Hi there guys.

i have been making a lot of tutorials and reading a lot but there is something that is still mystery to me.

When I press alt-H the operator responds with:

"[names] home bearing 201 for 000"

which changes by the way depending on where i am.

some times while flying operator would tell me:
"[names] bandits bearing --- for ---"
or
"[names] Traffic bearnig --- for ---"

So how can i interpret those messages??
do i receive them automatically or I should be in a specific navigation mode?

Thanks for the help!

those messages are just that; messages. the operator is telling you 1) callsigns 2) what the object of concern is (home=home airfield, bandits=unknown aircraft, etc) 3) bearing (where they are in relation to you) and 4) distance in nm. there is no datalink, it's just verbal info for your SA.

The bandit calls are coming to you automatically from an AWACS in the mission.

LOMAC uses an obsolete BRAA format for it's calls. Bearing, Range, Altitude, Aspect

Bearing- heading to fly to find bandits (not relative bearing)

Range- self explanatory (nautical miles or KM)

Altitude- high, medium, low. (I forget the standardized intervals used..)

Aspect- hot/ flanking/ cold. Describes if the bandit is closing, maintaining, or increasing distance to you


What is the key command for ALt-H? I don't have that in front of me.

When the bandits first appear to the AWACS (eg the bandits take off) - you get a "POPUP Group" call with the BRAA information.

AWACS also gives you a "Bandits" call with BRAA information when they are about 50nm from you.

When you are 5nm from the bandit, AWACS will call "merged" - you and the bandit are too close together for AWACS to distinguish the two of you with 100% accuracy.

You can also ask the AWACS yourself at any time to tell you about the nearest bandit and AWACS will answer with a BRAA call about the nearest bandit.
Not that it is the nearest, not the most dangerous. Some mission designers will deliberately put in a harmless enemy transport or a helo nearer to you to confuse the issue.
If there are no bandits airborne, then AWACS answers "CLEAN".

If you have an unknown locked up with your own radar, you can ask AWACS to declare whether the unknown is bandit or friendly.

You can ask AWACS for directions to your base (I think that is your ALT-H question) and he replies with a bearing and distance to HOME PLATE.
Similarly you can ask for directions to a refuelling tanker if one is in the mission.

So basically when it tells me that home is bearing 210 for 50 means that if I head to 210 in about 50nm i should be right home?

perfect!


Alt-H ask the AWACS for directions to home plate
Alt-T ask for Tanker if there is one available

But how do I ask for bandits? I havent seen that in the keyboard options! (I know that it automatically gives me their bearings sometimes)

But im not sure how to manually ask for them.

@konkusion

It seems to be that the headings are relative.
If I am at the right of the target and ask to the AWACS for it, the heading will be different than if I am on the left side, which is normal... my heading should be different depending my possition.

no- relative & true bearing are completely different.

Relative bearing is a fixed reference- no different than calling 3 o clock or 9 o clock. It does not take your heading into consideration.

The bearing you hear called is true bearing. It's the course you steer in order to find the contact.

now i get it!

the thing is that I took it from the literal part of the word as being "relative" to your position!

but is a different meaning. Thanks for the info.

now, nobody knows how to ask AWACS for bandits?
which is the key combination for that?
I only know Alt-H and Alt-T.

compass bearing (true bearing also i think) is where 0 is north

Relative is where 0 is your heading.

so if you head direktly north they are the same.

look through the key command options. it's "communications menu" or something like that, brings up a series of numbered menus you use to talk to different people, including awacs

You have been using the shortcut keys for specific AWACS responses eg ALT/H.

You get to all the radio calls (AWACS, controlling your wingmen, Airbase Tower) through the communication menu.
On my keyboard it is the # key, for your country keyboard it may be a different key. That brings up a menu in the top right of your screen. Then the various F1, F2 etc keys are used to navigate through the menu to get to the command you want. For example if I want to tell my wingmen to go to line abreast formation, I press #, F1, F9, F2. If I want wingman 4 to switch ECM on, I press #, F4, F5, F1.

To find out what the communication menu key is, go into OPTIONS, set the (top right) dial to INPUT, press the (top centre) COMBAT button, in the ACTIONS MAP, scroll down a little till you see Communication menu (just after Dispense Chaff and Flares). Now you can see what key is assigned to it. On my setup it is assigned to KEY_BACKSLASH, but on my country keyboard that is actually #. It may be different for your couontry keyboard and you might have to experiment to figure out which key it is

quote:

Originally posted by general_kalle:
compass bearing (true bearing also i think) is where 0 is north

Relative is where 0 is your heading.

so if you head direktly north they are the same.

mmm not really. Relative bearing is when your nose is ALWAYS represented by 000 regardless of your heading. Again- it's no different than calling "bandits at your 9 o clock". Nine oclock or "270 relative" is always the same.

True & relative have NOTHING to do with each other.

quote:

Originally posted by konkussion:

quote:

Originally posted by general_kalle:
compass bearing (true bearing also i think) is where 0 is north

Relative is where 0 is your heading.

so if you head direktly north they are the same.

mmm not really. Relative bearing is when your nose is ALWAYS represented by 000 regardless of your heading. Again- it's no different than calling "bandits at your 9 o clock". Nine oclock or "270 relative" is always the same.

True & relative have NOTHING to do with each other.

If i understand correctly you both are saying exactly the same thing.

relative heading is independent of the static NORTH, SOUTH, EAST and WEST...

so if you are facing east your relative heading is still your 000 (or 12 o clock) which is pointing east at the moment but if you face north then your relative still 000 but pointing north.

True heading would be the static north that can be on your 256 or on your 054 depending where you are.

at least thats what i understood in both posts.

Thanks for all the information guys!

I just still get confused when I ask AWAKS for home and she gives me 256 as heading but when i use the message command F6 >> F3 (tower, inbound) he gives me 124 as heading...

I know that my home plate is where i take off from but if i have my landing point in the same place, shouldnt it be the same for Tower and AWACS??

(hope you guys understood the question)

quote:

Originally posted by Raptor_X:If i understand correctly you both are saying exactly the same thing.

Not really. He is saying- "Relative is where 0 is your heading." Separate the word "heading". I know what he means, but this is simply not accurate- even when trying to simplify this. 000 relative is YOUR NOSE. PERIOD.

Also:

quote:

Originally posted by general_kalle:"so if you head direktly north they are the same."

Again- I understand what he's trying to say, but this is not the way to explain it. What if you're not heading directly north? You have a 1 in 360 chance that this is the case.

quote:

Originally posted by Raptor_X: I just still get confused when I ask AWAKS for home and she gives me 256 as heading but when i use the message command F6 >> F3 (tower, inbound) he gives me 124 as heading...

I know that my home plate is where i take off from but if i have my landing point in the same place, shouldnt it be the same for Tower and AWACS??

(hope you guys understood the question)

Not neccessarily. If you call in "inbound" you will be switched to the nearest airport from your position- regardless of where you took off from.

In fact- it might not even be a friendly one- so don't use that command unless you know exactly where you are, what airport you want to return to. When you are closest to it- call in inbound. This will not be neccessary unless you need to switch airports from the one assigned in the mission.

You should look at my downloads page, and perhaps get yourself a copy of both the topographical theatre maps, as well as Lomac airport charts.

Yep I have downloaded from Lockonfiles some very nice high def maps, they are very helpful.

A question... When I switch my nav mode to ILS will it pick up the nearest base? or is it a static one?

and also bases have relays.... so I should be able to pick up the signal at either side of the runway right?

Im still having problems to pick up the course for landing... it is getting better but still... xD

Your last post referenced the A-10 (also the F-15)that you were having a problem with. So I assume you are still flying the A-10.

So the answer to your question is the same as before. To clarify it ----- use your next to last waypoint as an IP point to start your final approqach on. Your last waypoint has to be a turning point that is placed on the threshold of the runway. Then these two wqaypoints need to be lined up with the runway.

This means you will have to either create the mission yourself and include these waypoints as I have described ---- or go into the mission and either change or create waypoints to accomplish this.

Now if your question is referencing the Russian planes then to find a base click on the #1 key until you see "RTN" in the lower left of the HUD. RTN means RETURN --as in return to base.

Then by either zooming in or out on the MFD (use the + and - keys next to the backspace key) you will see a whole bunch of small dashes ---these are your bases.

Select the base you want --usually the closet one should do--by hitting the Tilde key (`). This will cycle you through all the bases and allow you to pick the one you want.

Once you have picked a base (in RTN Mode) you will see a line to follow that will lead you to the IP point at the start of the final approach.

Once you pass over the IP point you will automaticlly go into LNDG (landing)mode and you will pick up the ILS beam.

The ILS beam is a small circle ---place the small circle inside the larger waypoint circle
and the crosshairs inside the small circle.

Your landing speed should be approximately 260 KPH and you should cross the IP at about 900 meters altitude.

The bases in this sim do not have ILS at both ends of the runway. In real life most do not either.

If you have never tried to land using ILS you have your work cut out for you. Rule of thumb --never chase the beam--you will always overshoot it.

As you turn onto the IP and pick up the ILS (small circle) it most likely will not be inside the large waypoint circle. But keep your crosshairs inside the large circle.

Then if the beam is slightly below --or left or right, etc of the large circle then put the croshairs on the side of the circle that the beam is on. Do not take the crosshairs outside the large circle but instead just put them on the circles edge nearest the beam.

The beam will slowly move toward the large circle and creep into position. Minor adjustments after that.

Be patient and the circles and croshairs will eventually line up.

quote:

Originally posted by Raptor_X:
bases have relays.... so I should be able to pick up the signal at either side of the runway right?

quote:

Originally posted by Cobe1:
The bases in this sim do not have ILS at both ends of the runway.

Errm, actually they do in Lockon.

If you set up the weather with some wind at ground level in the appropriate direction, then the ILS will swap to the other end of the runway.

The majority of the runways in Lockon run roughly SW to NE and that's the normal landing direction. So if you set a nice strong wind to blow in the opposite direction, it will change the landing direction for many of your runways. Make sure you press OK at the bottom of the weather menu and then save the mission.

There is one airbase where the ILS is a little screwy when you "swap" landing direction and it tries to fly you into a hill , I'll leave the fun of finding out which airbase it is to you. Would hate to spoil the surprise...

I'd had Lockon about 6 months and was playing around with setting up nasty weather landings and I found out about this the hard way. I descended out of the overcast clouds with just enough time to see the hill, but not enough time to miss crashing into it. Scared the **** out of me.

If you put in a REALLY big head wind then you should be able to land into it, deploy your drogue chute and it will never fall off, in fact you will start to be blown backwards down the runway.....LOL

I guess there is always an exception to everything.

So which side would the signal be?
the main heading? or the opposite direction?

Also I have two more questions... which is the covering area of the AWACS?

and which vehicles are CGI?? (I have noticed that I want to ask for ground enemy's position but AWACS only answer for airborne bandits.)

If you follow the waypoint line to the IP of the final approach you will pick up the ILS beam.

Each airport has a main heading... what i meant was:

If i want to pick up the ILS beam do I try to land facing the main heading always? or to land you should use the other heading?

eg.
Saki airport has main heading of 45o and secondary of 225o ... so to land there should I put my waypoints to align with the 45o or with the 225o?