Introduction and objectives
Blacksharkden is located on the East coast of North America and as such, is operating weekday's evenings and weekend based on EST (UTC-5:00) standard time. The language that we are using is mostly English. It is born after a long and painful research of virtual squadrons in North America that are not flying a fixed wing aircraft in general (and more specifically not flying the A-10C module!).
This site was created in order to offer a meeting point to a very rare breed of virtual pilots in this part of the World (and as such, will probably remain small):
- they are enjoying the most complex and demanding publicly available piece of flight simulation software in existence: Digital Combat Simulator (DCS),
- they are flying almost exclusively the helicopters modules available in DCS,
- they are looking for an even more immersive, realistic and complex combat mission environment,
- they are seeking a cooperative multiplayer experience rather than pure PvP (player vs player)
- they are available once or twice a week at a time compatible with a normal working day on the East coast.
- they are over 18 years old and seeking respectful adult environment, serious during the flights, less on the ground.
Why Digital Combat Simulator?
Digital Combat Simulator World (DCS World) is a digital battlefield game, focusing on simulation of military aircraft. DCS World includes a vast mission area of the Caucasus region that encompasses much of Georgia and a large part of the Nevada (US) state. It is a modular software allowing the addition of different modules depicting in a very realistic way a given aircraft. All the different aircraft available can operate in the same battlefield in a multiplayer environment. It is primarily designed for "hardcore" military simulator enthusiasts and is also known as a 'study sim, meaning that it is mandatory to go through the massive documentation of each aircraft available (specifically the modules labeled with the PFM or Professional Flight Model) before being even capable of enjoying the sound of a turbine or jet engine (not to mention being able to take off or fire a weapon with it). Even for virtual pilots with hundreds of flight hours on Flight Simulator or Lockheed's P3D software, it is a massive step up. And if you think you can handle a helicopter in DCS thanks to your huge experience in Arma III or Battlefield 4, well, you are in for a pretty rough disillusion and it is likely that you are not quite close to join this group.
In addition, DCS World is offering a very powerful mission editor, allowing users to fly unlimited customized missions in a rather solid multiplayer environment. This software has been available and evolving regularly for at least a decade and the community is extremely active. There is a nice constellation of modifications and 3rd party softwares to increase the realism and enjoyment of this community around the World.
Why only helicopters?
Well, because it is generally admitted that "helicopters suck". To quote a famous DCS community member (Chuck):
" Choppers are slow, blocky, noisy, sluggish…Who would want to be a glorified taxi driver when you could be Maverick and save the World at Mach1.5? Well, you should! Why? Simply because helicopter pilots have one of the most dangerous jobs in the World. You have to be one hell of a pilot to fly one of those. Or batshit insane. Or a bit of both. Flying a helicopter is challenging, and one of the most rewarding experiences I ever had in a flightsim. Flying helicopters is difficult, much more difficult than flying an airplane. Helicopters are marvellous and totally insane creations. They seem unnatural, intricate and many pilots who come from the jet or prop plane world have difficulties to learn to fly helicopters since it requires a different way of thinking."
In addition:
- Simulating an helicopter is an order of magnitude more complex than simulating a fixed wing aircraft, that's why there is a very restricted number of gaming software that can pretend to "realistically" simulate a chopper. I believe that even the famous Flight Simulator or P3D does not qualify for it for most of the helicopters you can fly in. As a result, helicopter simulation does not have a very good reputation in the simulation community.
- Although it is possible to fly common operations in DCS World with fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, the flight domains both worlds are flying into are SO different, that the only time those two types of aircraft will interact will be on the airport during takeoff or landing. This is specially true between choppers and jet fighters. So there is little sense to mix them in an 'everyday' type cooperative mission, although it is not excluded to have some A-10C or Su-25 pilots to join from time to time.
- In some cases, the "Combined Armed" module as well as the "LotATC" one will be used during missions to improve the ground operations realism and JTAC coordination.
Why is this site called like this. What type of choppers are you flying here?
This site is called after the first helicopter module released in DCS World (well, at the time, it wasn't called DCS World but anyway) in 2008: Black Shark, a simulator of the Russian Kamov 50. It was the first module labeled 'PFM' for Professional Flight Model and it took me weeks, if not a month, to be able to start it up manually and not crashing it after a few seconds in the air. I was so frustrated that I really first thought this piece of software was totally bugged.
But a few years later, DCS World opened to other 3rd parties and new helicopters are now available in addition to the Kamov 50:
- the Belsimtek Mil Mi-8
- the Belsimtek Bell UH-1 Huey
- the Polychop SA342 Gazelle (2016)
- the Polychop BO-105 (2017)
All these helicopters are great to fly together in a combat mission (except maybe the UH-1 which is a bit slower than all the other ones).
OK, so what else this site is offering?
Beside being able to meet regularly DCS choppers pilots who shares the same interest and flying multiplayer coop missions in a realistic (but friendly) environment, the site is offering an advanced mission organization tool, an exhaustive library with tons of hard to find documentation on your favorite platform and operational procedures and tactics used in the real world, a forum of course to exchange with fellow pilots, a TeamSpeak 3 dedicated server for radio communications during missions, a training center with structured classes to improve your level of competence, a ranking system and a solid expertise to support you passion for this simulator.
I am interested. What do I need to do?
If you made it until here, you are certainly interested!
Please first register on this site. Then you'll be able to sign up in the forum. Go to the Recruiting Office and carefully read the enrollment conditions in the first post. If you think you are a match, post your application with the information required in the first post. If accepted, you'll get to fly with a member of the high command for an evaluation of your capabilities. If everything goes well (it usually does at this stage), you will be offered the position of trainee within this group. This will grant you access to the documentation, missions, training classes, Teamspeak server,... Your trainee status will be used during an 'observation' period where your participation and motivation will be, well,... observed. After this transition period, if you also think this group matches your expectations, you will be granted with the pilot qualification and the rank of junior lieutenant. Welcome to Blackshark's den!
