But acquiring the software and having a computer setup to run it is nothing compared to figuring out how to make the Hornet sting. But before even that happens, executing realistic carrier operations is most virtual fighter pilots' top priority, and it is more akin to mastering ballet than learning a country western line-dance.

Eagle Dynamics and some of the DCS's most visible players are great about offering how-to videos for long-awaited Hornet module, but nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to the instruction one ex-Hornet driver turned instructor pilot has brought to DCS's fanatical gaming community.

Yet what's most interesting is that this naval aviator's marvelously detailed explainer videos are just as fascinating for someone who has no intention of buying DCS Hornet or a gaming rig to play it as those who live and breathe combat flight simulation. The videos, taught in true instructor pilot style, represent the most complete and detailed description of how actual carrier operations work, both in the real world and in the emerging virtual environment, and will give you a whole new appreciation for just how challenging even the most basic of carrier recoveries are for naval aviators.

Here is the three-part series: