Glad you are enjoying my complete lack of knowledge…LOL. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those “grab the manual and learn it” types…I am much more comfortable being led by the hand with training scenarios. The version I have doesn’t have training missions yet, so I’m left wandering around a bit, which explains the “let’s see what this does” approach.
You know that’s a statement that makes people a tiny bit uncomfortable considering you are a professional pilot…? 
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Wait, you mean I shouldn’t have put his statement on Facebook with his name?
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That’s the thing though, isn’t it.
On the job, we need to prove ourselves worthy of handling the hardware. That includes RTFM, a lot, and showing some examiner that we can fly by the numbers and by the book.
I, for one, do enough of that! In the virtual world, I just want to wing it. Oh, yeah, I want to shoot someone down as well, which is something generally frowned upon in the real world of flying. Civilian flying, anyway… 
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Yes, I can see where that would seem unusual. Fortunately or unfortunately, I get tested every six months in both the simulator and class (alternating between the King Air and Citation), with the FAA sometimes sitting in on those exams and sim rides. At this point, I have about 22 years flying Citations and King Airs, so I’m pretty familiar with them. Although each recurrent I learn something I new I didn’t know…
Very rarely are people handed a book in professional aviation and told - learn this and get back to me. Usually there is a fairly well structured ground school, then simulator (if the complexity warrants it), and then testing and checkrides.
The Harrier is complex enough that you can spend an hour with it, and if you have one switch out of place, well, you’re going to fly around dropping bombs without hitting anything. (I think I’ve made craters everywhere around Creech without actually hitting the trucks I have placed…)
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So, probabilistic speaking, if you drop one more bomb…
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Challenge accepted, hold my beer.
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You could just boop the trucks with the harrier and get away with it. Destroy stuff. WITHOUT WEAPONS.
Mind. Blown.
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Fly by the numbers? Pish-posh! If they wanted you to fly by the numbers they shouldn’t have painted those Green, Yellow and Red arcs on various gauges…just say’n. 
(My bone fides for making such a statement: Actual flying experience: 10 minutes behind the controls of an SH-3 Seaking (0 takeoffs /0 landings) when I was a 2/c Midshipman……something like 35 years ago…so… not so much…
)
More seriously…I know this is an old thread and “When we last left, @BeachAV8R was having problems with his LGBs. Will he ever hit the trucks?”…mildly curious.
I’ve got $14 bonus bucks just dying to be spent and I was seriously considering the Harrier. The videos and screen shots–both in and out of the cockpit–look great. Yet I’ve picked up some rumblings in other threads that the AV-8B has “issues”. Still…nothing negative in this thread…is there any caveat emptor issues one might like to know about?
That guy (BeachAV8R) would have a hard time starting the Harrier at this point. 
On a short hiatus from “fun” stuff at the moment…wrapping up some articles for deadline time. Not that that isn’t fun…but it is more work-ish fun…
Harrier is fine. It’s still missing a couple of systems (INS isn’t entirely done and the stopwatch on the left windowsill is not working among others) and some systems are janky such as the mavericks and TGP/DMT interactions.
It’s a fun jet. A joy to fly and interesting as well due to all the odd ways it can take off and land. It’s systems resemble the hornets in all kinds of fun ways. If you know your way around the pit of one, the other will seem familiar to you.
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You mind updating a guy that has his head in the sand sometimes (hard to keep up with it all…)…what is the status of training missions and campaigns for the Harrier - are they fully fleshed out yet?
Unless they slipped something in and didn’t say anything, I believe the official training missions and campaign are waiting for a more feature complete Harrier. However, there is a rather nice unofficial 10 mission campaign by a community member over on the ED forums.
Edit: It’s the Vulcan Forge Campaign by Sedlo. Takes place on the NTTR map.
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The current Harrier is basically (combat capability) a VTOL version of the A-4 with a broken intervolometer for bomb spacing, and a very temperamental targeting pod that may or may not work, or work the way you want it to, and a moving map.
Personal recommendation, ditch the targeting pod, use short take offs, drop irons bombs using the ARBS and actual airmanship, do vertical landings, have wayyyy to much fun doing it all.
A lot of the focus on the other boards is how “broken” the harrier is, versus how much actually works. I could care less that my INS doesn’t need alignment to go drop bombs. The ARBS works great, and you feel like a hot shot dropping bombs the old school way. Plus vertical landings! What’s not to like?
Very nice. I guess I need to look at the training mission section more often. 
Honestly, this is why I can’t seem to stay away from the Harrier for very long.
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I know, right… Examiners…! 
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Hey guys! Yes, first few training missions are out, working hard on the rest. Campaign idea is coming together, first one will be in Caucasus and will be loosely tied to Enemy Within (taking place few months after, but it won’t be a COIN - something much bigger). Both training and campaign require the module to be completed- and RAZBAM is getting there.
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Oh boy, I better quit procrastinating and finish TEW then. 
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How so? The TGP has done everything I’ve asked of it and then some. I will admit that the FLIR has been a bit wonky, but that’s about it.
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