ABOUT BLACKSHARKDEN

Everything you need to know before joining us
OUR PLATOONS
UH-60 RAVEN
Ka-50 REAPER
CH-47 GRIZZLY
Mi-24 DRAGON
SA342 SHADOW
UH-1 OUTLAW
Mi-8 RHINO
OH-58 VOODOO
AH-64 WARLOCK
JOINING BLACKSHARKDEN

STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE

Joining us is quick and easy as long as you make sure to follow those steps.

Read our squadron presentation

Read

Check that you meet some requirements

Check

Check what platoon is open to new recruits

Check

Can you fly with us at least twice a month?

Commit

Join us on Discord and tell us the helicopter module you want to fly

Join

Fly and pass your initial checkride with an IP

Checkride content

BLACKSHARKDEN

Created in 2016, BlackSharkDen is a group of dedicated Digital Combat Simulator helicopter pilots, flying online missions with all the DCS helicopter modules. The squadron was built on two principles that make us very unique in the community of virtual squadrons: we do not fly any fixed wing modules and our online missions do not involve any PvP (players vs players) but only cooperation.

Black Shark Den is international, organized around two regions: NORAM (North America) and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) We have members all across the world and our common language is English. Events (missions) are organized to suit EMEA and/or NORAM time zones, but a BSD Pilot can choose to fly in any.

BSD is about camaraderie and the enjoyment of flying together. We have expectations of skills and competencies, and offer training to new members achieve mission readiness, both on our own dedicated servers and in events with other squadrons. Many of our pilots are veterans or active military, including helicopter pilots.

We are offering multiple dedicated servers, private and public running in-house scripts allowing unprecedented capabilities and immersion to our pilots in DCS missions and trainings as well as dedicated SRS (Simple Radio) VoIP servers. 95% of our activity is organized around our Discord server.

To join you must

  • Be over 18 years old
  • Be looking for sociable interaction with other BlackSharkDen members,
  • Be respectful, tolerant and friendly. While we enjoy some ribald banter, we respect each other,
  • Be willing to regularly commit in flying with your platoon
  • Want to increase and improve your skills through interactions and instruction with BSD members.
PLATOONS STATUS

STATUS

Ka-50

UH-1

Mi-8

CH-47

SA342

Mi-24

OH-58

AH-64

UH-60

BO105

NORAM

EMEA
COMMIT TO FLY TWICE A MONTH? (REAL LIFE ALLOWING)

WHAT WILL BE ASKED DURING YOUR INITIAL CHECKRIDE?

During your initial checkride, the instructor (IP) will evaluate the basic knowledge required to kick your formation with us. Because the time of our instructors is limited, we cannot provide ab-initio training. Please make sure you have enough flight time on your own to meet some of those basic requirements. Let’s go over a few things you will need before getting your checkride.
– Make sure you have Discord set up and ready to go for voice chat,
– You should have DCS World installed and updated to the latest version,
– You should obviously have at least one helicopter module installed,

– Your controls (cyclic, collective and rudder) are properly set up,
– If you have DCS Simpleradio installed, make sure to have the PTT (push to talk) set (hot mike only allowed on intercom channel is available),
– You should be able to start the aircraft from a cold and dark state without using the DCS auto start feature,
– You should be able to taxi, take off, hover and maintain a given altitude, speed and heading,

The video below is a detailed tutorial about this checkride.

Play
READY TO KICK OFF YOUR ADVENTURE?

JOIN OUR DISCORD SERVER!

JOIN BSD

Frequently asked questions

When joining BlackSharkDen, we will asked you to choose the helicopter you want to fly. This will define what platoon you will be joining and the instructor resources required to get your “Mission Qualified” (MQ) tag for the said helicopter. During this time, we are expecting from you to only fly this helicopter type to spare our instructors time. Only once you get your MQ tag, you will be allowed to move to another platform if you want to.

Sorry, we do not take ab initio pilots. We are expecting you to be familiar with the DCS environment and be able to cold start your helicopter following to correct sequence, hover, take off, fly at a given altitude, heading and speed. In short, everything you can easily learn by yourself in single player.

This will not happen. Fixed wings are completely prohibited if you fly under the BlackSharkDen banner. The only fixed wings you might briefly see will be the ones from guest or host squadrons during multi squadron events.

Sorry but no. We are sure that a minor can perfectly fly a PC flight simulator aircraft, but the kind of environment and humor you will find with BlackSharkDen is not necessarily adapted to minors and we are not willing to engage anyone’s responsibility with the minor’s guardians.

We are not offering positions for side gunners like in the UH-1H, CH-47F or Mi-8. For helicopters such as the AH-64D, OH-58D or Mi-24, we are expecting our members to be as comfortable as a pilot than as a front gunner or a side operator.

You will not see dogfighting helicopters here in BlackSharkDen. Not only it is not realistic, it is also against the squadron’s philosophy. Most of our missions are cooperative ones. Some are Blue vs Red but only from the ground assets perspective.

Yes. We are expecting to see you for a flight at least twice a month. We understand real life happens and we all have a job and a family, but showing up once in a blue moon is very discouraging for the people who spent time qualifying you as well as a lack of consideration for their time. Your MQ (Mission Qualified) tag is perishable and can be revoked by your platoon leader.

We are organized in two regions also known as companies: NORAM for North America and EMEA for Europe Middle East. Most flights during weekdays take place in the evenings, and in the afternoons during the weekends. Exact time will vary by a few hours according to your time zone within the NORAM or EMEA region. You can also fly with any region you want. Finally, feel free, the moment you join, to organize flights and missions in your own time zone if you can build DCS missions.