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Unfamiliar word? Select a dotted-underlined term for its meaning.
Give the return order
- Find the aircraft in ACTIVE OPS and check its callsign, type, fuel and current task. An E-3D Sentry is the AWACS; the Nimrod R1 performs a different job.
- Right-click that aircraft’s radar track and choose RTB. If right-click controls are disabled, select the track and open AC Control to enable them. For an E-3D or Nimrod, you can also use RTB on its row in ACTIVE OPS.
- For a tanker still waiting to take off, open ACTIVE OPS, match its callsign and type, and use RTB on that row. You can use the list before its radar track appears. Then check the status and ASSETS at the departure base. If its take-off run has already started, it will finish taking off before returning.
- Check the new task and movement. The AWACS and Nimrod right-click routes post RTB ORDERED in ASMA. That message confirms the order, not a completed landing.
- Watch its return and approach. It may turn around the airfield to line up for landing rather than fly straight to the airfield symbol.
- After landing, check ASSETS at the arrival base. Use the support-aircraft fuel checks before trying to send it out again.
Check the gap you are creating
| Aircraft returning | What to check before recalling it |
|---|---|
| Tanker | Are fighters or other aircraft still relying on it for fuel? A tanker returning to land stops supplying them. Check their fuel and arrange another tanker route or bring them home. |
| E-3D Sentry / AWACS | Check ground radar and other AWACS coverage. Plan the replacement’s working position, check the required L11 settings and confirm that it is reporting the contacts you need. |
| Nimrod R1 | Check which area it was listening to. Task another Nimrod if you still need that coverage. The AWACS radar and Nimrod’s listening equipment do different jobs. |
Can I send it somewhere other than its home base?
Use DIVERT to choose another landing airfield for a supported aircraft already in the air. Use RDP to move a based aircraft to another base. Do not assume an aircraft returning after a diversion will appear at its original base.
Why did it take off after I pressed RTB?
The timing matters. In v0.8.16.0, an ordinary RTB back to the departure base can cancel a support aircraft that is still waiting to take off. Once it has started its take-off run, the aircraft completes that run before returning. For an ordinary support task, an order to land at a different base requires a flight. An E-3D or Nimrod waiting for RDP has separate transfer-recall steps. Watch the status rather than repeatedly pressing RTB.
CANCEL and RTB do different jobs
CANCEL TASK stops the map selection you are making. CANCEL on the right-click menu closes that menu. Neither is a general recall of aircraft already tasked. To bring a particular aircraft home, give that aircraft an RTB order.
Why did the line, marker or track disappear?
The tanker’s working route or anchor marker is removed when it is recalled. The AWACS and Nimrod task markers are cleared when they finish landing; the AWACS range rings are also removed. Their airborne radar tracks are removed after landing. Check the aircraft at its base before assuming a disappearing track means it was lost.
If the return looks wrong
Check the actual task, fuel, destination and whether the simulation is paused. If the intended base has been destroyed, the aircraft may head for another surviving base. If it keeps circling without completing the return, retain the save and note the callsign, aircraft type, destination and last order for a problem report.
Check the last order you gave
A new TRACK or ANCHOR order can redirect a tanker that was on an ordinary return. During take-off, an accepted new route can replace a return order waiting for the aircraft to become airborne. If the tanker is already parked after a cancelled departure, task it again from the based-aircraft controls instead. Read the current status and destination; do not assume the earlier RTB is still its job.