Getting Buffed.

Viper, another good question and we should also review some basics in terms of getting from Point A to Point B.

Cruising Altitude and The Big Sky Theory-

By USAF standards, you fly heavy aircraft at their most efficient air speed and altitude. Since they are called air PLANES, things tend to work best when you're trimmed out with the nose up at 2-5 degrees. Get the nose (attitude) up too high and the wings no longer plane- they start to PLOW. A lot of that depends on your gross weight, and gross weight will become REALLY important when you transition to the the B-52. So, unfortunately, the answer to your question is "It depends". If you're having to really lean in on the throttles to maintain altitude, you're burning excessive fuel.
The T-43 and B-52G run Turbojet engines. Turbojets work best at a set N1 RPM (about 95% in cruise). So, its typical to see a turbojet engined aircraft GAIN altitude as it burns off fuel weight. Which makes it a bear when we do "FS Style" flight planning which relies on a set cruising altitude.

Another factor is how far you want to travel. If your Time To Climb and Time To Descend (added together) are a lot more than your cruising time, you're flying too high. Climb too high and you also wreck your efficiency by burning too much fuel to get there. I'm guessing this isn't the answer you wanted, but its the best one I got. Planning the cruise altitude will come down to your experience level. After a while you'll be thinking "That sounds about right".

Big Sky, for the most part you don't have to worry about mid air collisions. To make that possibility even more remote, we use what's called O-N-E, or "Odd North and East". If your destination is to the North or East (315 to 135 degrees), you cruise at an ODD altitude plus 500 feet. If your destination is roughly South to West (135 to 315 degrees), you cruise at an EVEN altitude plus 500 feet. That way, if you have someone in your wind screen and closing fast, you'll still miss each other by 1,000 feet. :wiggle: If you're noticing your attitude getting close to zero, wait a bit and then climb another 2,000 feet.

FAA Rules That We Follow-

From ground level to 20,000 feet, keep your altimeter "zero-ed" to the local pressure reading. Above 20,000 feet, set the Kollsman Window on the altimeter manually to 29.92 inches of mercury. That keeps everyone in the sky on the same page. Once you drop below 20,000 feet, reset your altimeter to "Local" by hitting the B key on your keyboard.
With airspeed (IAS), stay below 250 knots until you get above 10,000 feet. Switch from monitoring IAS to Mach at altitudes above 20,000 feet.
The ONLY time this will change is when you're getting ready to meet a tanker. We'll cover that part later.

At a minimum, unless you're flying in a combat mode, turn ON your Nav lights and at least one beacon. Taxi lights should be ON when you climb and descend. You're most vulnerable when you change altitude, so you want to make sure the other folks (including the tower) can see you.

SIM Time and REAL Time-

We'll be getting into longer flights in T-43 and the minimum amount of time you'll want for the B-52 is about 8 hours of flight (Sim) time.
We'll bend that rule a little bit when you're first getting used to the B-52, but by the time you get ready to fly the IR routes you'll need to plan on doing some long flights. The B-52 is a National Asset, meaning you don't want to be wasting time and hardware doing joy rides.

You are On Your Honor when it comes to goofing around with time compression (going into Fast Forward mode). We're also mostly normal folks :loyal: who have real lives and real rigs with RAM sticks clipped in place. My advice with Time Compression is to save it for the longer "deadhead" legs. Trying to knock out an entire flight at 4X time will get you in trouble.
 
OK, its time for this week's flying assignment. :wiggle:

You'll be flying north to visit Fairchild AFB (KSKA) near Spokane, Wa.
Fairchild was the home of the 92nd Bomber and Tanker wings. After BRAC, its just the tankers but Fairchild was a home to Air Force heavy bombers since the end of WWII (B-29, B-50, B-36, B-52).

The KMHR-KSKA flight plan is attached. Load it into ACS-GPS.
Check that the fuel tanks are full then take off and head NORTH.
This flight should take about 90 minutes. Aim for a cruising altitude of 25,500 feet.
The first waypoint is Wildhorse (Burns), 113.80 VOR (LLR).
The second waypoint is Pullman, 109.00 VOR (PUW). Pullman should be close to your point of descent.
These are two VORs I used a lot when I was (sim) flying out of Fairchild.
Fairchild's pattern attitude is 3,500 feet. Earlier I wrote that sneaky NAVs can find the pattern alt. by using AFCAD. I was half-right. AFCAD lists the pattern alt. relative to the airport's altitude (AGL). Oops. :very_drunk:

Fairchild is located (literally) just down the road from Spokane Int'l (KGEG).
STAY ON YOUR TOES AND KEEP A SHARP LOOKOUT FOR TRAFFIC TAKING OFF OR LANDING AT KGEG.
KSKA and KGEG also share that NDB outer marker (388) for RW 23.
If KSKA directs you to land on RWY 23, DO NOT LAND AT KGEG.
Even experienced sim flyers (*AHEM*) have found themselves doing an "emergency touch-and-go" at KGEG. :173go1:
Trust your HSI. If you dialed in a course of 229 on the 110.30 ILS and you start drifting LEFT, you got suckered by KGEG.
You'll see.

Fairchild has a MASSIVE runway (almost 14,000 feet long by 300 feet wide). What you see on final might not "look" right due to the size.
Just be ready. Trust the ILS and the glide slope lights. You'll do fine.

Oh, Fairchild is also the home for Survival and Evasion training.
If you want to try grilled rabbit sushi and frostbite, let me know and I'll get the orders cut.
Otherwise, the 92nd BW won the final SAC Bomb Comp. :encouragement:

Seriously, watch your ### in the pattern above Fairchild.
Besides the KGEG traffic, there is a range of low mountains to the east of Spokane that have claimed their share of Air Force planes and crews.
If Fairchild peaks your interest, there are a couple of scenery downloads you might consider.
MAIW has a good scenery/AI traffic combo and John Stinstrom also posted a stand-alone version of the scenery.
Just be aware that MAIW concentrated on the tankers (no B-52s) and you'll need to have AFX installed if you want to edit the parking spots.
 

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One more post about Fairchild AFB, plus some common mis-conceptions.
KSKA was "kind of" the star in a movie/melodrama from HBO called "By Dawn's Early Light".
Its tense, its gripping, it tells the story of how people react during a kind of a "fizzle war" between the US and the USSR.
And its TOTALLY wrong. :banghead:

SAC had a program in effect for anyone who had access to nuclear weapons and delivery systems.
Its called the Personnel Reliability Program, or PRP.
To begin with, USAF/SAC closely screened the candidates who would become the flight crews, missile officers, and ground crews.
To get where you are now, the USAF is already fairly confident you won't "crack up" or suffer a nervous breakdown.
You also won't wind up with a case of "Go Fever" (anticipating an outcome well before it becomes probable).

PRP ensures that you didn't slip thru the cracks. It is the on-going observation of your fellow officers and enlisted personnel.
Things happen. If someone's having difficulties at home or acquires a bad habit (booze and drugs) to the extent that it could influence how they do their job, it is YOUR responsibility to notify the command. It sounds like "1984" but when nukes are involved the stakes are too high.

PRP can cover a LOT of territory. If a member of your crew is cheap and always complaining about prices, that's fine. If they are constantly deep in debt, that's a problem. From the movie, having an AC and his CO (even if its Rebecca De Mornay) slip off to a motel for a hot weekend is a HUGE violation of PRP and the UCMJ in general. If you wear the uniform during working hours, you are expected to act in a mature and professional manner at all times. End of story.

Next up is another concept that Hollywood usually got wrong. Our old buddy, DEFCON.

DEFCON sounds like its something that's cool, which is why it usually got embellished to the point of being absurd.
DEFCON stands for "Defense Condition". It's an easy way to figure out how deep your ### is stuck in the swamp.
There were five levels. If everything is mostly calm and normal, you're at DEFCON 5. It takes a LOT to move to DEFCON 4. Moving up from "5" means that something serious has hit the fan and going to war has become a (still low) probability.
DEFCON is not meant to be complicated. A movie scene where the General says "Better move the wing from "Iced Pistol" to "Angry Marmoset" sounds confusing. It also sounds dumb. :unsure:
DEFON 1 is all-out war where it's assumed the US will be attacked or has already taken some hits. The closest we ever got to DEFCON 1 was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I've read recently that we went to DEFCON 2 but I'm pretty sure it was "only" DEFCON 3.

In the movie Fail Safe, long range fighters are ordered to shoot down bombers that accidently received the Go code. That was understandable.
A recent strategy game, however, featured another "hot war" scenario where fighters are directed to shoot down friendly bombers that "chickened out". THAT is bull ####. The US and NATO do NOT commit fratricide, we're supposed to be the good guys. Aircraft get issues constantly. Maybe the bombers had engine trouble or something happened that prevented them from continuing their mission? Its better to get the aircraft back on the ground before you shoot the crew.
 
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We should probably talk about the weather. :wiggle:

Adding the uncertainties of "real weather" can keep a sim from getting stale. Enough things change that will keep you on your toes.

In the good old days (2005-2015) I ran the freeware RealWeather program and I could get live updates based on the data that NOAA provided hourly. Until M$ split from Jeppesen, we could also get real weather directly for FS9 and FSX. Now, we're pretty limited.

I'm using Fs Real Wx 3.0. Its now discount payware AND its very stable. For now, at least. :unsure:
(Check the UPDATE, below)

https://www.fsrealwx.de/index.php/downloads/fsrealwx-3-0

It installs into your Program Files (X86) folder. Running FSReal is pretty simple.
You may want to apply some Admin and Compatibility settings (WinXP, svc pk 2) based on your OS.
Either launch it prior to starting FS9 or use <alt> <enter> after you're in the cockpit then click your FSReal icon.
Once FSReal starts, click Connect from the drop down menu (left-most option) then Download WX just to the right of Connect.
FSReal will take roughly one minute to download the weather for your current FS area and connect to FS9.
And, for the most part, that's it. :wiggle: FSReal will do updates based on your location or every 15 minutes automatically.

FSReal has a mostly stable weather database but you can also use VATSIM or IVAO weather updates in the program.
The three WX database options have their upsides and downsides. For the most part, the current options get "polished" a bit but its better than having to manually update the weather in FS. Its not like the good old NOAA database days where you could find 35-45 MPH surface winds (MINOT!!!) or "Holy Crap, it IS the jet stream!", but it's what we've got.
In case you forget to shut off FSReal before you shut down FS, its no big deal like it is with other programs that link to FSUIPC and FS.

If you DO install FSReal, consider throwing the author some coffee money. Several years ago (after it went freeware) I swapped some e-mails with the author and convinced him to let me pay for it (it was under $30) because we really want to keep this guy (and his server) in the game. :ernaehrung004:

Once FSReal, VATSIM, and IVAO are done with FS9, we're a little screwed. :eek:

UPDATE- OK, it IS kinda payware. You can buy it from SimMarket for about $16 (US). I guess things changed which is actually good news.
Sixteen bucks isn't bad by FS standards and you'll find yourself using it a lot. The price isn't that bad for "it says what it does and it does what it says" software. If I lapse back into my old "Navy Speak" days- it works fine, lasts a long time, won't rust, bust, or collect dust. :very_drunk:
 
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You'll be visiting Tinker AFB later on. :encouragement:
Tinker is the home of B-52 "Phase Maintenance".
As the aircraft gain hours, they get to a point where major inspections/repairs/upgrades become needed that would be too extensive for the Wing to handle. Once you get settled into your B-52 Wing and Squadron, you can expect a couple of runs per year dropping off tired airframes then catching a commercial flight back home from Oklahoma City. "Tinker runs" are considered as a bonus. If your base is close enough you can file a basic VFR flight plan that only requires the AC, CO, and NAV. The BBQ is said to be outstanding. :loyal::very_drunk: Of course, you could also rent a Cessna or a Piper and turn the whole operation into a mini flying vacation. Jim Clonts' book details one of these runs. It was his one chance to actually fly the B-52.

Delivery flights are more "hit and miss". In many cases, Tinker has its own "flight test" crew to run the final check outs and delivery but its possible that one of the Wing's more senior crews might get tapped to pick up the plane. Tinker has been the home of the US E-3 AWACS fleet and, later, the E-6 Mercury (think combined Looking Glass and TACAMO mission). MAIW's Tinker AFB package is ideal. If you're coming in from the north, try to park at either the large apron at the north/center part of the base or the smaller apron located in the south central part on the left side of the runway (next to the huge hanger).
 
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Just when you thought I was getting bored with this thread.. :wiggle:

Really, I just had some normal real-world stuff to take care of.

You'll be adding a small upgrade to your T-43 2D panel.
This is a True Airspeed/IAS display you can toggle using <shift>7 in the 2D view.
Like the GPS, you can drag the gauge to where you like.

Think of this new gauge as your Doppler Radar display. This is how you get access to your True airspeed (your speed in knots across the ground).
Combine this with your GPS gauge displays and that neat little clock (which should be set to Zulu time) and maybe some kind of pocket calculator, and you can start to really dial-in your flight timing. This gauge is also handy if you need more information for one of those Metric panels.

I'll be posting a new long-range flight soon. For now, get the gauge installed and then play around with it.
 

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BTW, something else we might as well address.

If you're running a "real weather" program, you should notice that its Feb. in central California and its down-right soggy and over-cast.
This is what I consider an FS9 bug. You contact ground to taxi out for a (VFR) take off and they tell you to shut it down because its too nasty out.

You're in the Air Force and we've discussed due regard. Feel free to tell Ground and the Tower "Hah!!" and go about your business. :wiggle:
You'll get the same BS when it comes to landing. Just make sure you know where you are and get lined up on the glide slope.
Once you land and pull on to a taxi way, contact Ground and request taxi to parking or a gate. They won't deny you now.
Don't feel like a Noob when it comes to using Progressive Taxi. These SAC bases are pretty large and its easy to get lost on a "back 40" taxiway at night and/or if its foggy.

Naturally, there will be times when the weather is just too ugly to fly but FS tends to be a bit of a Nanny as soon as it starts to rain or snow.
 
For your next flight, I want you to impress me. :wiggle:
Take off from Mather and fly to Minot AFB.

There's information here https://www.airnav.com/airport/KMIB if you need it.
You might want to include the VOR in Billings, Mt. but its your call.

Really, that's it. Use what you know and what you've learned so far.
Check out Minot, try using the combination of your clock, GPS, and the new True Air Speed gauge to refine your timing.
If I asked you to land at Minot at exactly 15 minutes after the hour, how would you do that?
After Minot, you'll be flying to Grand Forks AFB, then on to Barksdale AFB.
 
Its time to start thinking about where you want to wind up.
Wiki has the best break-down of B-52 bomb wings and bases.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_B-52_Units_of_the_United_States_Air_Force

In reality, your group would be given a list of available wings (who are looking for air crews) and the choices would be made depending on your class standing.
One thing to note on that Wiki page, pay attention to the dates of when a wing was active.
SAC divided these "CONUS" bases on a Northern Tier and Southern Tier basis.
Getting stuck on a Northern Tier base generally gave you an edge in moving to a Southern Tier base as you progressed up the ladder (moving up from CO to AC or from NAV to RNAV) and vice versa. This could get complicated if you opted to settle down and get married. Especially if you decided to buy a house near the base. At the end of the day, you go where SAC needs you but SAC will give you as much consideration as it can.

Paint schemes- This came down to what I call Eras.

In the mid-to-late 1950's, the standard was natural metal with black anti-glare panels for the cockpit and the tail gunner. This was amended in the late 1950's to include gloss white under surfaces and engine pods. The gloss white had been proven to reflect more heat during a nuclear explosion. It was also noted that the gloss white reflected more heat in general, so the white portions would extend to cover the entire cockpit area.

By the mid-1960's, SAC found itself dragged into another regional war in Asia ( I'll cover this in more depth when I write about Airborne Artillery).
At that time, SAC had decided to repaint the bottoms of the B-52F's that became involved in Operation ARCLIGHT from gloss white to gloss black.
The idea was that it was harder to visually spot the black paint at high altitude or at night.
The B-52D was the first variant to be built in big numbers (the B-52F's in ARCLIGHT were more of a stop-gap while SAC outfitted its B-52D's with the "Big Belly" mod. Big Belly was actually an update to the Bombing and Navigation System that allowed the BNS to control a LOT more bombs). The B-52D's being sent out for ARCLIGHT duty also got a variation of the S-E-A camo scheme using the same camo colors as the USAF fighters while the lower two thirds of the fuse were painted in gloss black.

Several years later, SAC adopted what became known as its SIOP camo scheme when the B-52's nuclear mission changed from high altitude to low altitude. The SIOP scheme was also known as "three green" which can cause some confusion. While the camo looks like two shades of green plus tan, by federal standard colors all three shades are considered to be green. :dizzy: The rest of the plane was painted gloss white (again, for a nuclear mission).
It should be noted that SEA and SIOP do not use the same camo colors. SEA camo was designed to work above Asian jungles, SIOP camo was designed for Soviet tundra.
The best "classic" SIOP paint scheme for the Alphasim B-52G and H can be found here:
https://www.flightsim.com/files/file/91293-fs2004-boeing-b-52g-stratofortress/

Jens-Ole Kjolberg really nailed the "three green" camo colors.

(con't next post)
 
SIOP camo was the SAC standard from the mid 1970's to the mid 1980's.
It also should be noted that Jens-Ole really did his homework for that repaint. :encouragement:
While most of the planes that flew the LINEBACKER raids against northern Viet Nam late in the war were the camo/black ARCLIGHT B-52D's, there were also B-52G's brought in at the last minute as a part of Operation BULLET SHOT. The G models at that time did not have the BIG BELLY mod (fewer bombs) and also suffered because their EW gear was set up for low altitude work. Several G's were lost due to SAMs so the G's were assigned to the older ARCLIGHT targets down south for the second half of LINEBACKER.

A variation of the SIOP scheme changed the ray domes from gloss white to an unpainted tan to save some weight.

SAC had on-going problems with the SIOP camo. The colors tended to fade quickly while the white or tan nose proved to be very popular with fighter pilots during combat exercises. The first change was to paint the entire dome-and-cockpit area with NATO black. The fading issue was dealt with using shades of gray. This is one of my favorite paint schemes. :wiggle:

43rdBW.jpg
43rd BW B-52G, Guam (FS2002).

By the late 1980's SAC had switched over to what was called "NATO1" (aka Eurro Lizard), over-all Gunship Gray with streaks and splotches of dark green (although one of the Secret Squirrel B-52s that launched the first air attack against Iraq was still painted in the old SIOP camo).

By the time SAC disbanded and the ACC took over, the fleet had changed again to the current over-all Gunship Gray paint.
 
Time to get back to your Base Tour. :wiggle:

I asked you to fly to Minot AFB. Minot would wind up as one the two "survivor" bases for B-52 wings.
As such, there is a pretty good representation of KMIB available from MAIW. You get a pretty decent scenery install plus dedicated B-52 AI traffic.
Minot is about as remote as it gets. The one thing (indeed, the only thing) close to Minot AFB is... Minot, ND. Otherwise its lots and lots of Prairie. :indecisiveness:
Minot is a good first assignment if you want to master handling cross winds, especially on the ground. Minot is VERY cold and windy in the winter, barely warm and windy in the summer, and mostly cold and windy for the rest of the year. While Minot is REMOTE, it will also make you a better pilot.

Next up is Grand Forks AFB. I included Grand Forks as an example of how much SAC could shift its focus. KRDR started out as a B-52H base until it shifted to the B-52G, until it shifted to the B-1B, until it shifted to only the KC-135. MAIW covers KRDR with decent scenery and only KC-135 AI traffic.

Rounding out our tour is Barksdale AFB near Bossier City and Shreveport, LA. Like Minot, its the other "last survivor" B-52 base. Unlike Minot, its close to all kinds of fun when you aren't flying. :very_drunk: Barksdale has traditionally been the nexus of B-52 ops. There are two Air Force regular squadrons plus two AFRC (Reserve) squadrons plus the B-52 test squadron. Again, MAIW covers Barksdale (KBAD) fairly well in terms of scenery and AI traffic. Barksdale was also where George Carlin got his start as a DJ and comedian while he was also a tech specialist on the B-47's "K-Type" bombing and navigation system. The only downsides to Barksdale is that there's a LOT of brass on base and its fairly humid for most of the year.

You're getting close to the end of your "base" tour in the T-43. I'd like to see you getting very familiar with the GPS by now. Flight planning isn't that tough when you think about it. :unsure: Just get used to climbing to 10,000 feet at about 245 knots (IAS), then set a good climbing speed to get to your cruising altitude. Along the way, remember to set your altimeter to 29.92 once you get close to 20,000 feet and shift over to Mach. You should already be on the auto pilot so make use of the speed/Mach hold function. One quick tip for descending, knock back your Mach hold by one quarter about five minutes before you reach your descent time. Knock it back again to about one half of your cruising speed when you start to descend. Shift over to IAS hold and continue to slow to 245 knots as you reach 10,000 feet. Don't be afraid to pop the speed brakes, that's why you have them. Slow to 200 knots prior to hitting your landing pattern, then drop the gear and start dropping the flaps.
Piece of cake. :wiggle:

After Barksdale, I'd like you to fly to Dyess AFB (KDYS) then Tinker AFB (KTIK) and finally Ellsworth AFB (KRCA). We already covered Tinker but I want you to check out its layout up close. Dyess and Ellsworth are now B-1 bases, but they hosted B-52 wings in the past. Again, all three of these bases have good scenery and AI support from MAIW. When in doubt, use FS's Map View to find info like runway altitude, ILS course and freq (hover your mouse over the ILS arrow, the info you need will pop up) and other info to make your flight easier.

After that, bring it back home to Mather. I still have some quick flights designed to tourtur... ah, help you gain experience. :wiggle:
If you have any specific questions about this kind of flight planning, now is probably a good time to ask them.
 
Feel free to take your time with this next flight. :wiggle:

You'll be taking off from Mather using the included flight plan and your GPS. Edit the plan after you load it in the ACS-GPS Input screen, get rid of the TOC and BOD garbage. We managed to borrow the Foothill2 MOA near NAS LeMoore.
Since you'll be in an MOA, you can drop off from ATC until you exit.

foothill2.jpg

Once you get to the Entry Point way point, keep your speed constant (altitude somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000 feet) and try short cutting the track to Waypoint 3.
Direct from the Entry Point, then from WP1A, then WP1B.
Note how much time each shortcut gives you.

For the second half of this flight, stay in the Entry Point-to-WP4 (gray) track. Get used to skipping ahead to the next way point a little early so you're lined up on the new leg. Feel free to run this pattern as many times as you want. Get the feel of what the airplane wants to do.

Meanwhile, I'll be putting together some zip files. You're almost there, your next stop will be at Castle AFB. There's a B-52G waiting for you. :wiggle:
 

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Sbob said:
SIOP camo was the SAC standard from the mid 1970's to the mid 1980's.
It also should be noted that Jens-Ole really did his homework for that repaint. :encouragement:
While most of the planes that flew the LINEBACKER raids against northern Viet Nam late in the war were the camo/black ARCLIGHT B-52D's, there were also B-52G's brought in at the last minute as a part of Operation BULLET SHOT. The G models at that time did not have the BIG BELLY mod (fewer bombs) and also suffered because their EW gear was set up for low altitude work. Several G's were lost due to SAMs so the G's were assigned to the older ARCLIGHT targets down south for the second half of LINEBACKER.

A variation of the SIOP scheme changed the ray domes from gloss white to an unpainted tan to save some weight.

SAC had on-going problems with the SIOP camo. The colors tended to fade quickly while the white or tan nose proved to be very popular with fighter pilots during combat exercises. The first change was to paint the entire dome-and-cockpit area with NATO black. The fading issue was dealt with using shades of gray. This is one of my favorite paint schemes. :wiggle:

View attachment 161493
43rd BW B-52G, Guam (FS2002).

By the late 1980's SAC had switched over to what was called "NATO1" (aka Eurro Lizard), over-all Gunship Gray with streaks and splotches of dark green (although one of the Secret Squirrel B-52s that launched the first air attack against Iraq was still painted in the old SIOP camo).

By the time SAC disbanded and the ACC took over, the fleet had changed again to the current over-all Gunship Gray paint.
Click to expand...

 
So, who wants traffic for Castle AFB? :wiggle:

B-52G and KC-135 AI that look good on the ramp.
I used Dan French's KC-135 textures and mid-to-late 1980's MAIW textures for the B-52's.
So far, no crashes to the desktop and no hit on my (60 FPS) frame rate.
The TUFF and NITRO EVP files are in Dan's zip file.

For the flight plans, I did a conversion of MAIW's Minot AFB traffic. Expect the AI to stay mostly static.
Install instructions are in the README file.

I had a feeling this traffic conversion would be a pain in the ### and it didn't disappoint. :dizzy:
If you have Traffic Tools, I included the "aircraft" text file in case you want to change out the AI.

 
OK, you made it this far. :wiggle:

Its finally time to have some fun. :encouragement:

You are now a part of the 93rd Bomb Wing, 4017th Combat Crew Training Squadron at Castle AFB.
You will be learning how to operate the B-52G. Your callsign will be TUFF.
Since the 4017th mainly provides crew training, this will probably not be your final destination.
Some of you may want to stick with the B-52G, some of you may want to move on to the B-52H.
The G and H models are mostly similar, you'll be sticking with the G for now because its better for learning the basics.
The H model has more powerful engines and longer range. We'll cover the differences between the G and H although getting upgraded to the H usually happens at your final BW assignment.

You should have already downloaded the B-52 package from Virtavia. If not, its available here:


If you haven't already installed the B-52G and H folders plus the gauges, go ahead and do so now.
I'll be posting some update kits and sound folders for both models this week.
Alphasim did an outstanding job with the flight dynamics but I made some small tweaks here and there that make it better. :wiggle:
We still have a LOT of information to cover, remember these planes have some very unique characteristics and they are, IMHO, some of the best planes to fly in FS2004 once you learn how to fly them.
However, since this IS flight sim you'll probably want to start playing around. Feel free to load up the G model, get the engines started, and just taxi around the ramp and the main taxi way at Castle.
Getting the B-52 to taxi, especially the G model, is called The Elephant Walk. For a good reason. These are super heavy aircraft and they tend to go where they want. It takes some experience on your part to show the airplane who is in charge. This doesn't get easier if there are ground winds, so go ahead and run your Real Weather program at the same time. Don't get frustrated, just get used to getting them rolling. Try to stay below 25 knots. If you find yourself bending the throttles more than you would with other aircraft, this is normal.

For now, do me one favor. Don't try to take off. I'll cover that in a later post, trust me. :wiggle:
Start getting used to the lay-out of the 2D panels but try to stick with the VC when you taxi.
The stock main 2D panel(s) are a bit of a mess, I'll include the fixed panels and some gauges in the update kits.
 
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