185th VFS IS CURRENTLY RECRUITING BOTH
PILOTS AND AWACS CONTROLLERS
BACKGROUND
 The 185th Reservoir Dogs were officially launched on 3rd of July 1999, flying Falcon 4.0. Together with it’s sister-Squadrons (Sqns), the 186th Wardogs, the 99th Underdogs and the 311th Kangal Dogs they formed the 1st European Tactical Fighter Wing, under the command of Air Marshal Tom "MadDogMcQ" McQuiggan. Unfortunately, due to work commitments, the ETFW was disbanded in June 2000 but the 185th has gone from strength to strength and continues to this day under the name 185th Virtual Fighter Sqn (VFS). In July 2009, the 185th celebrated it's 10th Anniversary and organised both an online event and a Sqn meet at RIAT. In December 2011, the 185th converted from Allied Force to BMS and in 2012 we are going for 13 years of operations in Falcon 4.
WHAT DO WE FLY?
We currently fly Falcon 4 BMS (V 4.32). You can download it from the torrent here.
ETHOS
The first rule of our Sqn is to have fun enjoying our hobby together. To that end we are not ultra hard-core when it comes to realism. Instead we prefer to balance realism with enjoyment and accommodate a membership with a wide range of Falcon skill levels. Although there is a Chain of Command, we like to keep the whole atmosphere fairly relaxed.
Please note however, that we are rather strict about some rules such as no swearing when using our TeamSpeak server and our web-site. The full list of rules can be found in the 185th VFS Membership Manual. Complying with these rules is mandatory for all members of the 185th VFS.
STRUCTURE
The Sqn comprises 30 available slots grouped into 3 “Operational” Flights (Black, Blue and Green). Each flight has 10 slots including a Flight Leader and 2IC. There is also a Command Staff of 2, the Commanding Officer (CO), his Executive Officer (XO) and a slot for a dedicated AWACS controller. This allows a current maximum of 33 Full Members. In addition to the 3 “Operational” Flights the 185th VFS has a Cadet Flight, called Grey Flight. This is run by the Senior Cadet Mentor (SCM) who reports directly to the XO.
185th Senior Officers
The CO, XO, 3 Flight Leaders, Technical Officer, Web-site Officer and the Training Officer make up the Senior Officers (SOs) of the 185th VFS. They meet regularly to agree on matters important to the 185th. All members of the Sqn can raise issues at the SOs meeting either through their Flight Leader or by posting on the forum. You will find full details of the 185th VFS structure in the 185th VFS Membership Manual. A list of current 185th SOs can be found here.
WHAT DO WE OFFER?
- We have an Official Flight Night on Sunday evening.
- We have organised flying on a Monday evening where we fly inter-squadron operations (TE, mini-campaigns, FoF)
- There is official training on a Wednesday evening.
- On Thursday we fly an online campaign and everyone is welcome to join in.
- Members are free to organise flying on other evenings as they wish.
- The 185th VFS Air Tasking Order (ATO) can be used to post and book all flights.
- Each Flight normally has their own training sessions at least once a month.
- We have members with an unsurpassed knowledge of Falcon and several with real world aviation experience, both military and civilian. You will be able to participate in our training programmes as well as get one-on-one help.
- We have a fixed TeamSpeak Server and backup available 24/7.
- We also have three servers to host big operations in BMS as well as the IVC servers.
- The 185th have a dedicated web-site with members only areas and a forum so we can keep in touch and share news, information and help.
- We have a dedicated server available for flying missions with up to 24 human pilots.
- Most importantly of all, we have a great bunch of people that share your hobby and are always willing to help.
WHO CAN JOIN
The 185th will consider applications from any keen Falcon 4: BMS pilot or ATC/AWACS controller who:
- Has completed the 12 mandatory Falcon 4: BMS (see new applicants section below). Note this criteria does not apply to ATC/AWACS controller applications.
- Is at least 16 years of age.
- Has a DSL/Broadband Internet connection capable of 500kbps download/250 kbps upload (tested not quoted speed).
- Is able to attend a minimum of 50% of official Sunday Flights each quarter.
- Ideally lives within 2 hours of the UK time zone (i.e. +/- 2 hours UK time) but we can be flexible as long as the Internet connection is stable with a low ping (<150ms).
- Meets the Falcon 4: BMS (Recommend not Minimum) system requirements as detailed on the BMS web-site.
NEW APPLICANTS
The 185th can offer a wealth of training and expertise to new members.
In return we only ask that they have made the effort to successfully complete 12 of the BMS training missions in their own time before applying. These missions are (from Allied Force. Being updated.):
Mission 1: Basic Aircraft Handling.
Mission 2: Take-off (Ramp Start Optional).
Mission 9: Landing from 10nm out on final.
Mission 12: Navigation & Timing.
Mission 13: Air-To-Air Radar Modes.
Mission 15: Aim-9 Sidewinder.
Mission 16: Aim-120 AMRAAM.
Mission 17: Air-to-Ground Radar Modes.
Mission 19: CCIP Bombing.
Mission 23: AGM-65 Maverick Missile.
Mission 24: Laser-Guided Bombs.
Mission 25: HARM Air-to-Ground Missile.
If new applicants have attempted these training missions but are struggling in certain areas then they should mention this on the application form and we may be able to help them.
All new applicants who meet the minimum entry standard are assigned cadet status and a Cadet Mentor (CM) when they join the 185th VFS. The only restrictions on cadet flying within the 185th VFS is they are not allowed to fly on a Official Sunday TEs and they will only be allowed to fly in Inter-Sqn competitions at the discretion of the Team Captain.
From joining the 185th VFS, cadets will be allocated to Grey Flight to prepare for and undertake their assessment flight, which is designed to ensure they have the minimum skill level required to fly on a Sunday evening. To prepare, cadets will undertake regular flights with their CM and other members of the Sqn until they ready for the assessment flight, which must be successfully completed under the watchful eye of a Senior Officer of the 185th. After this cadets are allocated to Black, Blue or Green Flight and can fly on Sunday night missions and in Inter-Sqn competitions without restriction.
If you are new to Falcon 4 please don't worry about this. The whole idea of the CM system is to ensure you are ready for the assessment flight. It could be that you're a bit of an Ace and need no further training, but equally, it could be that you have only just completed the minimum training lessons in BMS. Whatever level you are at, we'll be there to help you.
You can download a practice assessment flight and briefing here. (for Allied Force. Being updated.)
You can find full details of the cadet induction process in the 185th Membership Manual.
We especially encourage all those of you who have never flown Falcon online before to contact us, we are confident that when you have flown online with fellow human pilots instead of the "AI" you will never look back.
AWACS CONTROLLERS
As well as pilots, Falcon 4.0: BMS allows for AWACS controllers on-line. For those of you who prefer being in the control tower or on an E-3 Sentry then you can join the 185th VFS as a dedicated AWACS controller.
From providing regular ATC when 8 aircraft are queuing to land through to running a Ground Controller Intercept or managing an entire air battle for upto 23 human pilots, AWACS controllers are full members of the 185th and provide a vital service for our Sunday night and weekday flights.
AWACS controller cadets will be provided with AWACS specific training and must pass an AWACS assessment prior to controlling on an official flight night.
If you are interested in this role please fill out the 185th Application Form and mention that you are applying for an AWACS controller position.
OFFICIAL FLIGHT NIGHTS
 We have one official Tactical Engagement Mission flown each week on a Sunday night. This is an original mission written by one of the current membership, the briefing for which is issued to members some 24hrs before the flight. The actual mission is not released to the Sqn until 1920UK (UK local time) and is downloaded directly from our web-site.
All members wishing to fly meet initially in the Sqn chat lobby from 1915UK for some social interaction, after which members split into their individual Flights at 1930UK.
The TEs are written for up to 9 members (8 fliers + 1 human AWACS) and once in their designated voice communication channels, members join the host and planning begins in earnest. During this stage each flight typically discusses their proposed strategy, analyses the air and ground threats and designates individual flight tasks. Getting into a multi-player session and the planning normally takes no more than an hour. Typically the flight is on the taxiway no later than 2030UK.
All of our missions are designed to give approximately 60-85 minutes flight time, so barring any technical issues we are usually finished by 2200UK (including a short de-brief). To download and try some of our recent missions click here.
At least once a quarter we aim to fly as a full Sqn, with up to 24 people in the same official TE.
Do you have what it takes to end the year at the top of our Career Points League (CPL)?
HOW TO APPLY
If you would like to be part of one of the longest running and most successful Falcon virtual Sqns then fill in the 185th Application Form by clicking on the link, answer a few basic questions and tell us a little about your background/current experience level with Falcon4.
Even if you decide not to fill in an application we'd like to hear what you though about our web-site. Was it easy to navigate, did you find what you were looking for? Praise or criticism we're interested in your feedback so drop us a line here.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Vosene
Commanding Officer
185th VFS
Last edited 15 December 2011
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