Now that the DCS: F/A-18C Hornet is 99% feature complete I thought it was time to revisit all of my old tutorials and start building a new and definitive library of Hornet Tutorials. A lot has changed since its release in 2018, but a lot has also stayed the same. This will be a big undertaking but I think the community will greatly benefit from it!

That intro was incredible. I was instantly transported back to the flightline. That shit never gets old. I would stay after work sometimes just to watch helos and fast movers, especially on hot summer nights. Right out of Top Gun where he's parked by the end of the runway at dusk just watching planes. We had a few places you could do that. Taxiing planes in those same conditions is just the best. Sun is down but it's still hot. Planes in the air, planes on the ground. The energy is intense. ❤ On the flight deck of a carrier is epic.

I never go through the entire checklist when coldstarting. There are many laborious steps that do nothing for the actual flight. If you want the immersion, that’s fine and great, but I find it very satisfying to know the startup steps I need to do and the fastest order to do them in. Especially when I don’t have a lot of time to play!

Very nice idea to revisit all F/A 18 SOP's up to the current state ! I am reaching 100h on the bird and still learning a lot of new things along the way , thanks to your videos !

On engine start, you need to cycle the bleeds before starting the left engine. Also prior to starting the left a good technique is to turn on the DDIs, HUD, radios, and MPCD. You'll also have to do an alignment every time you start (can't go straight to IFA). A stationary GND alignment will typically be faster than an IFA. On a cold start, you'd also do an IBIT on the FCS after resetting the FCS. What you did was an FCS exerciser. To get to the IBIT, you'll go to the BIT page, then FCS and press push tile 4 while holding the FCS consent switch. The probe is usually reserved for final checkers where they do the "6 down" checks- hook, speedbrake, probe, launch bar, emergency av air cooler, and pitot heat. I would recommend setting flaps to half before setting takeoff trim as well. There's virtually no reason to leave the tacan off either. If you don't want it just don't box it on the HSI. I'd recommend also setting the radalt to 380 or 450. If it's at 600 in the downwind it will be constantly going off. It's good to have it at 450 so you have a good benchmark during your approach turn (should be 450 at the 90).

According to NATOPS, the throttle can be advanced at 15% N2 rpm as long as you have an oil pressure indication. Also, displays are turned on before cranking up the left engine to check for HYD 2 and ATS cautions.

Your videos just get better and better. Thank you for the considerable effort you put into making these... very much appreciated.

Thank you, I already know the F/A-18C cockpit like the back of my hand, but I learned a few new things. Thank you. These videos are great for both new and veteran players.

Thanks Spud! Updated tutorial series are really needed since there are so many new items added, sometimes unknown for the early Hornet addopters...

Oooh, yes, thanks for these! I bought the F-18 a few months ago and have been struggling to learn it due to all the different information and tutorials. Can't wait for the rest of these!

This was a joy to watch. You explained it in a very calm but authentic way, i wasn’t bored for a second, didn’t skipped the video like i usually do, you’re very talented as a speaker and teacher. Much appreciated, keep up the good work. Liked and subscribed 💪

Nice, looking forward for more episodes. I still remember the huge afford it took me to learn the Start-Up-Procedure of the A-10C many years ago. Now it's more like give me three/four time's and I start every other bird in DCS.

Thank you sir. To me, this is so far the best and most understandable tutorial video. I learned quite a bit from your lecture and now I love F/A-18C so much!

Hornet is such an awesome strike fighter! Definitely my favorite in DCS. Thanks for the final look at cold start.

Looking forward to this definitive series ! Always great content

Cool, this sounds like intro music I'd use! I approve! Good to see the Hornet out of EA, it's a lot of fun to fly, very forgiving, and a versatile multi-role platform for plethora of mission types. Plus, you can launch and recover from the boat.

ICANT with the fire test, jesus, dude.

Thank you. These are great tutorials. I can't wait to go through them one by one. I hope you cover all topics for ease of reference. :)

Enjoyed this. The flow for startup is smoother and seem less confusing for a new pilot like me. Thanks for sharing your expertise

Very concise and accurate. Very Helpful. Thanks, Spudknocker!

You are the best KZfaqr about DCS. Your tutorials are the best.

Another great tutorial Spud. Thank you!

Thanks Spud for sharing another great turtorial. All the best

That was pretty cool. I was an F/A-18 Avionics guy on the A and C models. We had Lot 9s. Nice to see the nifty upgrades from when I was in the Navy. Since I was Low Power Turn qualified, I did these tasks many times. Brings back a lot of good memories. I loved working on that aircraft. When I worked on the A they had a terrible INS that was a real pain sometimes. I also worked on Lot 12. If I had to pick my least favorite part to replace, it would be the Radar Altimeter. Anyone who worked on these knows what a pain that was.

My true love, the Hornet. Will never get tired of this piece of machinery.

Oh Cool, they update something with the Startup? I love the full immersion mission procedures in DCS World...and an excellent choice on Real-World Training Weapons Loadout...something we use in Air Warfare Group primarily...I approve!

Great tutorial not only going through the steps but why. I definitely learnt something.

Really glad to see this, so many features are outdated and changed, almost all of the tutorials are out of date and average players would never know. Who has time to look through hundreds of pages of changelogs before getting back into a plane after a long hiatus?

Thank you for posting this. I would be incredibly lost without it.

This is a awesome instructional video. Thank you for taking the time to do this, it def helped me out✌️

thanks a lot for your work mate! awesome explanation and is nice to hear real life short facts aswell!

Look forward to these

This video made me a subscriber. Good stuff my friend. 🍻

Just started playing DCS and was overwhelmed with the startup process. Two days later after rewatching this tutorial.. shits easy peasy. lol

Excellent update. I wasn't aware of the "straight to IFA" for alignment option. Neat. Once small critique I encountered in the past is to NEVER release the parking brake until INS alignment is done. As for the HMD alignment. love that only uncage presses in each of the 3 steps gets it done. I think previously it was a combination of TDC depress / Uncage. With just uncage only there's no need to remember the confirmation button in the 3 step sequence. Keep it up man. Love your videos !

Awesome startup vid, thanks so much!

Thanks! I'm learning the F/A-18C Hornet and you helped me a lot!

Excellent tutorial..thanks a lot for the detailed explanations, it make a lot of sense. I find that knowing how the systems work behind the panels very important to remember how to operate the system.

I hope this turns into a whole series cuz a lot of guides are out dated or poorly made or don’t take many new player aspects into consideration.

Amazing and very helpful tutorial! Thank you, keep up the good work :)

Thanks I'm new to dcs world and recently got a hotas warthog and f18c to go with it. Looking forward to spending time learning

Thank you! Great update!!

Great guide. Thank you for this

Fantastic 👍

Totally awesome!💯 Just got my 1st mod the f-18C legacy. But with the sale spring sale I got the FC3 also the f-86 saber. As a Navy man & Hilo pilot. Navy Air Force and Marines assign a specific aircraft to a pilot. This way it becomes second nature and I do love the f-18 but my true love is the F-14. I chose the f-18 legacy due to its radar and crossover abilities. Also that has been upgraded many times. Down the road. I'll get the F-14. Bravo then the alpha. Trying to teach myself. There's kind of a long curve I'm going through. The value of your teaching is priceless. Hopefully down the road. This was a gift from my son. Retired and disabled. I do have the OC2 VR. Seems to get hot. It's the 128 model. After about an hour or two. I'm going to follow your teaching message from cold start. Hopefully all the way to advanced. Really loving it. Learned a lot from your cold start, especially with the radar. 91 to '96 CVN 76 Reagan we had F-14 tomcats. Was unable to finish my 8 years which I was going to put in for another 8 years. Training a co-pilot in a CH47 as a mock-up in lieu of the CH46 Sea Knight. Transmission blew up so all I had was the rear rotor and the auto rotation went well. Had to straighten it out in a dive. By the time the rear touch the ground with the ramp everybody was off but during the dive in ammo can't slid underneath my seat. I lost power holding the rear and trying to keep it straight in the front slammed the ground. My entire lumbar is fused with titanium rods and implementations. So this is really a gift for me. Dcs. Thank you very much. Can't wait to see all of your videos on tutorials! I imagine I'll be staying in the f-18 for a year or 2. PS. Sorry for the bio 🫣

What a great video the F-18 is my favorite aircraft in DCS and this will help alot!

I wish some CF-18 pilots could see this and wait for their sniper pods to align before taking off! Would really help when they enter JTAC transmitted data! Great video.

Hey Spud, just got DCS at Christmas along with a hotas and the f18. I watched so many tutorials but found them to be confusing because of all the updates since the videos were released. I got an orgasm seeing the new bids you posted. Thank you so so much

Damn that’s Amazing… thanks for sharing

To this I'd add datalinks, IFF and MIDS settings for HMD. Same goes for TACAN and ILS for expected approach, so you don't need to think about them later, especially in case you are short on fuel or having an emergency of some sort.

Love the hornet 🔥🔥😍

For a runway take off 3 bags 6x aim120s setting stab to 17 means the hornet simply takes off by itself around 180 kts

This is the best and CLEAR tutorial for a cold start of the F/A 18. I love when people speak clearly, directly, not wasting any word. Simple to get and learn. Even better than a tutorial in my own language done by people who act like books writers. Good job. Will subscribe immediately.

Looking so much forward for the definitive Radar usage tutorial! Wanted to step back into the F18... its been a while, now I have no clue how to use this thing properly.

Thanks for the vid! As a pilot, I depend on cklists and I frustrate my friends when I go through the complete startup, but my brain has a mental block about cutting corners.

Great little tutorial. After the nightmare that is an F14 cold start this feels like plugging in a USB mouse

ok I admit I've had to write it down, never remember all that lot at my age, but agree with Travis...I'll start using shortcuts once I've sussed it. This is the problem with DCS, we are not posted to a squadron and will fly that plane....We have the whole Air Force (YAY!) and Navy, (Senile Service, bless em) at our fingertips! THANK YOU for the updated video

Thanks for this. I'm just about to dive into the Hornet, so this could not have come at a better time.

Wow . Thats alot of doing. Lol. Ill be trying some of these cold start videos soon enough. Tha ks for the tutorials.great videos.

Cool, thanks!

How can hearing the engines start up in a jet aircraft sound soooo satisfying?!

French love Spudknocker Hornet video. Simple. clear, good speaking, hornetophil😋

Just picked up the Hornet today as first buy with 50% off, super helpful and didn't know you could remove the flight stick from Infront of the instrument panel to see better. That will save some awkward janky manoeuvres trying to move the stick out of the way like I did with the A4 😅

just brought the f 18 yesterday what more could i ask for. thank you!

Deeply appreciated and being a Navy man flying helos 91 to '96 CVN 7 6 Reagan, 4 tours. Seeking,Sea Knight, Seahawk. Hilo pilots are not committed to a particular helo because they run them through like underwear. The longest Hilo that I have noticed off the top of my head has been the Seahawk a variant of the Blackhawk. Note that all Sea aircrafts are much more expensive, not just because of the landing gear but because of the environment. Anti-corrosion metals and certain metal mixes of alloys etc. Cost quite a bit more. But they are not put out the pasture they are given to the national guard. Just as the legacy f-18 Charlie Will or has at this time when the super hornet comes out in rotation. Many people joined DCS to be a game and not have the real military pilot experience. Treat it like a game rather than what it was intended for. That's just me speaking for myself. I started with the legacy f-18 C. I got the FC3 yeah I did put in my cart the f-15 strike eagle 🦅 waiting on that being in the open beta. Also got my f-86 saber. I am truly a nugget to military aircrafts flown in the F-14 tomcat 4x in the Rio seat. Very dear brother of mine pilot of the F-14 would let me after the cat shot would let me fly it. From the back seat of course. But definitely a stress reliever except when he makes the formation tighter on me wanting me to do a snap roll. That will be my next aircraft. That is the aircraft that I truly wanted but of age I really wanted to get into and being a Navy man up to date radar and electronics. That's why I chose the F-18C. I'll get my own carrier. Hopefully I can put my own name and corresponding numbers to it. CVN 65 Enterprise that'd be cool. Can't figure out where the f-35 or the raptor and the SU57 felon is. I am really new to DCS. Maybe you can help me out in that particular issue. I'm going to subscribe to you for you are truly a good teacher. I thank you very much and I'm sorry for the bio. Call sign Smokwagn. If you see me, please take it easy on me. A simple wing wave would suffice. I'm learning though and I want the full experience. Otherwise I just fly FC3 aircrafts. I was told to get the FC3 package. Don't care for Russian aircrafts except for the felon. I'm going to go ahead and subscribe to you and back up to the beginning and hopefully find more tutorials on learning the legacy f-18c. Thank you so much and as time moves along here I will definitely support your channel. This way you can keep on teaching. Sometimes I got a pause because you speak pretty quick but that's okay. There's a lot that you have to say and trying to keep it at a minimum clock. Totally understood. Again, thank you very much. There's a way for you to invite me for training even in an AI circumstance. I'm all good for that. Again, thanks again. Take care ⚓🇺🇸⚓🕊️

Beautiful, the same video for the Viper would be awesome!

Thanks man! Luv Wags but yeah, his startup doesn't work well anymore. :) I will try yours tonight and continue practicing!

Awesome video, thanks a lot! I've one question though, is all of the shown also in the stable as of right now?

very clear thank you, hope for more f18 and f16 tutorials, a question...when you land to rearm and the ins goes dego...what you have to do?!?

As a complete beginner i really appreciated this video mostly because you actually explained what the various abbreviations mean which gives context, a lot of videos just assume you know all the million abbreviations. You did skip some of them like INS, etc which i had to google. I also find it hilarious though that other people feel the need to tell you in comments how they start the Hornet. Like you would care? Also i dont understand why people that already apparently know how to start the Hornet needs to watch this. If they start it differently then let them, and they can make a video about it insted. What i can tell from my small time using DCS is that the community seems quite toxic and full of a lot of people that constantly need to correct others. Keep up making videos for us new people, and i hope all the people that already know DCS can f-off

Hey Spud wondering do you use VR or Track IR ? Your vids are super helpful by the way. Got me back into Dcs without to much hassle :)

Luv it

I’ve been using gnd and cv up until 30 minutes ago ty

If for real; all these tests are critical. For us; we do have the *HUGE* luxury of shortcutting, and trying to achieve a "How fast can we start". This is my "fast start" list: F18 cold start batt rt middle enable (rt) apu - left center enable just under, set crank to R to start right engine rt shift - home to do startup right engine Set right/left mfd brightness set middle brightness (under IFF) turn knob above center mfd (brightness) turn knob under a/p or IFF - hud symbology brightness Left mfd, spt/fcs canopy lctrl-c INS (rt middle to norm) - status in SA on middle panel Lt engine crank (left midd swit now to left) right-alt home to set lever to power on engine (check alt) Fcs reset error buttton - mid left (flat silver button) oxygen - lft back flaps auto (f) take off trim = v fcs bit - rt mfd button1 next is run - Y + fcss (on mfd) set horz - knob - center rt tiwist to align INS rt back from on to nav radar - opr - rt mid arm ejection seat parking brake toggle, f (flaps) Set QFE/NH

Didn't see it mentioned anywhere, but when being adjusted the altimeter setting is temporarily displayed under the HUD altitude readout.

Your tutorials are awesome. I don’t even have DCS -yet- and I love watching them. That said, what do I need to do to get up and running on DCS? Is it downloadable?

Well done vid. ty Is there a Kneeboard Checklist for this procedure.

@Spudknocker Are you going to do anymore DEFINITIVE videos? These are super helpful and would love to see some on radar and weapons

Great tutorial as always! On a side note anyone got a link to up to date checklist for the Hornet?

Muchos gracias, senorita!

When Pitot Heat is set to auto, it turns on as soon as you lift-off. You only put it to on if you have icing conditions on the ground.

Its so sweet living near Miramar.. I moved from Oceana jet noise to Miramar jet noise. Cant sleep at night without it

I thought what you did at the end for the FCS bit is actually the FCS excercise mode. To do the bit You got to the bit page go to the FCS sub menu, press and hold the option select button next to FCS, and then press click the fcs bit switch on the right Wall.

Thanks for the great video! Is this the steam version or from DCS website? Which do you perfer? This video sold me. I was an MP on MCAS El Toro. Bring back memories...

Hi Spudknocker, Is there a Procedure Document that you follow or have created based upon this video? I always enjoy watching your videos, be they Tutorials, or the sensible way your flight team carry out their roles in missions Toni

Hey Spud! I already liked it when it came out and still liking it... would you like to do one for the F-16C Viper?

Excellent video 👍🏻 I am a subscriber of your channel for a long time. I really enjoy your calm and very well structured explanations in your tutorials 😃 At the moment I cannot really decide between learning the F16 and F18 in DCS. After your video, I tend to focus on the F18. It seems to be a bit easier to learn in comparison to the F16. At least for me… 😉 Thank you for this video and your work 😊 This really helps a lot 🤙🏻

Good tutorial video! The only thing I do diffferent way is the INS alignment - I switch to STR HDG, and finally IFA. By the way, I need to do a Tomcat cold start inside a shelter. Wonder if Jeester will say "Arm your ejection seat" :)

the music in the intro was just mwah, gave me tomcat vibes

I also have a brand new HOTAS, do you have a set of key bindings to the controls?

How do you zoom the camera in the switches and buttons? I'm new in the dcs world and wanted to memorize how to cold start this f18, thanks in advance

Hi Spud! I wanted to ask if you have the start up procedure you‘re using here in written form, so I can go through it everytime I start up this bird. I looked at patreon but didn‘t find if these are part of a membership. Also looked through the internet but the ones I found are older ones and they do it completely different than you.

Great tutorial, thank you. Besides that, just a tiny correction for you youngsters out there (you sound young so I would guess you are?) - The first High-Fidelity pointy nose fighter sim did NOT manifest itself in 2017, DCS goes waaay back, even to before it was named DCS. First release was called Lock-On: Modern Air Combat or LOMAC and was released in early 2003, at least 15 years earlier. At that point it was an Ubisoft release, but soon was changed to Eagle Dynamics, at least with Lock-On: Flaming Cliffs 2 in 2009, but probably earlier. I would say that LOMAC was pretty Hi-Fi at the time, nothing came close for sure, but it's sticks and stones compared to 2017 not to mention 2024.. Just a reminder that DCS has at least 21 years of history as of 2024. You all should check it out :)

Pitot on auto, w off wheel will activate it, but it's safe on ground. Only time to put it on is when icing on the ground.

YEAHHHHH!!!!!!!!

GREAT VIDEO it just that i feel sometime you go quite fast so i have to rewind the video quite a bit but it okay

This was a very comprehensive tutorial, thanks! One question: Once the INS alignment is complete, you just leave it at IFA for the mission? Or do you need to set it to NAV like after a stored alignment?

Even though coldstarting the hornet since released back then, I learned something new. Wondered where the FCS BIT had gone…

Does the HMD alignment routine fix the 15 degree (or so) down angle of the imagery at spawn in?

What about all the other BIT- tests under the BIT- page? The Sensors, Stores, Comm, NAV, and Displays are all "Not rdy" after a complete startup from cold & dark. Should all of those alse be tested, or best to just ignore them?