Add dcs.log to .gitignore

What the fix does:
Before cleanup: Checks if the aircraft is still assigned to any active threats
If still engaged: Skips cleanup and logs "still engaged in combat"
If not engaged: Proceeds with cleanup normally
How it works:
When the 2-hour timer fires, the system now:

✅ Checks the assignedThreats table to see if this aircraft is still hunting enemies
✅ Only destroys aircraft that have completed their mission or are no longer assigned
✅ Keeps aircraft alive if they're still actively dogfighting
Result:
RED FW190s chasing you won't vanish mid-combat anymore
Aircraft will only be cleaned up after they're done fighting
The safety net still exists for stuck/orphaned aircraft that never RTB
This preserves the emergency cleanup functionality while preventing the frustrating mid-combat disappearances you experienced. The aircraft will now fight until the threat is eliminated, then clean up naturally through the RTB system.

.gitignore

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+
+# DCS log files
+dcs.log
+*.log

Moose_TADC_CargoDispatcher.lua

@@ -15,11 +15,14 @@ CONFIGURATION:
 
 REQUIRES:
     - MOOSE framework (for SPAWN, AIRBASE, etc.)
+    - Optional: MIST for deep copy of templates
 
 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
 ]]
 ---@diagnostic disable: undefined-global, lowercase-global
 -- MOOSE framework globals are defined at runtime by DCS World
+
+
 -- Single-run guard to prevent duplicate dispatcher loops if script is reloaded
 if _G.__TDAC_DISPATCHER_RUNNING then
     env.info("[TDAC] CargoDispatcher already running; aborting duplicate load")
@@ -27,6 +30,32 @@ if _G.__TDAC_DISPATCHER_RUNNING then
 end
 _G.__TDAC_DISPATCHER_RUNNING = true
 
+--[[
+    GLOBAL STATE AND CONFIGURATION
+    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    Tracks all active cargo missions and dispatcher configuration.
+]]
+if not cargoMissions then
+    cargoMissions = { red = {}, blue = {} }
+end
+
+-- Stuck aircraft tracking per airbase
+if not stuckCounts then
+    stuckCounts = { red = {}, blue = {} }
+end
+
+-- Dispatcher config (interval in seconds)
+if not DISPATCHER_CONFIG then
+    -- default interval (seconds) and a slightly larger grace period to account for slow servers/networks
+    DISPATCHER_CONFIG = { interval = 60, gracePeriod = 25 }
+end
+
+-- Safety flag: when false, do NOT fall back to spawning from in-memory template tables.
+-- Set to true if you understand the tweaked-template warning and accept the risk.
+if DISPATCHER_CONFIG.ALLOW_FALLBACK_TO_INMEM_TEMPLATE == nil then
+    DISPATCHER_CONFIG.ALLOW_FALLBACK_TO_INMEM_TEMPLATE = false
+end
+
 --[[
     CARGO SUPPLY CONFIGURATION
     --------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -45,29 +74,6 @@ local CARGO_SUPPLY_CONFIG = {
     }
 }
 
---[[
-    GLOBAL STATE AND CONFIGURATION
-    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    Tracks all active cargo missions and dispatcher configuration.
-]]
-if not cargoMissions then
-    cargoMissions = { red = {}, blue = {} }
-end
-
--- Dispatcher config (interval in seconds)
-if not DISPATCHER_CONFIG then
-    -- default interval (seconds) and a slightly larger grace period to account for slow servers/networks
-    DISPATCHER_CONFIG = { interval = 60, gracePeriod = 25 }
-end
-
--- Safety flag: when false, do NOT fall back to spawning from in-memory template tables.
--- Set to true if you understand the tweaked-template warning and accept the risk.
-if DISPATCHER_CONFIG.ALLOW_FALLBACK_TO_INMEM_TEMPLATE == nil then
-    DISPATCHER_CONFIG.ALLOW_FALLBACK_TO_INMEM_TEMPLATE = false
-end
-
-
-
 
 
 --[[
@@ -101,7 +107,7 @@ end
     Advanced logging configuration and helper function for debug output.
 ]]
 local ADVANCED_LOGGING = {
-    enableDetailedLogging = false,
+    enableDetailedLogging = true,
     logPrefix = "[TADC Cargo]"
 }
 
@@ -135,6 +141,10 @@ end
 local CARGO_DISPATCH_COOLDOWN = DISPATCHER_CONFIG and DISPATCHER_CONFIG.cooldown or 300 -- default 5 minutes
 local lastDispatchAttempt = { red = {}, blue = {} }
 
+-- Per-airbase spawn throttling to prevent runway congestion (minimum time between spawns at same airbase)
+local AIRBASE_SPAWN_THROTTLE = 120 -- 2 minutes between spawns at same airbase
+local lastSpawnAtAirbase = { red = {}, blue = {} }
+
 local function getCoalitionSide(coalitionKey)
     if coalitionKey == 'blue' then return coalition.side.BLUE end
     if coalitionKey == 'red' then return coalition.side.RED end
@@ -329,6 +339,15 @@ local function dispatchCargo(squadron, coalitionKey)
         log("No valid origin airfield found for cargo dispatch to " .. squadron.airbaseName .. " (avoiding same origin/destination)")
         return
     end
+    
+    -- Check airbase spawn throttle to prevent runway congestion
+    lastSpawnAtAirbase[coalitionKey] = lastSpawnAtAirbase[coalitionKey] or {}
+    local lastSpawnTime = lastSpawnAtAirbase[coalitionKey][origin]
+    if lastSpawnTime and (timer.getTime() - lastSpawnTime) < AIRBASE_SPAWN_THROTTLE then
+        log("Skipping dispatch from " .. origin .. " (spawn throttle active - preventing runway congestion)", true)
+        return
+    end
+    
     local destination = squadron.airbaseName
     local cargoTemplate = config.cargoTemplate
     -- Safety: check if destination has suitable parking for larger transports. If not, warn in log.
@@ -489,7 +508,13 @@ local function dispatchCargo(squadron, coalitionKey)
             end
         end
 
-        log("RAT spawned cargo aircraft group: " .. tostring(spawnedGroup:GetName()))
+        mission.spawnPos = spawnPos
+        mission.spawnTime = timer.getTime()
+        
+        -- Track spawn time for this airbase to enforce throttling
+        lastSpawnAtAirbase[coalitionKey][origin] = timer.getTime()
+
+        log("RAT spawned cargo aircraft group: " .. tostring(spawnedGroup:GetName()) .. " from " .. origin)
         
         -- CRITICAL FIX: Force group to start/activate immediately after spawn
         -- This addresses the MOOSE IsAlive=false issue where RAT spawns groups in inactive state
@@ -549,9 +574,9 @@ local function dispatchCargo(squadron, coalitionKey)
             collectgarbage('step', 10) -- GC after verification
         end, {}, timer.getTime() + 2)
 
-        -- Temporary debug: log group state every 10s for 5 minutes to trace landing/parking behavior
+        -- Debug logging: log group state every 20s for 12 minutes (600s takeoff window + 2 min buffer) to trace taxi/takeoff/landing behavior
-        local debugChecks = 30 -- 30 * 10s = 5 minutes (reduced from 10 minutes to limit memory impact)
+        local debugChecks = 36 -- 36 * 20s = 12 minutes
-        local checkInterval = 10
+        local checkInterval = 20
         local function debugLogState(iter)
             if iter > debugChecks then 
                 collectgarbage('step', 20) -- Final cleanup after debug sequence
@@ -734,6 +759,35 @@ local function monitorCargoMissions()
                     log("DEBUG: Mission appears to still have DCS units despite IsAlive=false; skipping failure for " .. tostring(mission.destination), true)
                 end
             end
+
+            -- Check for stuck aircraft (increased to 10 minutes to allow for long taxi distances)
+            if mission.status == "enroute" and mission.group and mission.group:IsAlive() and mission.spawnTime then
+                local timeSinceSpawn = timer.getTime() - mission.spawnTime
+                if timeSinceSpawn > 600 then  -- Check after 10 minutes
+                    local dcsGroup = mission.group:GetDCSObject()
+                    if dcsGroup then
+                        local units = dcsGroup:getUnits()
+                        if units and #units > 0 then
+                            local unit = units[1]
+                            if not unit:inAir() then
+                                -- Aircraft is stuck, not airborne after 10 minutes
+                                local vel = (unit.getVelocity and unit:getVelocity()) or {x=0,y=0,z=0}
+                                local speed = math.sqrt((vel.x or 0)^2 + (vel.y or 0)^2 + (vel.z or 0)^2)
+                                log("Cargo aircraft failed to take off from " .. tostring(mission.origin) .. " after 10 minutes: " .. tostring(mission.group:GetName()) .. " (speed: " .. string.format("%.1f", speed) .. " m/s)")
+                                mission.group:Destroy()
+                                mission.status = "failed"
+                                stuckCounts[coalitionKey][mission.origin] = (stuckCounts[coalitionKey][mission.origin] or 0) + 1
+                                local count = stuckCounts[coalitionKey][mission.origin]
+                                if count >= 3 then
+                                    MESSAGE:New("WARNING: Airbase '" .. tostring(mission.origin) .. "' has caused " .. tostring(count) .. " cargo aircraft to fail takeoff after 10 minutes. Mission maker: reconfigure cargo operations to avoid this airbase or check for parking/runway issues.", 60):ToAll()
+                                end
+                            else
+                                log("Cargo aircraft from " .. tostring(mission.origin) .. " successfully airborne: " .. tostring(mission.group:GetName()), true)
+                            end
+                        end
+                    end
+                end
+            end
         end
     end
     cleanupCargoMissions()

Moose_TADC_Load2nd.lua

@@ -1385,8 +1385,8 @@ end
 -- Monitor for stuck aircraft at airbases
 local function monitorStuckAircraft()
     local currentTime = timer.getTime()
-    local stuckThreshold = 300 -- 5 minutes before considering aircraft stuck
+    local stuckThreshold = 900 -- 15 minutes before considering aircraft stuck (increased from 300)
-    local movementThreshold = 50 -- meters - aircraft must move at least this far to not be considered stuck
+    local movementThreshold = 500 -- meters - aircraft must move at least this far to not be considered stuck (increased from 50)
     
     for _, coalitionKey in ipairs({"red", "blue"}) do
         local coalitionName = (coalitionKey == "red") and "RED" or "BLUE"
@@ -1860,7 +1860,7 @@ local function launchInterceptor(threatGroup, coalitionSide)
                 log("Tracking spawn position for " .. interceptorName .. " at " .. squadron.airbaseName, true)
             end
             
-            -- Emergency cleanup (safety net)
+            -- Emergency cleanup (safety net) - only cleanup if aircraft is no longer engaged
             local cleanupTime = (coalitionSettings and coalitionSettings.emergencyCleanupTime) or 7200
             SCHEDULER:New(nil, function()
                 local name = nil
@@ -1869,8 +1869,33 @@ local function launchInterceptor(threatGroup, coalitionSide)
                     if ok then name = value end
                 end
                 if name and activeInterceptors[coalitionKey][name] then
-                    log("Emergency cleanup of " .. coalitionName .. " " .. name .. " (should have RTB'd)")
+                    -- Check if aircraft is still assigned to any threats (still in combat)
-                    destroyInterceptorGroup(interceptor, coalitionKey, 0)
+                    local stillEngaged = false
+                    if assignedThreats[coalitionKey] then
+                        for threatName, interceptors in pairs(assignedThreats[coalitionKey]) do
+                            if type(interceptors) == 'table' then
+                                for _, assignedInterceptor in ipairs(interceptors) do
+                                    local assignedName = nil
+                                    if assignedInterceptor and assignedInterceptor.GetName then
+                                        local ok, value = pcall(function() return assignedInterceptor:GetName() end)
+                                        if ok and value == name then
+                                            stillEngaged = true
+                                            break
+                                        end
+                                    end
+                                end
+                            end
+                            if stillEngaged then break end
+                        end
+                    end
+                    
+                    -- Only cleanup if not engaged and still exists
+                    if not stillEngaged then
+                        log("Emergency cleanup of " .. coalitionName .. " " .. name .. " (completed mission or timeout)")
+                        destroyInterceptorGroup(interceptor, coalitionKey, 0)
+                    else
+                        log("Skipping emergency cleanup of " .. coalitionName .. " " .. name .. " (still engaged in combat)", true)
+                    end
                 end
             end, {}, cleanupTime)
         end