by Leonard "Viking1" Hjalmarson

Personally, I am into streamlining wherever possible. Ideally, using both Game Commander and the Masterpilot is useful. Any commands that don't need immediate access (nav commands and many systems like flaps and gear) can be programmed into a pad like the Masterpilot. (Note: There is an issue with the Masterpilot on some BX mainboards that will not allowing the programming software to work.)

Any commands that need quick access or realistically apply to a voice system I prefer to use within Game Commander. After adjusting volume and the command delay, reliability went way up and I am getting 95% accuracy or better, quite acceptable!

Mission Report: First Campaign Mission

Campaign GUI

Phase One Briefing

Click to continue

First Campaign Mission Interface

As promised, I am offering this mission report on the first campaign mission. I flew this mission twice in order to complete it. The briefing above gives the scenario: "Fly along the Russian border to induce surface-to-air radars to illuminate you. Intel will use this information to plot the location of air defense systems around Murmansk."

On my first flight I had two problems: lack of familiarity with the offensive and defensive systems of my shiny new airplane, and lack of familiarity with the COMMS structure, hampered in part by the problem I was having with Game Commander.

This wouldn't have been any problem at all, except that a batch of MiG 29s decided I looked like a novice and came at me like hungry wolves. I took out two, but lost my wingman. Incidentally, I had enemy AI set at one step up from novice.

At this point things became interesting, with a MiG quickly manouvering onto my tail as I attempted to respond to my wingman who was requesting that I radio SAR. While manouvering to keep the MiG off another proceeded to launch on me. I managed to get a call in to SAR and another one in to AWACS requesting assistance. In the meantime, I heard my wingie call that he was laying low as a result of heavy enemy activity. Unfortunately, I took a hit a moment later and my aircraft became difficult to control, so I hit the silk. I never heard whether SAR reached my downed wingman.

Mission Planning from First Mission

Go to Mission Report II.