idea. Training can be used to make pilots proficient at getting back together. The nature of including new recruits in the missions will mean we have some nursemaiding in our work load. I'm not against these new guys flying as long as we have spent some time with them and they are up to speed on required info. For a first mission, RedBravo did well. But knowing his lack of experience I gave Blue flight the assignment where that would likely have the least impact.

No.42_Duff4r wrote:

SS as the CM just naturally brings too much chatter to Blue Comms. Too much of it centers around...what's next boss? - No ones fault really, just kinda has to happen. Solution?

I try to write the missions with guide lines so flight leaders could figure out what to do if I wasn't there. The changing face of the actual mission makes the opportunity to ask worthwhile. For instance I had made the policy not to have fighters cross the mud, but found myself questioning that as soon as Space told me the train was CAPed. With Gold flight keeping HQ well secured the offensive sorties run by Red and Blue probably had more impact than the material results.

No.42_Duff4r wrote:

Trench Mapping - NavyJake element lead - We never did see the package (ZED) we did know that we were close around and a flare would have brought us to him if needed.

The irony is, I picked up and escorted Zed thinking it was Flybert until he turned north and kept going.

No.42_Duff4r wrote:

The balloon near Pic 3 or 4 went nuts shooting flares. They yanked it down before we could kill it. Should this be taken out ASAP even before the mapper get in the area? I think so. It could have cost the mission.

I'm really against risking aircraft on balloons anymore. As far as the Trench mapping, with our speed advantage, those flares do not help the enemy. If, by the time they see them, they are not already in our path, they can't do anything about it.

Here ya go Shnoz

Red flight had separated in to two element to patrol the front for the first 30 minutes of the mission.
At mission +10 Skeeter and I separated to cover more ground in our patrol area.
At Mission + 15 we got the call that a lone 2 seater was penetrating the front in or around sector 5 heading West at 7k. Both Red elements vectored to intercept.
At Mission +25 Red element 2 abandoned the intercept and went to patrol sectors 2 and 8 for the spy recover flight.
At about mission +30 we receive a call that there were bandits at the bridge in 27 bravo and vectored NNE to intercept.
At mission +35 I spotted 5 aircraft in 27 Charlie heading about South East and called in the rest of red flight. Skeeter was in the area and we formed up for the attack.
My first pass I was able to take out one of the two seaters but received damage to my fuel system that forced me to land about 10 minutes later.
Over the course of the next 10 minutes Skeeter and I were able to shoot down the remaining 2 seater and all 3 fighters in a running battle back toward the front.

AAR June 5

Took off in the Brisfit just as the green flare reached its apogee and headed ESE climbing for altitude. Hit the mud directly west of first target at 4,000 feet. Got to 5,000 at enemy side of mud and turned north, hitting the first trench photo within 10 seconds of the turn, meandered along the trench line snapping photos as we went. Achieved final photo and headed SE to land at nearest friendly aerodrome, landing safely and having the photos delivered to HQ. Restarted engine and flew low across the mud for convoy and train destruction, answering call for train destruction help heading south, when call came up that train was a ex-train. FL sent us up the NNW roadway and after a lengthy flight, there they were, 4 tanks and a flak wagon. After a few runs at it, had taken out three tanks and the fourth was smoking. Called in help and two 42 bombers showed up and took out the remaining tank, Mick having dispatched the flak wagon with superior rear seat gunnery before they got there. Headed west and landed at aerodrome safely.. Found a red flight SE5a fueled and good to go, with FL permission took off and semi formed up for a fighter sweep. Waggled our private parts over the Hun aerodrome but they wouldn't take the bait and stayed under the covers. Returned safely.

No.42_Mick came along in the backseat and along with taking down the flak wagon, kept me informed of aircraft in victiny allowing full concentration on my task at hand. Thanks Mick!

Not sure what happened to fighter escort as we hit all the Markers both in height and location. Mick had seen friendlies and assumption was they were our escort. Going to paint the Brisfit bright red next time.

Comms were confusing, too many different things going on, however the messages did get across. Green flight communication worked very well for target acquisition, location and destruction, the FL dispensing search areas worked perfectly as evidenced by the perfect score.

Plan was followed to the letter and worked great. Good job SS

Thanks Hawg! Thanks Zed!

RedBravo do you have a second screen or a color printer? Some of us put the plan map up on our second screen, or print it out for quick reference. Others go all out and have Geezers high detail maps (see thread labeled as such) blown up and laminated. Then use dry erase markers on it. Glad your used to picking out landmarks. That will shorten navigation training some. Understand that much of your confusion came from unfamiliarity with our coordinate system. Take a good look at the link provided by Navy. That should clear things up.



BTW guys remember the discussion about changing TS password? Have you looked at the No.42_Squadron Dedicated Server "Canvas, the Early Years forum lately?

Want to add use of flares and a lack of communication between flights before a flare is executed.

At a couple of moments while Gold flight was in protection mode, members of our flight spotted flares of different colors which left us scratching our heads. A couple of times it happened (red flares) along the river approaching the convoy, and HQ. Another time was white or yellow low and in proximity of the HQ. We later discovered that an element of Blue flight used the yellow to regroup and actually left the area without letting us in Gold know. When elements of Blue entered Gold airspace we were assuming Blue was still there but they had actually left several minutes earlier.
We are still unsure what the red flares were. Do the Balloons shoot reds?
At the end of the game (10 minutes) a group of friendlies approached Gold airspace again low from the East and over the road that the convoy was on. Given that Gold was now protecting the convoy, train and HQ it could have gotten very ugly not knowing who was coming in like that.