Decisions of a Flight Leader

[Ironhat 0]

It would seem many OFF pilots choose to be flight leaders. As such we have to make many decisions during a sortie. I would be most interested to hear comments on this area from you guys.

 

1. Do you always put your mission goals above all else ?

Example: You are leading a flight of 6 fighters on a bomber escort mission. You barely are off the ground and spot a flight of 4 German bombers approaching your air field. Do you engage them or carry on with your assigment to meet and cover the bombers ?

 

2. Same mission. You are 10 miles from the target. You see a flight of 6 unknown a/c flying toward your flight + or - 2,000' above you and about 2miles to your left. Do you carry on or break off and identify them ?

 

3. Same mission, you id a flight of 6 enemy fighters following your flight at your altitiude. You are 8 miles from the target and they are about 7000 ft behind and slowly gaining on your flight. What do you do ?

[catch 81]

It would seem many OFF pilots choose to be flight leaders. As such we have to make many decisions during a sortie. I would be most interested to hear comments on this area from you guys.

 

1. Do you always put your mission goals above all else ?

Example: You are leading a flight of 6 fighters on a bomber escort mission. You barely are off the ground and spot a flight of 4 German bombers approaching your air field. Do you engage them or carry on with your assigment to meet and cover the bombers ?

 

2. Same mission. You are 10 miles from the target. You see a flight of 6 unknown a/c flying toward your flight + or - 2,000' above you and about 2miles to your left. Do you carry on or break off and identify them ?

 

3. Same mission, you id a flight of 6 enemy fighters following your flight at your altitiude. You are 8 miles from the target and they are about 7000 ft behind and slowly gaining on your flight. What do you do ?

 

Generally speaking, only engage if the EA (or unknowns) become a threat to your flight or the recon/bombers you are charted to protect. Which means keeping your eyes peeled. One cannot adequately cover all other possible eventualities and opportunities without compromising your mission goals so best to stick purely to your set goals. That's my tip.

Edited February 3, 2010 by catch

[Olham 164]

1. Do you always put your mission goals above all else ?

Example: You are leading a flight of 6 fighters on a bomber escort mission.

You barely are off the ground and spot a flight of 4 German bombers approaching your air field.

Do you engage them or carry on with your assigment to meet and cover the bombers ?

 

Why should I engage my fellow Germans? (Sorry, couldn't resist; had a clown for breakfast today! Lol!)

 

Seriously now: on other mission types, I let myself get carried away by enemy fighters.

Like railyard attacks: I'm always glad, when some Nupes in the infinity look like a threat I have to fight first.

 

But when I escort other craft and crew, I do everything I can and should, to bring them back safe and sound.

So, no: I would not engage the approaching bombers. Let someone else do the job.

 

2. Same mission. You are 10 miles from the target.

You see a flight of 6 unknown a/c flying toward your flight + or - 2,000' above you and about 2miles to your left.

Do you carry on or break off and identify them ?

 

When I see specs to our left, I climb above my escorted flight to the right; I always bring my escorted flight

between them and my fighters. That way, I don't loose sight of the bombers, and still see, if the enemy craft

come nearer. When the specs approach, I try to identify them with my glasses (zoom in), but whatever they are -

when I see, they go to attack my escorted flight, I am in the best position to come down on them.

And I will do my best to knock them off!

 

3. Same mission, you id a flight of 6 enemy fighters following your flight at your altitiude.

You are 8 miles from the target and they are about 7000 ft behind and slowly gaining on your flight.

What do you do ?

 

I climb above their altitude first, but stay with the bombers. My bombers won't follow that climb, so I wait,

if the enemy fighters follow the bombers or my fighters.

If they follow my fighters, I let them come closer and attack, as soon as I have an advantage of height,

or if that can't be gained, I attack them at same level.

If they keep the altitude and follow the bombers, I climb to best altitude (about 1500 - 2000 feet higher),

and let them come closer to my escorted flight, before I attack, cause I don't want to grow a distance

between my bombers and me.

 

PS: don't worry too much about your bombers getting hit, before your actions show effect.

As long as your bombers have a rear gunner, they can defend themselves, too, and they will.

So you should watch, if there are attackers doing rather well and effective - kill those first!

Edited February 3, 2010 by Olham

[Ironhat 0]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I find it most interesting to see how others handle these situations.