jtullman

I presume that you are in fact referring to the Allied Force version of the game and not the original Falcon 4.0 or any flavor thereof. I do not think that the original had a .pdf file included although I may be wrong it has been many years since I've looked at it. If for some odd reason the installer did not create a shortcut to the manual you can check the installation folder just to be certain.... C:\Program Files\Lead Pursuit\Battlefield Operations\docs\F4AFManual.pdf Because the Atari guys are not too keen on anyone using their copyrighted material I will not point out any specific locations that have the .pdf. I will say that the I just googled 'falcon 4 allied force manual' and found it on the first try ;) Also there is some follow-up information and an assortement of other goodies (including manuals but not in English) at the link below: http://www.lead-pursuit.com/downloads.htm Best of Luck

to be exact it is the ` or ~ (tilde) . i.e. the one above tab, top left. Although satellite view is very unrealistic I use it extensively when taxing or when on the ground to find parking spots (there's never a meter with any change left in it) or to verify runway numbers before getting smashed into by a cargo plane because I was on the wrong runway! good luck!

Hag, thanks for the helpful reply. I can now restart a cold engine in the air. Just one quick question. Will you please explain the difference between the THROTTLE DETENT TOGGLE (ALT - I in Falcon AF) and the 'detent' I.E. lowest position on my HOTAS throttle. I'm just having trouble understanding what the TOGGLE is there for. Thanks!

Ha! that video of the 'vette and the U2 is sweet.

First and foremost, I would like to welcome you to the Falcon community! At the risk of engaging in a little 'fanboyism' I would just like to say that Falcon is probably unlike any other PC flight sim you've ever played. For me personally it is a hobby unto itself, completely separate from my other gaming activity. This may be something that you want to consider if you don't have a lot of time to spend on one game. If you really, REALLY find yourself enthralled with this sim (hopefully you will) then you will want to consider a top notch joystick and throttle as well. They can be expensive $50-$250, money well spent if you play often. I cannot describe how much more playable this sim is with a good HOTAS control setup. I was completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of this sim when I began playing, 10 years ago. Oftentimes I still find something that I have absolutely no clue about (or it finds me! like an R-77 missile! lol) and basically: I still suck . With regards to your post; as migbuster has alluded to; your questions are too vague and broad to be effectively answered in one shot. Unfortunately the old forum 'frugal's world' is down, most likely forever, there were miles of how-tos and guides for new guys. Now there is very little. The FreeFalcon guys have a good forum but using information from them can be confusing for us Allied Force guys because of different key maps and a lot of other stuff. I'm not going into modding the original game here. The best thing to do is print out the training missions from the manual (maybe just a few at time) set them on your lap and go through them often. Practice does make perfect. A lot of things in Falcon are 'muscle memory' (landing, air to air refueling, formation flying etc). For me this was the only way I could learn. Falcon is really more of a patience thing than an action thing. To this day I still play one dogfight (furball) and one training mission (Landing Final Approach) before logging into my campaign game. This gets me 'warmed up' and trains my brain for the right sight picture when I land. Just keep trying those training missions by the book and you will do just fine. Oh and don't forget to turn on Invulnerability once and while and have some ridiculous fun! Best of luck!

hmmmm..... that's a darn good question. Mine says '0/5' and I have never flown online either. Maybe someone will come along with an answer. Just to let you guys know there is a really nifty website http://www.falconlog.nl/ that I like to use which allows you to upload your logbook file. The file is located at C:\Program Files\Lead Pursuit\Battlefield Operations\config\PILOTNAME.lbk for a default install. The website 'decrypts' the logbook and tells you approximately how far off your next promotion is and also summarizes your other stats, achievements, etc. I believe that there are some utilities that do this too but this is more fun because you get to show off to other falcon drivers. You might consider kicking them down a few bucks if you use the site often and are feeling generous. Good luck on your campaign and keep your wings up!

great video! Thanks

Indeed the HOJ is a powerful feature. I sure do love it on my AMRAAM's but not when the other guy's got it!. Yeah it's pretty much just basic missile avoidance I just wish I was better that's all.

I do not want to start some war over which missile is better etc. ! Please do not post blah blah blah Russia's stuff is better, or U.S. stuff is better blah blah blah no one cares.... However, what's the deal with the Vympel R-77. I can't find anything on the net saying that one has even ever been used in a combat situation and it's Falcon 4's DEATH RAY-BEAM. Can you shake one? (I'm sure some guy's gonna be like, yeah all the time) I doubt it, once it's on you it's over. I can dodge the AMRAAM. I think the Falcon guys based this missile off of bad data. Another thing, a radar missile is only as good as the airframe's radar system. Does the MIG-29 (I believe 'S' varient) have good enough avionics to point this missile to pit bull anyway? Just whining and a little butt hurt. Advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Hmmm. I'm running .13 and I have no problems with ILS. It's interesting that you bring this up because recently I've spent some time learning how to navigate to the 'alternate runway' with no VFD's or HUD in case of an emergency in campaign mode, so I know for a fact that it does work. Many airstrips in Korea have no TACAN/ILS so you must fly to the nearest TACAN and vector yourself per TACAN station listing and fly a certain distance on DME but that's another discussion. I'm just repeating the following in case somebody else is having problems and finds this thread. ILS landing procedures can be found on page 62 of the Falcon AF manual. Your post indicates that you are calling to tower for (option 2) request landing, you do have the correct TACAN channel, if it is setup in DED, it is '1' button on ICP make sure you have X/Y set correctly p. 407. Also verify that you have the correct ILS station (to my knowledge you cannot actually change it) by cross-referencing it with the TACAN station listing. Verify that the TACAN function switch its in the TR position p. 340. Verify that the INSTR Mode switch is in the TCN/ILS position p. 327. Verify that the CNI selector switch is in the correct position, backup if you are using the analog station selector switch or UFC if you are using the DED/UFC p.340. Verify that the HUD is in NAV mode also it should say ILS as well and you should see the ILS bars. From what your post indicates you are most likely trying to land on the other side of the runway. For instance Kimpo (Korea) is runway 32L or 14R i.e. 320/140 degrees. Are you following ATC's commands and landing on the correct side of the runway? This will cause the "90 degree" deviation that you are referring to. Just out of curiosity try setting up a landing at the airbase in question in Tactical Engagement editor and when in flight just declare an emergency landing. Remeber to set your course (CRS) knob on the HSI to make sure you're approaching from the correct side. Just some thoughts, sounds like you know what you're doing though. Best of luck!

Sorry to ask this here 'cause I know its been argued about a million times before on Frugal's but I just can't live without knowing. Is it really, REALLY lame to play with labels on? Any suggestions/helpful hints to help a guy break this bad habit?