Hello,
this weekend we had a Falcon BMS meeting. It was one the most successful Falcon meetings ever (in the Czech Republic). There were several reasons why:
- historically there were very probably the most people who actively fly simulators, especially Falcon BMS, of course, followed by DCS and finally MSFS 2020, X-Plane, and others like F4: Allied Force and older flying simulator classic titles.
- This meeting was absolutely unique because there were 5 persons who flew all missions or some of them (me - Rapier) on VR: Oculus Rift (Rapier), HP Reverb 2 (Slide), Meta Quest 3 (MikeCZ - squadron leader), Meta Quest 2 (Kisin + Mišák).
- It was the first time I flew the whole mission in any flying simulator in general, from ramp cold start to landing completely with VR set on my head. Frankly, it was relatively difficult because I needed to look on my checklist (cold start) to be able to finish it, it was impossible to press G (landing gear) or J (jammer) on the keyboard without putting down VR, so I asked Nerd to help me during flight (he was with eyes tracking solution only).
- It was the first time we won a Campaign (we played Balkan this year) at our Falcon BMS 4.37 meeting in incomplete 3 days (Friday evening/night - Sunday morning). We flew only 5 missions in total (first on Friday/Saturday night, 2nd and 3rd during Saturday day, and 4th on night), and 5th on Sunday morning but with 14 members in the same room! With IVC radio communication, briefing, debriefing, etc. And we won a dynamic campaign! Incredible result.
- It was the first time when took my full setup from home for the meeting (4 years PC old with R7 3700X + X570 + RX 5700 XT + 32GB RAM) including VR and Track IR 4 Pro (6 DOF).
- I have not flown Falcon BMS since the last 2022 BMS meeting. It was a surprise that I was able relatively easily to repeat the cold start procedure on the ground (with VR it was more complex) and also use my weapons correctly (JSOW, LGBs, and AA). So this meeting is more like my welcome back in flight simulation.
- It was the first time I forgot something: track IR clip - we had to go back for it, and on the place: power cord of my PC and power cord/USB for my mic. Well, we were younger.
I flew several times Falcon BMS 4.37 and new version on Meta Quest 3, as well as VTOL VR on Meta Quest 2. The second game was a big surprise for me, control by hands only is revolutionary and simply genius. After a few minutes, I was in and able to fly without any issues!
I’m sure that most of you are interested in my experience from my first VR flight ever. Before that, I never took off and landed in VR. It was simpler than in 2D with Track IR, especially landing. I was really surprised at how easy landing with VR is. The immersion in VR is incredible. I was in the F-16 Block 50/52 cockpit, surrounded by the cockpit, AMMRAMS, Sidewinders, and wings, and the cockpit itself looks in VR incredibly realistic. We took off during sunset, so all those lights are pretty realistic in VR, and the massive experience was when I was alone in the cockpit during the night flight to the Balkan coast. The experience in VR was really different than in 2D, I saw all those reflections in a glass cockpit, and the night sky without the moon and with a lot of clouds… it was a pretty surrealistic experience I had a feeling I was really, really there over the sea close to Serbia coast… alone only with IFR navigation, radar, etc. and I saw my teammates on HSD as well as others flight on the same package due to datalink setup.
After the successful combat mission, I was a little bit nervous about landing on the alternate airfield in Albania (bingo, without a chance to land on the home airfield, without NVG, and first time ever in VR. It was easy! Much easier than in 2D with Track IR. I don’t know how but simply I touched the runway and that’s it. Hard to describe that experience because in VR you are really sitting in the cockpit, so landing is a little bit different than in 2D.
A real problem was the lower resolution of the Oculus Rift. I was forced to use Zoom in the cockpit to be able to do cold start first and later to be able to read MFD buttons and fonts everywhere in the cockpit. So in VR, I struggled with FCR radar in GM/GMT mode to identify armored battalions and was able to identify more on TGT due to the lower resolution of VR! Despite that, I was able to hit something but with more time in the cockpit. After 1,5 hours of mission, I had a good feeling from VR, and no health issues but satisfied and happy to be there in the real cockpit of an F-16.
VR sets
Oculus Rift is not bad. Lower resolution, and HDMI cable, but the VR experience is definitely there.
Meta Quest 2: better but still not enough, wi-fi experience. Fonts in the cockpit are much better to read but I still had to focus or use a smaller zoom to be able to read switches in the cockpit or values on MFDs.
Meta Quest 3 with one paid app, wi-fi experience. Fonts are perfectly readable without the need to zoom or focus on text as well as be able to read notes on knees. Impressive experience. Like on PS VR2.
Falcon BMS new version
I’m sure that most of you are interested in what was my experience. Well first, it’s not final, looks good. I flew it only in VR with Meta Quest 3.
Some photos from the last (5th) Sunday mission, after 2 + or more hours we won the campaign because our ground forces took control over key cities.
Taxiing (4x LGBs, 4x AMMRAMs, Sniper pod, ECM pod)
Flight back after a successful mission
Graphics looks really well
Close to landing
This time without VR
Debriefing
It was a surprise for me because before the flight I was thinking: Do I remember how to use LGBs? Yes, I do!
Remember what I told you in the Falcon BMS Online article?! Do not go lower than is setup deck! 20,000 ft. But there was a mist, so I took a risk and as you can see AAA immediately fired at me!
43rd VFW Black Adders
VR epic (from left 4 persons with VR set only)
My cockpit without joined VR set. As you can see, my notes are on the table to help me be ready ASAP + memorize it, as well as with the cold start procedure (hard to read with Oculus Rift on the head)
Briefing
Squadron leaders MikeCZ (left) and Nerd (right) are explaining how to connect to the server and properly use the IVC radio.
Luk is using really old HOTAS. Our expert on dogfighting is able to beat Slide in a dogfight.
The guy on the left (Cobra) is a really good virtual pilot in BMS online as well as in DCS World. He is flying only online. The guy next to Cobra is Slide, well know dogfighter in DCS World.
Return to Castle Wolfenstein (Castle Český Šternberk, Czech Republic)
BTW this area (Posázaví) is placed in the famous historical Czech game which I’m sure you know very well: Kingdom Come Deliverance made by Warhorse Studios.
EDIT: please, let me know how good the report is (if you enjoy it or not) and frankly I don’t know where are should put this article properly.
On the other hand probably it sounds better for foreigners.