From the BSO creators:
“Immersion in a flight simulation campaign rests on the creation of a dynamic environment. Our primary objectives are:
- To simulate active airbase activity.
- To simulate a busy environment.
- Add elements of random danger.”
The kind gentlemen behind BSO invited me to take a test drive with their first few campaign missions and I was more than happy to take them up on their offer. I won’t divulge all of the secrets they have hidden away and coupled with a competent pilot behind the controls instead of this fumbling wreck of an aviator your experiences will likely be vastly different than my own.
The first campaign mission eases you into the theater in a logical way: you are at the end of a trans-oceanic ferry trip to your new base of operations leading a 4-ship flight of F-15Cs.
As the radar screen indicates, you aren’t alone on your ferry flight. Indeed, a diverse collection of aircraft surrounds you as your flight closes on your new home base. On the right side of the cockpit the Tactical Electronic Warfare Systems (TEWS) chirps and warbles, giving a clue to the presence of other aircraft on your flanks.
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A glance at the fuel gauge shows that we recently hit the tanker and our bags are full.
Suddenly the AWACS controller hops on the frequency to announce the presence of bandits to our north, coming in fast and on the deck. I turn to the AWACS directed bearing and the other fighters in the group accelerate toward the incoming aircraft.
AWACS calls the threats at around 100 miles but my radar is useless. It takes me a several minutes (and much flipping through the manual) to figure out that the symbols on the radar denote jamming. The fog in my mind thickens and I’m having trouble keeping up with things as the range to the targets drops quickly. I’m not sure what to do! Thankfully the F10 map view displays the AWACS detected threat symbols as small red dots and I’m able to roughly figure out the situation around me.
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