Cold War Server – blind flying

At the last time we flew only aerobatics and training flights. Well, this time Andy and I decided to fly on Cold War server and fight against other players. When we connected there were only a couple of enemies (F-5 and Viggen) but in about 10 minutes a lot of blues players appear on the server.

Main task for reds was combat air patrol. We took Mig-21s with fuel tank and air to air missiles…

During taxiing Andy found out that he forgot the keys for his house. He said, “Alex wait me here and I will go home directly across the grass to take the keys and be back quickly!”  Well, as you see in the picture below, I waited him on a taxi way.

Of course it was a joke about the keys…It was freezing and during this freezing uncontrolled Andy’s Mig skidded off the taxiway. But Andy succefully returned the taxiway.

During all the flights on the server we had visual problems. As you see in the picture below that Harrier chasing us, but we even didn’t see him.

But for the enemy it wasn’t difficult to follow us on the distance 5.8km. I followed Andy and it was not easy for me to do it because I barely saw him in 200-300m. It was very easy to lost my leader for this reason I super concentrated on him and couldn’t call AWACS for “the picture”.

That harrier launched a missile, but missed (because we were in a virage) then he got close to me and damaged my plane with his cannon. I warned Andy that we have an enemy on our 6. That Harrier flew away, but he worried without any reason – we didn’t see him even he was very close (Later I analyzed our flight on Tacview).

Second flight surprised me also. About 4 enemy planes were on both sides of the valley – i.e. around our airfield (I detected it on Tacview later) they hidden between small mountains and waited red planes there and shot them down. At the first I went to the opposite side of the valley where our aifield was located and tried to find an enemy because I received data from the AWACS that the enemy is very close. Well, I didn’t find him, but he was shouted down by AAA.
But then I decided to join Andy and went to the opposite side of a valley. On my way I received a message from automatic AWACS that enemy is very close. I carefully tried to find him and  I constantly requested heading to closest enemy and maneuvered. The enemy was in front of me because my missile is activated and I heard the tone but I cannot see the enemy! In the picture below you see this moment (from video capture). The enemy Harrier in the center of arrows – I carefully investigated the video + tacview. Actually there were two Harriers. First one, who was in my sight was scared to the death by me and crashed… 🙂 If he knew that a blind pilot in front of him he would survive. At that time I thought it was one plane and he is alive (I didn’t see any crashes too)…

Second Harrier was sad about his dead comrade and avenged me.. 🙁 He detected me from about 2.6km and launched a missile…

Andy didn’t see anyone too as you see in the picture below…

Did you know that Andy invented a new antimissile maneuvre? You can see this maneuver in the picture below. Just 3 turnings on 90 degrees or more and you no need to worry about any missiles!

As you understood from the picture above it was freezing. There were a lot of freezings this time! When we flew on this server 3-4 months before we didn’t see a lot of freezings.

Conclusions:

1. I need to do something with the visibility in my DCS. After another updating it became really bad… At the first I will try to change gamma. Because it is impossible to fight with such visibility.
2. We need to fly with a CGI. Mig-21 without CGI just really blind! Its radar can do nothing. Its alarm system cannot show you where the enemy is because usually all 4 lights is shining (is it bug?).

Any suggestions?