Training Missions

[Moritz]

Would training missions with a senior pilot, behind the lines landmark familiarization flights given to the new member be a benefit?

[shredward]

Hi Moritz,

What did you have in mind?

shredward

[Moritz]

'Newby' pilot arrives and goes up with senior pilot on a local cross country showing landmarks and have an idea how the plane flies prior to getting shot at. If possible, may throw some manuever goals. This type of flight was recounted in some of the memoirs I read.

[Bletchley]

I do that allways Moritz :)

 

On the first mission you get, just ignore the mission objectives and fly around the airfield making a note of important landmarks and compass bearings from them back to your field. I never use the M key in game, unless my aircraft is on the ground, so I do rely upon Rabu's map and my memory to fix the location of my airfield in relation to the local topography, so I find a first flight of this type essential. Historically, new pilots often spent a whole week or more, sometimes even longer in a quiet period, putting in extra flying hours on the squadron type (they were often woefully short of hours on the type used by the squadron, having been sent over with only experience of older types in training) and finding their way around the local sector.

 

But I like the idea of a specific mission of this type to kick off the campaign - I guess this could be added to the campaign as a feature by making the first mission in any campaign a 'lone wolf' type mission - if you had to follow a leader, I think you would spend too much time keeping the leader in sight and not enough time looking at the ground. You could do the same in Quick Flight, but then there would be danger of running into an enemy...

 

Bletchley

[Olham]

For a beginner's flight training, you can pick "free flight" in "Quick flight", and take all

the time you need to learn to know your plane and exercise manoeuvers.

 

For first combat experiences:

 

You could enter service as "flieger" (I don't know the Allied equivalent - lowest rank).

Then follow your leader and the pilots, who's wingman you now are.

Fly defensive, but help your comrades out, if you can, without putting yourself to risk too much.

Run away, when you feel, it's the best you can do.