V.20221217 (Ka-50 III update)
"Lawnmower" is a mission where you train, improve, and test your helicopter landing skills. Request a landing by difficulty (easy, normal, or hard), and the mission generates an LZ based on your request. LZs are generated dynamically, from tens of thousands of possibilities, virtually guaranteeing that no two missions are identical (unless you are unusually patient). Landings are rated individually, and after five or more consecutive landings, your overall skill is rated as well. Harshly. So better step up your game, soldier!
This mission supports all DCS flyable helicopters (Huey, Ka-50, Mi-8, Hind, Apache, and Gazelle), and you can switch between airframes - just don't do it while tasked with a landing, or you'll score a zero for cheating on that landing. MP Multi-Crew is tentatively included to support Instructor / Student. MP Multi-Unit is unsupported (use "Dustblower" instead).
CENTRAL, READY FOR DEPARTURE
You are Lawnmower One, training helicopter landings with Central. Landing zones are created dynamically based on the difficulty that you request. Currently there are two locations to choose from, each with endless missions, and you can freely switch locations and airframes after each landing:
Senaki Kolkhi - the safe starter area
The classic location fr om Version 1.0 -- LZ are around the Senaki-Kolkhi airfield. Start here if you have never played this mission before to get a feeling of what you can expect
Batumi - the city landing area
Don't we all enjoy the waterfront? While "easy" landings here are as easy as at Senaki Kolkhi, the "normal" and "challenging" landings here are designed to make your hairline recede faster; they are a step up from Senaki Kolkhi, as they are almost always inside populated areas.
Also, since we are close to the coast, there are off-shore locations to explore, but no landings exercises will be assigned to them. Once you graduate here, sign up for the "Sea Flea Ops Trainer" to practice ship landings.
Choose your Helicopter (all types supported), then use the 'F10 Other' Command in Communications to request a landing exercise from Central. Landings are scored individually, and you accumulate a total and average score. After 5 or more landings, you are rated based on your average score. After a landing you can change helicopters and continue.
Each Landing is scored based on
- difficulty level (easy, normal, hard)
- time until touchdown
- Quality (precision) of touch-down point
- Helicopter type
LZ are marked by a ring of tires with a red flag sticking out (easy and normal mission), or a ring of red flags (hard). Additionally, the position of the LZ is marked by blue smoke that is positioned slightly outside the LZ.
A touchdown outside of the marked LZ fails that exercise touchdown with a score of 0 (as does a crash). Aborting an exercise counts as a failed landing (Score 0) towards your total and average score.
You can request three different exercises:
Easy:
Your landing zone will be mostly unobstructed and can be approached fr om any direction. It's big enough even for inexperienced pilots to hit, maybe even land in. There is a generous time lim it and breaking the lim it will simply add less to the score.
Normal:
Your landing zone may be partially obstructed, so plan your approach direction. Landing Zone size is still generous. Time lim it is shorter, breaking the lim it also only results in a lower score
Hard:
Your landing zone is virtually guaranteed to be obstructed fr om at least one side, and usually there are obstacles (trees, buildings, vehicles, power lines) close by that may even extend into your LZ. Size of the LZ is what you would expect in real-life extraction missions. Time lim it is harsh and breaking the lim it will reduce the entire score to zero.
You must also avoid other units moving about, even if they intrude on your LZ. Landing on a road is therefore not advised.
Helicopter difficulty:
- Ka-50 (easiest)
- UH-1
- SA-324
- AH-64
- Mi-24 Hind
- Mi-8 (hardest)
Remember: nobody ever said it was easy. But it's surely fun!
Trivia Tidbit:
The original version of this mission kicked off the development of DML
