4 replies to this topic

[Extremepilot4Delta]

Hey guys,

A few days ago I got the idea to start practicing escorting planes. But I experienced several problems: it was very hard to stay steady at the side of an aircraft because my speed wasn't the same as the plane I was escorting!

I have searched my eyes out looking for the autothrottle part in the pdf manual but I couldn't find it. Can someone please shed me some light? Thanks!

Chears, Extremepilot4Delta

[Shaun Fletcher]

Hey guys,

A few days ago I got the idea to start practicing escorting planes. But I experienced several problems: it was very hard to stay steady at the side of an aircraft because my speed wasn't the same as the plane I was escorting!

I have searched my eyes out looking for the autothrottle part in the pdf manual but I couldn't find it. Can someone please shed me some light? Thanks!

Chears, Extremepilot4Delta

No Autothrottle, but plenty and plenty of practice should get you there.

[Extremepilot4Delta]

Ow... Why the hack isn't there autopilot?
It is an very modern aircraft!

[Snave]

Ow... Why the hack isn't there autopilot?
It is an very modern aircraft!

No it's not. It has its roots firmly in the Seventies.

From an ex-F-16 jockey:

1: We did not have a simple "heading hold", no kidding. You had to use "heading select".

2: The FLCS did not allow an "altitude hold" function up to the max AoA of the limiter. So at twelve or thirteen degrees AoA the thing would gradually descend [ so lost a good buddy one day over the lake].

3:

No speed or mach hold function for climb.

4:

Had a great "get you home" HUD display, but autopilot couldn't use it.

5:

No coupled ILS mode.

6:

No coupled steering for a BVR shot to get a "perfect" shot.

and the beat goes on.

So you can see it's entirely right that it's absent, and also allows you to practice your pilot skills.

[CimberEKSB]

No it's not. It has its roots firmly in the Seventies.

From an ex-F-16 jockey:

1: We did not have a simple "heading hold", no kidding. You had to use "heading select".

2: The FLCS did not allow an "altitude hold" function up to the max AoA of the limiter. So at twelve or thirteen degrees AoA the thing would gradually descend [ so lost a good buddy one day over the lake].

3:

No speed or mach hold function for climb.

4:

Had a great "get you home" HUD display, but autopilot couldn't use it.

5:

No coupled ILS mode.

6:

No coupled steering for a BVR shot to get a "perfect" shot.

and the beat goes on.

So you can see it's entirely right that it's absent, and also allows you to practice your pilot skills.

The RDAF F-16A/B were introduced in 1980 but been upgrade over the years to be up-to-date. They got a MLU (Mid-life-update) and have the standard of the block 50/52 series aircraft (weapom systems and avionics etc) and are now F-16AM and F-16BM (BM is the twin seater).
The F-16 has the ability to hold your pitch and heading (ONLY HOLD not more or less) but no autopilot as such, there is a lot of navigation equipment on board and the aircraft can easily be flown by hand (on stick). A friend of mine is an F-16 pilot and according to him the Danish F-16's are old and showing their age (replacement will be either the F-35 or F/A-18) but are NOT bad at all, he said that yu easily can handfly the ILS, there is no need for an autopilot or autothrottle, he said it's a waste of weight and you don't need it as you can do it by yourself and it's not that difficult.
But again you have to remember he has flown F-16's for 10 years and his training before moving into the F-16 took 5 years.

About the perfect shot, well it depends on the systems you have on board, training and experience, the danes hit the most targets and hit them most prescicly in Libya than ANY other nation that were there (Including the U.S!).