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[dpeters95]

I've noticed that I'm having trouble with using autopilot and waypoints.  I takeoff, fly through 2 or 3 waypoints and then activate the autopilot and it flies me back to the 1st waypoint.  I looked but can't find a command for "Next waypoint" so I'm not sure how to advance to the waypoint I want to head towards.  I've searched online but I only find topics covering waypoints in the Full Mission Builder.  I want to go to the next waypoint in the game using autopilot.  I've tried using auto level and then accelerating time but that's risky.  There must be a better way, right?

Any help would be appreciated.  TIA

[Aviar]

It seems like you are not actually hitting your waypoints. When you engage your autopilot, it takes you back to the 'missed' waypoint.

You have to get pretty close to hit a waypoint. It's easy to think you hit a waypoint when technically you missed it.

The easy way to tell if you are hitting your waypoints is to look at the line extending from your plane to the next waypoint marker on the map. The line will always be attached to the next waypoint.

For example, if the line is attached to waypoint 2 and you 'miss' that waypoint and head to waypoint 3, the line will still be attached to waypoint 2. You may now be halfway to waypoint 3 but if you engage autopilot, it will take you back to waypoint 2 because technically you missed it.

Be aware that the line from your plane to the next waypoint is not always displayed. It depends on your difficulty settings. I believe Realistic Navigation has to be turned off.

Aviar

[dpeters95]

It seems like you are not actually hitting your waypoints. When you engage your autopilot, it takes you back to the 'missed' waypoint.

You have to get pretty close to hit a waypoint. It's easy to think you hit a waypoint when technically you missed it.

The easy way to tell if you are hitting your waypoints is to look at the line extending from your plane to the next waypoint marker on the map. The line will always be attached to the next waypoint.

For example, if the line is attached to waypoint 2 and you 'miss' that waypoint and head to waypoint 3, the line will still be attached to waypoint 2. You may now be halfway to waypoint 3 but if you engage autopilot, it will take you back to waypoint 2 because technically you missed it.

Be aware that the line from your plane to the next waypoint is not always displayed. It depends on your difficulty settings. I believe Realistic Navigation has to be turned off.

Aviar

Yes, I do hit the waypoints and the lines keep moving from each waypoint to the next until I turn on the autopilot and then the current line that I am traveling on leaves the waypoint ahead of me and snaps back to the first waypoint.  I turned that navigation option on just so I could watch the lines.  Everything looks good until I engage the autopilot where the line moves back and my plane starts turning around.

[KiwiBiggles]

Hi dpeters95,

I have noticed the same problem you report recently, while I've been using the autopilot to test some mission designs.  I do remember encountering the problem from time to time, all the way back to 4.08 and/or 4.09 - so I don't think its anything new. 

I found changing my mission design helped a bit - trying to make sure that after each significant event (like accomplishing a 'target' or 'objective' - say shooting down a bomber) my next intended waypoint was closer than the previous waypoint.  The results are not consistent enough that I could say I have a handle on the problem though - and I don't normally fly on autopilot so I'm not inclined to spend a lot of time trying to figure it out (if it even can be figured out).

Here are a couple of tips that might help you:  You can select the next or previous waypoint in the radio commands.  IIRC this command is only in the flight commands menu - so you may want to fly your missions as a flight commander.  I don't think there is any way to select the next waypoint as a one-ship or two-ship element.  I find the sim works best when the player is flight commander, and I fly exclusively as a three-ship or four-ship leader these days.  You can let your AI flight do its own thing most of the time - I tend to think of them these days as adding some 'life' to the sim rather than being genuine wingmen, but that said there are ways and means to use your wingmen somewhat tactically, and I can point you in the direction of some tips at M4T if you like.

My other tip is to not use the full autopilot.  IMO the sim works better without it.  Much better is to use the semi-autopilot level and attitude 'stabilizer' - all bombers have it standard, and there is a great mod to add it to all planes in the sim.  The wing leveller is much better for those long missions or if you just want to grab a coffee or admire the visuals in-game:

https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,37995.0.html

Mike's stabilizer is for 4.12.  I haven't tried it in DBW.  I think I have a 4.10 and/or 4.11 stabilizer laying around somewhere that you could also try out. The stabilizer is a mod in the AircraftHotKeys file, so it can conflict with other mods - but you can easily try it and remove it without breaking your game as long as you're sensible.

Hope the tips help some.   

KB

[Flying H]

If you cannot order "next waypoint"you haven´t got tha rank high enough to give orders to your mates! Try it out with a higher rank.

[dpeters95]

KB, yes I have been doing some testing today and found that it does occur in various revisions of IL2.  I don't use the auto pilot a lot but for long missions, I like to sometimes engage the autopilot and run it up to 8X so I don't have to actually fly for half an hour to get to a target.  Thanks, I will give the mod that you listed a try and see how that works.  I did know about the flight leader commands but when I'm flying someone else's single player missions/campaigns, I don't get to set the rank.  I guess I could go into FMB and change it but I hate having to modify a bunch of missions.  I was hoping there was a "next waypoint" command somewhere that I just didn't know about...

[dpeters95]

If you cannot order "next waypoint"you haven´t got tha rank high enough to give orders to your mates! Try it out with a higher rank.

As I said above, I did know about the flight leader commands but I don't get to set the rank for missions I don't create unless there is a quick way I am not familiar with other than FMB.  Thanks for your time and input though!