How many waypoints does the DCS F/A-18C have?

The Hornet waypoint bank holds 59 waypoints. Sequences 1, 2, and 3 take up to 15 waypoints each. Standalone points share the same 59-point bank. DCS Planner enforces those limits.

What is the A/A waypoint on the F/A-18C?

It is one waypoint marked as the air-to-air reference. Packages often use it as bullseye so the HSI can show bearing and range from that point. In DCS Planner, enable AA WP on the DTC NAV settings and set the waypoint number.

How do I load an F/A-18C flight plan from DCS Planner?

Export a native .DTC from the DTC page into Saved Games\DCS\DTC, then LOAD it in the jet. Or export DCS-DTC JSON for the DCS-DTC Windows app. A kneeboard PNG is a written copy, not a cartridge.

Do I still need a kneeboard if I use a Hornet DTC?

The DTC loads waypoints and jet settings into the avionics. A kneeboard PNG is a paper copy of the route, frequencies, and bullseye picture. Use both when you want the cartridge in the system and a written backup.

Guides

DCS F/A-18C Mission Planning & Waypoints

The F/A-18C Hornet stores a numbered waypoint bank, then flies one sequence at a time. DCS Planner builds that bank on the map, keeps sequence and TGT limits, and exports a native .DTC, DCS-DTC JSON, or a kneeboard PNG.

This page is the F/A-18C Hornet detail for the step-by-step DCS mission planning workflow.

Hornet navigation overview

The Hornet navigates with an INS, usually GPS-aided after alignment. The HSI is the picture: selected waypoint, sequence, TACAN, and (when set) the air-to-air waypoint. Type or edit that data on the UFC. TACAN is the usual radio-nav aid for airfields, carriers, and tankers.

Waypoints live in one numbered bank. A sequence (1, 2, or 3) is the active route through that bank. Standalone points sit in the same bank but are not on a sequence. In DCS Planner those are sequences 1, 2, 3, and Standalone.

F/A-18C: 59 waypoints across sequences 1, 2, 3, and Standalone; 15 waypoints per sequence; names up to 5 characters. The planner defaults the Hornet to degrees minutes seconds (DMS). See DCS Flight Plan: Waypoints, Headings & Routes for coordinate formats and other airframe limits.

Entering waypoints and precise coordinates

In the jet, open waypoint data from the HSI and enter latitude, longitude, and elevation on the UFC (POSN). Use precise coordinate mode when the point must be tight (an IP or TGT). For a routine turn, the standard display is enough.

In DCS Planner, pick the F/A-18C and click the map to drop waypoints. The planner stores latitude and longitude as decimal degrees and converts them for display. Paste a coordinate pair to create or update a point. Names are capped at 5 characters. Each sequence holds 15 waypoints; the whole bank holds 59.

Mark at most one TGT per sequence. The TGT is the timing anchor for that sequence: the planner locks its time-on-target. Standalone points cannot be TGT. Import a .miz, .trk, or CombatFlite .cf if the route already exists, then edit inline.

Bullseye and the A/A waypoint

Bullseye is the coalition reference, not a point on the route. On the Hornet, one waypoint can be the air-to-air waypoint (A/A WP). Packages often load bullseye into that slot so the HSI shows bearing and range from the shared point.

In DCS Planner, the DTC NAV settings include an AA WP toggle and a waypoint number. Enable it and set the number to the waypoint you want as the air-to-air reference. The planner writes those fields into the cartridge. It does not simulate the HSI. See DCS Bullseye Explained (BRAA vs Bullseye) for how to read a call and set bullseye on the map.

TOT and required groundspeed

Time-on-target (TOT) is the clock time the flight should arrive at a point. On the Hornet, a waypoint can store TOT. When TOT is set, the jet can show the groundspeed needed to meet it. That required groundspeed is a cockpit readout, not a number DCS Planner computes.

The planner stores TOT and a speed on each waypoint. A locked TOT is written into the native cartridge as that point's ETA. Unlocked points export ETA 0 so DCS can recompute from speed. Check fuel in the cockpit and with the loadout builder. The planner does not compute bingo fuel.

Plan the route, then transcribe or export it

Open DCS Planner, pick the F/A-18C, and:

Click the map to build sequences 1, 2, 3, and any Standalone points.
Set bullseye. Enable AA WP if the package will talk bullseye from a Hornet waypoint.
Lock TOT on the sequence TGT when the strike needs a shared time.
Place SAM and AAA rings, then check AGL and MSA along the legs.
Export a kneeboard, a .miz, or a Hornet cartridge.

From the DTC page, export a native .DTC. Put it in Saved Games\DCS\DTC, then LOAD it in the jet. A new cartridge starts with NAV on. Other parts stay off until you arm them. A native F/A-18C cartridge can include:

NAV: the waypoint bank, sequence order, TOT/ETA and speed, plus TACAN, ICLS, ACLS, altitude warnings, home waypoint, and AA WP
COMM: COMM1 (20 channels) and COMM2 (20 channels)
SA: CAP racetracks, corridors, FAOR/FLOT, and MEZ threat rings
EWS: ALE-47 flare/chaff programs and the RWR threat table
HARM: mode, limit, and TOO class

DCS-DTC JSON is a different format. It holds waypoints (sequence, name, coordinates, elevation, time-over-steerpoint, and a target flag) and COMM presets. It does not carry SA, EWS, HARM, or NAV settings such as TACAN and AA WP. Use it with the DCS-DTC Windows app. The F-16C cartridge is a different dialect; see the DCS F-16 DTC Guide (Data Transfer Cartridge).

A kneeboard PNG is the paper copy: route, frequencies, and the spider card around bullseye. Copy the files into Saved Games\DCS\Kneeboard (or the Hornet subfolder). The .miz export is the world (units, drawings, bullseye), not the cartridge. The core planner is free and does not require a login.

Open the planner

FAQ

How many waypoints does the DCS F/A-18C have?: The Hornet waypoint bank holds 59 waypoints. Sequences 1, 2, and 3 take up to 15 waypoints each. Standalone points share the same 59-point bank. DCS Planner enforces those limits.
How do I enter waypoints in the DCS Hornet?: Open waypoint data on the HSI and type latitude, longitude, and elevation on the UFC (POSN). Use precise coordinate mode when the point must be tight. Or load the bank from a native .DTC exported by DCS Planner.
What is the A/A waypoint on the F/A-18C?: It is one waypoint marked as the air-to-air reference. Packages often use it as bullseye so the HSI can show bearing and range from that point. In DCS Planner, enable AA WP on the DTC NAV settings and set the waypoint number.
How do I load an F/A-18C flight plan from DCS Planner?: Export a native .DTC from the DTC page into Saved Games\DCS\DTC, then LOAD it in the jet. Or export DCS-DTC JSON for the DCS-DTC Windows app. A kneeboard PNG is a written copy, not a cartridge.
Do I still need a kneeboard if I use a Hornet DTC?: The DTC loads waypoints and jet settings into the avionics. A kneeboard PNG is a paper copy of the route, frequencies, and bullseye picture. Use both when you want the cartridge in the system and a written backup.