the deck...

[jazzman1315]

Okay, I know I have bad eyesight and slow reactions. I also know that I am guilty of not being able to see in three directions at once like some of the folks in here. BUT---

I have a lot of trouble staying out of the weeds and the surf because the terrain (and the water) looks farther away than it really is. Isn't there a way to fix this???

[EskimoJoe]

Zoom in more?

[Blooz]

More altitude.

[SWrokit]

Start forcing yourself to watch your insturmentation closer, specifically the Altimeter.  Altimeter lets you know how high, or low, you AC is.

<S>

[Jerlle]

Getting into a TnB fight, in most cases, is ultimately going to take you to the weeds.  I hate fighting in the weeds so I don't TnB.  I maintain E and BnZ in a plane that can out accelerate and out climb just about everything else.

[kilz]

Okay, I know I have bad eyesight and slow reactions. I also know that I am guilty of not being able to see in three directions at once like some of the folks in here. BUT---

I have a lot of trouble staying out of the weeds and the surf because the terrain (and the water) looks farther away than it really is. Isn't there a way to fix this???

one hit Shift F4 for ground vis.
two turn your graphics back up

[Rich46yo]

                       Do all of the above and fly NOE missions. If theres one thing I can do in this game, and theres probably only one thing, its fly in the grass and thats due to flying NOE all the time. Practice makes perfect.

[MachNum]

You might also try fiddling with the gamma setting on your graphics card. For some folks, that helps bring out fine detail that might help with altitude estimation.

[2bighorn]

Start forcing yourself to watch your insturmentation closer, specifically the Altimeter.  Altimeter lets you know how high, or low, you AC is.

If you are maneuvering close to the deck, altimeter won't help you estimate if you're gonna pass deck 10ft, or you're gonna crash.

[CAP1]

Getting into a TnB fight, in most cases, is ultimately going to take you to the weeds.  I hate fighting in the weeds so I don't TnB.  I maintain E and BnZ in a plane that can out accelerate and out climb just about everything else.

dude........you're missing ALL the fun then!!!!! if i survive one of these fights, when i land with tree branches, leaves, and weeds stuck in my plane, then i sit there for a few seconds and let my heartrate come back down to normal, then i go do it again......it's like being on a rollercoaster

[The Fugitive]

Okay, I know I have bad eyesight and slow reactions. I also know that I am guilty of not being able to see in three directions at once like some of the folks in here. BUT---

I have a lot of trouble staying out of the weeds and the surf because the terrain (and the water) looks farther away than it really is. Isn't there a way to fix this???

What are you using for a monitor? I'm hitting the "big 50" this year and know what your talking about! The biggest thing that has saved me is an LCD monitor. I use to have a 21 CRT, and could see pretty well, but it was a used unit, and I used it more    so before it went completely I got a 19 inch LCD. The screen area is almost the same as the 21 CRT, so I didn't loose much there, but the sharpness and clarity is awesome !!

A good video card, and a nice LCD will make all the difference.

[BaldEagl]

I've got a 19" CRT and am over 50 so I'm not sure that's it.

Use visual references (i.e. the little waves in the water, trees, shrubs, your shadow, anything) to give you a sense of scale.  I was having the same problem when the terrain first got updated because all the visual references went away in that flat green terrain.  Where there are no references, or as dusk falls over water and the waves become obscured it's harder and you have to be more careful.

Go out over water, or sea level terrain and set auto-pilot for the lowest alt your comfortable flying at.  Get a sense of how big those visual references are and how close you can come to them.  Remember, most trees are ~30' tall so you can easily fly below treetop level although I usually try to avoid it (I've bent my prop on both trees and buildings before without other damage and had to ditch).  Set this image in your mind and you're good to go.

[Yossarian]

I just find that flying close to the ground a lot helps loads.  Just get used to it - it's worth the occasional/frequent crash.  I just had a 400mph run through a break in the trees in a Mustang today - came out alive 

[The Fugitive]

I've got a 19" CRT and am over 50 so I'm not sure that's it.

not all of us can be blessed with perfect eye site 

What I was trying to say, is the difference between a CRT, and an LCD is like night and day. Once I got my LCD I found that I could pick out those visual references a bit better. Didn't mean that if your over 50 your going blind and you need to learn to live with it 

[B@tfinkV]

Getting into a TnB fight, in most cases, is ultimately going to take you to the weeds.  I hate fighting in the weeds so I don't TnB.  I maintain E and BnZ in a plane that can out accelerate and out climb just about everything else.

what you say is true, granted. sure sounds like a good way to never learn TnB though. maybe you could practice at medium altitude TnB and use your E management skills to keep yourself out of the weeds. write off a whole style of flying just because sometimes it happens very low is surely limiting your experience for the times when you get caught out without an altitude advantage. but then there is always nose down and run like hell as an option. less effort envolved by extending away whenever a new challenge presents itself, i cannot deny that.