Falcon 4 BMS :: Training

[PanzersEast]

I will be running through a basic guide to get up and flying with F4 BMS 4.32.  This guide will not be exhaustive, however it will give you a good basic overview of the systems.  We will start out by prepping and flying a SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) mission.  We will run through the pre-planning our flight and identifying and marking threats along our flight path and then on to flying.  Once we are flying I will go through some of the avionics as it pertains to our mission as well as the basic over view of the HUD, MFDs, RWR, ICP, AP etc... 

Just a couple of things to note:

1:  Flying in F4 BMS is not a reach the objective at all cost.  If you encounter heavy SAM activity, fighter activity etc... your best bet is to save your aircraft and that of your elements and RTB.  You have to calculate the odds and have good situational awareness.  Pre-planning helps in this area, but many times I run into areas where I simply cannot reach my objective.

2:  Fuel management is very unforgiving in Falcon 4, so I suggest going to unlimited at first until you get a handle on all the systems of the F-16.  It all can seem very daunting at first, however learn flying different roles at a time and become proficient at them one at a time.... then move on to the next.  Small bites....

I'll get our first mission together and will see you in the briefing room.


PE

[Jarhead0331]

Nice. I'm reinstalled and eagerly awaiting.

[Grim.Reaper]

Darn....wish I could find my old Falcon CD:(

[DoctorQuest]

Darn....wish I could find my old Falcon CD:(

I know EXACTLY where mine is at all times.  ;D

[Grim.Reaper]

Darn....wish I could find my old Falcon CD:(

I know EXACTLY where mine is at all times.  ;D

Sure, rub it in:). Think it might be in my attic, will hunt tomorrow.

[DoctorQuest]

Darn....wish I could find my old Falcon CD:(

I know EXACTLY where mine is at all times.  ;D

Sure, rub it in:). Think it might be in my attic, will hunt tomorrow.

Sorry. Like you, I have lost my share of beloved CDs. Somehow I always managed to keep Falcon in the right place.

Good luck. It will be worth the hunt.

[Grim.Reaper]

Darn....wish I could find my old Falcon CD:(

I know EXACTLY where mine is at all times.  ;D

Sure, rub it in:). Think it might be in my attic, will hunt tomorrow.

Sorry. Like you, I have lost my share of beloved CDs. Somehow I always managed to keep Falcon in the right place.

Good luck. It will be worth the hunt.

Agreed and that is what has surprised me....falcon was one of the last games that came with a good manual that I just enjoyed reading....always kept it just for that reason....maybe the misses did some cleaning:)

[Rekim]

Agreed and that is what has surprised me....falcon was one of the last games that came with a good manual that I just enjoyed reading....always kept it just for that reason....maybe the misses did some cleaning:)

So true. F4 came with the best manual I have ever seen for a computer game/sim. Still have mine kicking around. Pity it has no value for use with BMS.

[PanzersEast]

PLANNING
Just a basic guide to get up and going. 

- Review Flight Plan
- Briefing
- Review Ordinance
- Recon Target Area
- Recon and Mark Threats along Flight Plan



Today we will be flying a SEAD Strike mission and will fly lead in a 2 ship element.   





As you can see above:  We will be fling the lead call sign Serpant5 and our TOT will be 08:35, current time is 07:37.  Our target for today will be the 219th Air Defense Battalion.

You can see our flight plan above which consist of various Steerpoints which are represented by an O shape and the corresponding steerpoint number above it.  We will reach our target at steerpoint 5 which is represented by a triangle.









Looking at the briefing screen (accessed at the bottom of the screen) we have a total of 10 steerpoints and are allowed to engage targets starting at steerpoint (2), however the 219th present position is/near steerpoint 5. 

Our ordnance will consist of (2) AM-120B AMRAAM and (2) AM-9m Sidewinder  (these are defensive weapons, our primary mission is seek and destroy).  I normally will use the AMRAAM in a SEAD mission as a self defense.  For example I may fire a AMRAAM Long to cause a enemy fighter to go on the defensive while I RTB if I am out gunned.

We will also be carrying the AGM-88 HARM Missile  (anti-radar) and 4 CBUs cluster bombs.  The HARM will actively track radars that are emitting a signal and home in and kill them.  The CBUs are there for killing other assets like AA batteries etc...

You will also notice we are carrying the HTS (HARM Targeting POD) noted by the eliminated green box by LOAD HTS and is shown under the center fuselage as the White pod.  This allows us locate, identify, and prosecute targets that are emitting.


Weather report shows Sunny and clear







Here is a zoomed in view of our flight path.  Steerpoint 1 and 2 are there, however are cut off.  Notice  will come in close proximity of an airfield, more on that later.






First thing we need to do is right click on our target area (The Red Symbol on Steerpoint 5) and do some recon.  By doing this we can get a good look at what we can expect at the target area, as well as any supporting units.







We can see there is a SA-2 site with other supporting units.  We can also see the reconed condition and strategic value of each target in that unit.  NOTE:  When you click the Recon it will show all units in the area, meaning the 219th Air Defense Battalion was one of three in the area.






Along the flight path we can see we will come in close proximity of an airfield.  It is crucial that you recon and mark all threats along your flight path so we will recon the Airbase to see what units are stationed there and mark them if need be.







So the Recon of the Airbase between Steerpoint 3 and 4 revealed a SA2 SAM site. We will mark this on our map and it will display in the HSD to let us know when we are in rage of the SAM threat area.  Also there could possibly be enemy fighters in the area, just make note.

Notice that you can also designate this target as a Steerpoint (I have marked it as Stpt #15).  This is very valuable when finding specific ground targets you want to attack in other modes.  It also helps to direct you to specific areas to target.  I always mark them in planning and reference them once I am in flight.  We will look at this later on while in the cockpit.







We will now move our cursor over to the right in an open area and right-click.  Then we will select Set Preplanned Threat Stpt to mark the map.








You will now see a green diamond appear on the screen.  We now need to right click on the diamond and specify the type of threat it will be.







We know after the recon that the site is an SA-2 SAM site so we click it and then click Accept.







You can now see a red circle around the green diamond desinating the max range of the SA-2.  We will now left-click on the green diamond that and hold and drag it over the airfield that we did the Recon on. 







You can now see that the diamond is over the Airfield and the range of the SA-2 is displayed in the red circle.  It is important to identify these threats in the planning stage so that once in the air you can be prepared and plan accordingly.  This data will also show up on our HSD along the flight path (which we will see once airborne).  It is important to note that this mission has light activity, most missions have a lot of activity so it is not feasible to just route around these areas, in this mission it is your job to clear a path. 





So we looked at some basic areas during the planning stage and I will go over the Data Cartridge in the next session.

Dismissed.


PE

[Nefaro]

Sorry. Like you, I have lost my share of beloved CDs.

I have my CD lying nearby. 

But for some mysterious reason, my old cherished ring binder manual for Falcon 4 has been missing for a few years now, after a move.  >:(



**  Thanks for doing this guide PE!

[Yskonyn]

Wow PE! Cool guide! I will be watching this thread.

[Shelldrake]

Wow PE! Cool guide! I will be watching this thread.

+1 I always wanted to get to know F4 but never found the time.

[Grim.Reaper]

Sorry. Like you, I have lost my share of beloved CDs.

I have my CD lying nearby. 

But for some mysterious reason, my old cherished ring binder manual for Falcon 4 has been missing for a few years now, after a move.  >:(



**  Thanks for doing this guide PE!

Yep, I am kind of bummed I can't find it, especially the manual.  I still remember when I got this game.  I was dating my future wife and we were at a local Best Buy store that they were displaying the new game on a shelf (yes, this was a time when physical games still was the main way to buy games, the good old days) and she noticed me drooling over it.  Happened to be right around Valentine's day and when I opened my present from her, there it was all in its glory....she bought me the game:)

At that point I knew I had to marry her:)  But now I am sure she is regretting purchasing it since that helped contribute to my gaming addiction:)

PE, great job with the information and look forward to following it...

[PanzersEast]

One thing I failed to mention before in the Briefing area is that we have 1 E-3 AWACS available and will use a lot.

Also, The Rules of Engagement in the Briefing area state that before we engage any air target that we must confirm ident from the AWACS before firing.  This is only Air to Air engagements.  So we must lock the air target and then declare from AWACS.


PE

[Jarhead0331]

Would it be at all possible to indicate, when feasible, the actual key command for each task you describe while in flight? That would be really helpful!