Alignment

Το alignment μπορεί να γίνει κατά τον εφοδιασμό του αεροσκάφους με καύσιμα. Εξωτερικές δεξαμενές και όπλα πρέπει να φορτώνονται μετά το alignment.

To Parking Brake δεν εμπλέκεται όταν το F-16 παίρνει ρεύμα από την μπαταρία. Η απεμπλοκή του Parking Brake κατά τη διάρκεια του alignment το χαλάει.

Μετά από Normal Alignment οι συντεταγμένες (Longitude / Latitude) πρέπει να επιβεβαιωθούν στα 2 πρωτά λεπτα. Το alignment μπορεί να είναι degraded. Αυτό δεν είναι απαραίτητο στο Stored Alignment.

In Flight Alignment

Velocity 300kn

Auto Pilot Alt Hold

Align Off για λίγo

Align In-Flight

GPS-Era / STRD HDG Alignment

First, let’s start with the most common form of alignment in DCS, GPS-era using a STRD HDG alignment. This is the simplest, fastest, and most common for single- and multi-player. With power to the avionics systems, set the INS switch to STRD HDG and then set the GPS switch to ON. It’s important that the MIDS switch remains in the OFF position.

After about 12 seconds, you’ll see an ALIGN indication on the HUD.

You’ll then verify the STRD HDG alignment by going to the DED INS page and check the latitude, longitude, and altitude against your location on the F10 map view.

After about 60 seconds, you should be aligned and confirm this by the ADI flags being retracted; HSI showing correct magnetic heading, DME, bearing pointer and CDI deflection; roll and pitch correct on the HUD; and RDY should be flashing on the INS alignment DED page after less than 2 minutes.

We can now switch the INS switch from STRD HDG to NAV. On the DED INS alignment page, confirm that GPS TIME is displayed one minute after the GPS switch is set to ON. Note that this may take longer if the aircraft is under cover like a hardened aircraft bunker. As such, it is best to align out of cover.

With good GPS TIME, set the MIDS switch from OFF to ON.

After alignment with GPS correction, you can expect no more than 40 meters of INS drift. Further, if you zeroize the GPS or are flying a REDFOR Viper, you can expect an INS drift of 100 meters or more.

GPS-Era / Normal Alignment

A normal alignment is much like the STRD HDG Alignment, but we’ll need to manually enter the aircraft starting location because we’re not using a known, STRD HDG location.

To start though, we’ll in the INS switch to NORM and not STRD HDG this time. Then set GPS to ON, verify MIDS to OFF, and wait for ALIGN on the HUD after about 12 seconds.

The big difference is now going to the DED INS alignment page and entering the aircraft’s latitude, longitude, and altitude as shown on the F10 map.

Once done, we’ll verify ADI, HSI, and HUD as before and wait for the flashing RDY indication on the DED INS alignment page after about 8 minutes. Once flashing, set the INS switch from NORM to NAV and verify GPS TIME indication. With that, set the MIDS switch from OFF to ON.

These will be the most common alignment scenarios when performing a cold start. However, you may come across a mission or campaign with a date prior to the GPS era. In that case, we’ll only align based on INS with no GPS correction.

Non-GPS Era / STRD HDG Alignment

Like the GPS-era, set the INS switch from OFF to STRD HDG and wait for the ALIGN indication on the HUD. Then, verify the DED INS alignment page latitude, longitude, and altitude to the F10 map data and verify ADI, HSI HUD, and wait for the flashing RDY indication.

We can now move the INS switch to NAV.

Once airborne, you’ll then want to conduct alignment FIX procedures using Overfly, targeting pod, HUD, or FCR to remove accumulated INS drift. Please see the earlier videos on fix taking. 

Non-GPS Era / Normal HDG Alignment

The last weight-on-wheels we’ll look at is doing a normal alignment at a mission date prior to GPS.

Set the INS switch from OFF to NORM and wait for the ALIGN indication on the HUD.

From the DED INS alignment page, enter the aircraft’s latitude, longitude, and elevation using the F-10 map.

Next, verify the DED INS alignment page latitude, longitude, and altitude to the F10 map data and verify ADI, HSI HUD, and wait for the flashing RDY indication after about eight minutes.

We can now set the INS switch to NAV.

Once airborne, you’ll then want to conduct alignment FIX procedures using Overfly, targeting pod, HUD, or FCR to remove accumulated INS drift. Please see the earlier videos on fix taking.

So far, we’ve only been talking about weight-on-wheels alignment procedures. We’ll now shift gears and discuss in-flight alignment. We’ll start with the more common GPS-era procedure.

GPS-Era / In-Flight Alignment

First, set the INS switch to FLT ALIGN and flight straight and level until the ADI flag is retracted. You’ll see INS FLT ALIGN on the DED and STBY on the HUD.

Maintain straight and level flight and enter your compass magnetic heading within 20 seconds on the DED and verify that the pitch ladder is displayed on the HUD.

Continue to fly straight and level until the ALIGN is replaced with the maximum G value on the HUD and then return the INS switch to the NAV position.

Non-GPS-Era / In-Flight Alignment

Last, for an in-flight alignment with no GPS, set the INS switch to FLT ALIGN and fly straight and level until the ADI OFF flag is removed. INS FLT ALIGN should appear on the DED and STBY on the HUD.

Fly straight and level and enter your magnetic heading on the DED within 20 seconds while ALIGN appears on the HUD, replacing the maximum G indication.

We’ll now perform an OFLY FIX within the next 30 seconds. It is required we perform a second OFLY FIX within two minutes to correctly perform velocity calculations.

Keep flying straight and level, and once the maximum G field replaces the ALIGN indication, you are done.

For best INS alignment, you may wish to perform an OFLY, HUD, FCR, or TGP alignment every 15 minutes for best possible navigation and acceptable weapon accuracy.

Known issue: In-Flight Alignment in pre-GPS era requires additional couple of FIXes in addition to the first two OFLY FIX to calculate the velocity properly. These FIXes can be made in any suitable mode: TPOD, FCR, HUD, OFLY, the only requirement is to keep the aircraft at a straight line between the fixes. Of course, the fixes should be done precisely.

Manual Alignment as Backup

The manual alignment is a backup alignment designed to provide get-home capability only.