In-flight Refueling

[AdmiralSteve]

When manually sending out A/C on attack, recon, etc. missions, the A/C will seemingly return to refuel from a tanker even if the A/C hasn't reached bingo fuel. Is this a game issue or an error on my behalf on handling in-flight refueling?
Thanks,
Steve

[jonpspri]

I am hardly an expert on refueling, but I've been wrestling to understand it. Here are my current thoughts -- I look forward to all the corrections on how I'm misunderstanding.

All this is with default Rules of Engagement (ROE) -- I have not yet started tinkering with the ROE options.

Most of my observations to date have been on the behavior of my AAW patrols in Canary's Cage (I'm growing to love that scenario). By all appearances, the pilots will tank up on their way to the patrol area if a tanker is available within a reasonable range. They'll also tank up after any engagement, unless they're Winchester, to replace fuel. All of this makes sense to me -- afterburners are notorious fuel hogs, so having maximum fuel available maximizes engagement capability.

Similarly, planes returning home will take advantage of tankers if they're available, too. I see this as contingency -- you never know when there may be problems along the way.

What I haven't figured out is how to disabuse a pilot of the notion to refuel. Once they've got it in their head to go to a tanker, it seems like NOTHING will disabuse them of the notion. I'm going to keep tinkering with the ROE for the missions & units, to see if I can figure out the refueling logic, but I can identify with your frustration.

[Shemar]

There is an RoE (I think it is called "Use Air Refuelling") that can be used to tell aircraft if they should use tankers for air refualling or not.

I keep this off by default and only turn it on for a unit when I specifically want that unit to use air refualling. To my experience that is the best way to manage things. When it is off aircraft will ignore tankers and go for their missions/assigned plots and then return to base, regardless of their fuel state.