Stang~SPARTA~ Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 (edited) OK Guys I'm not going to post the whole Aviation Standards Guide I'm working on here but I thought I'd put up a small taste of the introduction. Please let me know what you think and please remember this is a DRAFT that need s lot of editing. So expect typo's and punctuation errors. Thanks Sparta ACE Pilot Certification Program Air Combat Environment (ACE) Aviation Standards Guide Introduction: Thank you for your interest in this guide and the Sparta ACE Pilot Certification Program. This guide is a work in progress and will be changed, upgraded and made better over time and as our needs dictate. This guide is not meant to be any one of the following: An End-ALL, Do-ALL, Know-ALL Guide, it will grow and get better over time. A Military Doctrine, Field Manual or Standard Operating Procedures for Military Operations. A realistic Military based Tactical Guide (please join the Military if you want that level of realism). It is meant to be a training and reference guide, based on the strategy and needs of Sparta Battlefield Commanders (and Admins) of how they want to employ the Air Asset piece of the simulation on Sparta Servers. The main focus of Sparta based servers is Land Based Domination i.e.: Attack and Defend missions with Aviation playing a limited but critical role...that of support. This guide will build on those needs and support the Land Based Operations, as directed by Sparta Battlefield Commanders (BFC). In addition, all written, oral and flight testing will based on the information in this guide. As a Pilot with the privilege of flying aircraft on Sparta's Servers, it is expected that you will know your aircraft, its capabilities and how to employ them, based on Sparta Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP's). This will ensure that the Pilot Class, will be limited to the professionals and the competent to carry out the missions assigned by the BFC's...thus becoming an Air Asset as opposed to an Air Annoyance. Supporting the ground troops and meeting mission objectives is where it's at here. If you're up to the challenge, please read on and get ready to do your best, because we only want the best Pilots, piloting our aircraft and supporting our ground operations. If you're looking to improve your aviation skills and work towards becoming a Certified Pilot, Sparta does have a single server that is designed just for the Aviation community and allows all users to Pilot any aircraft and employ their weapons systems to their hearts delight. The server is the Sparta Air Domination Server and is open to all users. There are other ARMA Aviation Guides on the web that contain valuable information and offer different strategies and tactics. We encourage you to read these as well, as knowledge is power and you will benefit from it during game play. One source of information is Shack Tactical found HERE, where a gentleman who goes by "Dslyecxi" (former US Marine), has put together what is considered to be the most all inclusive guide covering virtually every aspect of ARMA2 as a tactile strategy land based guide. You can find it HERE Interesting enough, the Shack Tactical, Tatics, Techniques & Procedures Guide( TTP2) is so good, that Marek ?paněl, CEO of Bohemia Interactive (creators of ARMA and ARMA2) recommends it himself...see below "Dslyecxi's guide is an unbelievably complex, detailed and informative resource, showing many ways how to be more efficient in combat in ARMA II and hopefully also get more enjoyment from the game. The previous guide was already unique, and it is breathtaking to see it this much improved right on time for the international release of ARMA II. This guide is simply one of a kind and I strongly recommend it to everyone who will be sent to Chernarus!" Marek ?paněl, CEO of Bohemia Interactive Sparta Aviation Standards Guide The role of Air Vehicles on the simulated battlefield: The first thing to understand is that ALL aircraft in the simulation are there for a supporting role. ARMA2 is not a dedicated flight simulator but does include an Aviation element. This class (Pilot Class) is designed primarily to offer supporting missions to "Land Based Combat Units" (LBCU's) and Battlefield Commanders (BFC). This is based on their needs NOT yours, so they can achieve their mission goals efficiently and quickly and with limited or no loss of life. As such, this predicates that Aviation in ARMA2 be used tactically and strategically, as designed into the overall mission objectives. This requires a different mindset for the Pilot Class, as we are in a supporting role being used by the troops on the ground and the commanders, as a tool to overcome certain obstacles. By doing the boring things well and following orders, Battlefield Commanders (BFC) will gain confidence in our abilities to meet their needs and will use us for the "Harder - Cooler" things, like enemy air defense suppression, combat air support and heavy armor destruction. We have to do everything well and that's what this program is about. Let's get started. Aircraft will be used for the following items: Troop Transport, Equipment and Wreck Transport Supply and RE-Supply Medevac Forward Air Controllers (FAC) Reconnaissance (Recon) Fire Suppression / Close Air Support (F/S - CAS) Suppression of Enemy air defenses (SEAD) Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (DEAD) Combat Air Patrol (CAP) Aircraft will NOT be used for ANY of the following: Sightseeing Aerobatics Shows Hot Dogging - Shining Your Ass (SYA, pronounced See-Ya as your getting booted and banned) Flight or Weapons Practice (This is what the Air Domination Server is for) Personal Transport Air Rambo Operations (I'm sure you can figure this one out, see SYA) Fun and Games (This is what the Air Domination Server is for) Pissing Hali off anymore than he already is, for taking HIS aircraft to who knows where & for who knows what (Trust me, you'll get kicked and banned Pronto, without remorse) This goes the same for all the Admins and Battlefield Commanders, they do not put up with un professional behavior in aircraft or on the ground. What is expected of from the Certified Pilot Class: Rules for Pilots Rule 1: Wine, wine and wine some more as everyone know that Pilots are a bunch of egotistical nut case insane beer-a-holic babies with a true death wish. What's the difference between a Jet Engine and a Pilot...when the jet engine quits, it STOPS WINING. Don't forget to always be late, screw things up, blame them on everyone else and most importantly...take all the credit for things you had nothing to do with. Finally, be sure to remember that you're God's gift to humanity and that the population in general and all woman as a whole, could not exist without you. Also, drink like a fish, curse like a sailor and !@#$ like a porn star...because you are. Lastly, piss on the seat, blame it on a leak and don't worry that it's the same excuse, you used last week. Make sure to watch these videos over and over until you know EVERY WORD BY HEART as you WILL BE TESTED ON THIS and asked to sing it in front of the other Pilots ...kidding...no really I'm serious. This one too no biggie so don't worry about it...but every word is on the test...trust me All fun aside, Pilots fill one of the most critical roles in military and civilian lives today. Desert Strom showed just how effective a properly run air campaign can be, by "softening up" the ground targets prior to the ground war and in support thereafter. Without a doubt, military Pilots put themselves in harm's way everyday, so that others may live...and to kill the bad guys and break their shit. They do this with a level of professionalism and pride that transcends from the early beginnings when WW1 Pilots leveled revolvers at each in circle fights and fought the first days of the first air wars in history. Military Pilots have never been the single solution to all conflicts but they have been the deciding factor many times. In ARMA2 our aim is not to win the war ourselves but to support the Ground Troops and win the war together, by being the best of the best. OK, the real Rules for the Pilot Class Rule 1 Act Professional - A Pilot is responsible for his crew, his cargo, his team members and his aircraft (not necessarily in that order). You are here to help win the fight...not win it alone. You are part of team that when used correctly becomes a huge asset and when not, you become a Huge ASS. You may not have been a military pilot or a general aviation pilot for that matter but at the end of the day, we're all in this together and Pilots do play a critical role in achieving overall mission success. Simply put, follow orders unless it puts your aircrew, aircraft, guys on the ground or cargo in danger. If it does, then let your Battlefield Commander (BFC) know why you're deviating from plan and what your new plan is, to achieve his goals. Make no mistake, this is not about who can fly the fastest at 5 feet while dodging trees, hills and power lines to show he's a shit hot pilot. This is about carrying out mission orders and getting aircraft responsibilities completed, in a safe and efficient manner by Sparta Procedures...not Maverick's from Top Gun! Rule 2 Communicate Effectively - There is nothing worse than a Pilot who fails to communicate properly with his superiors, fellow Pilots, Crew, Team Members, and his area of responsibility (AOA), "anyone in his aircraft". Everything from simply acknowledging orders to letting the troops in the back know, exactly what to expect in the LZ. More than once we've all been picked up by a Pilot expecting to be transported to the next AO and all of sudden the guy veers off course and goes somewhere else...without telling anyone what's going on. To make matters worse, this is typically the Pilot who's NOT on Team Speak and does not communication with anyone through other means like in-game text. More on effective communications later however, this is extremely critical. Rule 3 ALL Pilots MUST be on Team Speak - Period, no exceptions whatsoever...don't even think about it. We need the ability to talk in real time with Pilots as part of the overall mission parameters. If you have a flaky headset, buy a new one, a flacky connection, reconnect, a weak voice, talk louder, a shy voice, get over it, a loud voice, turn your mic level down. We need Clear, Concise Consistent Communication, ALL the time. If you can't communicate effectively during both pressure and non pressure situations, we don't need you as a Pilot. You will be tested on this more than once. Pilots who can't communicate effectively are like tits on a bull...worthless. You may be Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in the cockpit with flying but if you have trouble communicating, you'll never make it. Trust me, Hali like to boot guys that don't talk in squads, never mind in aircraft...that really pisses him off. (note to self...don't piss off the Admins or BFC) Rule 4 Follow Procedures - This course is about teaching and certifying you in what we want out of our Pilot Class. Learn the procedures, tactics, techniques and skills and use them effectively. This will make you valued asset to the whole team and you'll earn the right to be known as a Sparta ACE Pilot. We expect a lot and we expect the best. Study the guide, practice the skills, ask for help and when you're ready, pass the test and get your wings. Rule 5 When all else fails or is not covered, refer to the rules above or ASK a Admin, Battlefield Commander or fellow Certified ACE Pilot for help AND remember this, ejecting does not constitute grounds for properly completing your mission. The Role of Vehicles on the Battlefield The first thing one must remember when taking a vehicle role is bla bla bla... and the rest of the guide Edited November 19, 2009 by Stang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MH6~SPARTA~ Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Awesome so far, good work Stang. Great videos too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Asher Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Sign me up. I'm a qualified ace from ArmA 1. MH605, AH-6, MH-6, AH-1Z, Av8, A10. You name it I've had my share of dances with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicSN6 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 (edited) Stang, are you a tech writer or something close?? Well done. Edited November 19, 2009 by Medic~SPARTA~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang~SPARTA~ Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 Nah...just an old ex Army OH58 guy that likes to see things done right. I appreciate all the nice words guys and with a little help, we'll get this done right Stang, are you a tech writer or something close?? Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang~SPARTA~ Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 Life and family come first. Take care of the important stuff and we'll be here when you get back Sounds like a pretty good idea to me. I need to get back into the server, but some life issues came about. Soon though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durka-Durka~SPARTA~ Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Ahh, Dos Gringos. One of my favorite bands....Their live album is much much better than the recorded ones, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzo Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Howdy folks, This is Gonzo, some of ya'll may have seen me on the Arma 2 and TS servers the past few days. Recently found this server and I don't have any reason to go anywhere else. Heard Stang mention tonight on TS that competent pilots should check this thread ASAP so here I am. I am definitely handy with a helo and can work with ground commanders to accomplish tasks. I can also function independently when needed during off hours such as ferrying ammo boxes from old AO's to new ones and collecting wrecks by myself, ect. Some of the guys who have been playing online recently, especially tonight, can probably throw their two cents in as to how I fly, communicate, and work with the guys on the ground. I should be online a fair amount now that my schedule allows it and I'm really getting into the game. I feel I can be a real asset as a pilot both from ability and coordination standpoints and given how much I have enjoyed playing on the server the past few days I am definitely interested in being a "Certified Pilot." As of right now I cannot claim to be proficient at ground pounders but in time with some practice that may change. Anyhow thought I'd mention my interest and I'll see you guys on the server. ~Gonzo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzo Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Nah...just an old ex Army OH58 guy that likes to see things done right. I appreciate all the nice words guys and with a little help, we'll get this done right Oh snap, that's my favorite Helo in the Army. I'm hoping to possibly go Warrant (either that or CG/Navy aviator) after school. I just received a BBI Kiowa model a few days ago, gonna hang it in my loft-desk as inspiration. At the rate these ARH programs are getting canceled and postponed they will probably still be flying those birds by the time I (hopefully) get in. Were you AirCav by any chance? I'm probably gonna have a bunch of questions for ya next time I see you in TS. Guide looks good, oh and that "I'm a pilot" video literally had be in stitches. Ever seen that "How to operate a helicopter mechanic" article? Reminded me of it. I think I like this server even more now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny~SPARTA~ Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Im definatly in. Love flying im all for it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1VB_SARmedic Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Great plan, I just need to get some practice in before throwing my hat in the bag. While I am a proficient pilot, I've seen some real talent on the server. (ie, I don't want to embarrass myself too much.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James_Kay Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Love doing some piloting. I'm up for it. Can't help so much with screenshots, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Behemoth~SPARTA~ Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I love to fly AND follow orders! Count me in! BTW, I'm 38, I can't vouch for my maturity though. -Behemoth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_waffles Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I would like to become certified in hopes that the admins will return the C130, and let me continue my strange love affair with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KalXen~SPARTA~ Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I would like to become certified in hopes that the admins will return the C130, and let me continue my strange love affair with it. Hahahaha.... maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeno~SPARTA~ Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I volunteer to not be a pilot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebden~SPARTA~ Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I volunteer to not be a pilot. I volunteer to be Zeno's co-pilot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KalXen~SPARTA~ Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I'll volunteer to be the SMAW hot-drop junkie for Durka-Durka's tank hunting missions while he flys loooow.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavlarakos~SPARTA~ Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 Seems that you guys have been busy while on vacation...Good to see that my piloting idea found a creative soil. I would like to become certified in hopes that the admins will return the C130, and let me continue my strange love affair with it. Remember guys to all be in the same team when Mr. Dr. Waffles is mounting a C130. There must be a Diamond around you otherwise Dr. Waffles will kill you and when sitting in a Hercules this means that he is coming with a Kamikaze-maneuver in order to stop you. Many Greetings from Bangkok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang~SPARTA~ Posted November 20, 2009 Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) Little Update, Couple of things Guys Dslyecxi, has graciously allowed us to use part of this his TTP2 Guide (Air Vehicles) in our Aviation Standards Guide. As such I wanted to put up a post showing the next section (which I'll add a good bit to) - NOMENCLATURE. This is will be some of the boiler plate information that will cover the basic Air Vehicle information. After that there will Tactics & Procedures coming next. Great feedback from everyone...keep it coming STILL A DRAFT...so LOTS of TYPO's and Spelling Error...please overlook this. Picking up where the 1st Update left off..... Rule 5 When all else fails or is not covered, refer to the rules above or ASK a Admin, Battlefield Commander or fellow Certified ACE Pilot for help AND remember this, ejecting does not constitute grounds for properly completing your mission. Make sure you know the rules as they will be on all the test. This is the basis of how a Sparta Certified ACE Pilot will conduct him/herself...as that of a professional. Our goal as Pilots, is to be used more and in more rewarding ways by our BFC's. This will only happen once we prove our worth, capabilities and demonstrate that we can work together as a team with the Ground Troops in accomplishing objectives. The next section "Nomenclature" is provided as a basis to bring everyone's ARMA2 aviation knowledge, up to a level that is second to none. As a Pilot you should and will know your job better than anyone else. Does this give you a right to be a snob and act like a jerk to other players....Hell No! It gives you the knowledge and power to successfully accomplish the task assigned to you by the BFC's, in a meaningful and efficient way...."while the shit is hitting the fan". Let's face it, most anyone can jump in a UH60, take off, move across the map and get it to land somewhere close to where you were aiming. In comparison, can YOU take orders for a "Hot LZ Insertion", plan your flight & your navigation "properly", communicate "properly", load up "on time", start up "on time", taxi and take off "on time", use proper evasive maneuvers because you were jumped by a Ka52 and Su25 while inbound, workout the approach changes because the chopper before you crashed in the LZ, which is now overrun with enemy troops and a ZSU, switch to the backup plan for the secondary LZ, update your BFC's with the situation status and your new plan, get into the new LZ while under fire, perform a power on accelerated autorotation to a running hover, between a tree line and a building and get your troops out safely, without ever touching the ground and keeping forward momentum, drop the ammo box, update the BFC again and exit the AO while under hostile fire, all the while talking with and updating your crew, cargo (in aircraft troops, as they don't belong to you), ground commanders and the Battlefield Commander? Little different situation...huh! I know some of you are saying..."perform a powered on accelerator auto rotate what??? Don't worry about it, you'll learn it here in the ACE Pilot program and use it a lot...trust me. Ever wonder why you don't see tactical insertions like the one above? Are you sick of dropping off troops 1 to 2 "Clicks" out, so they can run through the woods for 10 to 15 minutes to get to the action? I know the troops are! Tactical Insertions sure would be cool wouldn't they! You don't see them because the BFC's and Troops don't trust the Pilots to accomplish that kind of insertion, as they would get waxed. It's too risky because most Pilots would kill themselves, their crew, their cargo and their aircraft, trying something like that. When you have the skills to do that safely and repeatedly, you will see it used in the Sim as its not only COOL, Tactical Insertions are a proven method to get troops where they need to be quickly and safely. This is one of the things you'll learn in this course but before the "Cooler Hard Stuff", let's get the basics down as they're on the test too. Let's Go! NOMENCLATURE The next Section - The Role of Vehicles (including Air Vehicles) on the Battlefield, was conceived, created and published online by Dslyecxi from Shack Tactical, his website is HERE and this information is used with his prior and expressed permission. This information is 100% Dslyecxi's and all credit, thanks and prompts go directly to him personally, for allowing us to use and benefit from it, in our Aviation Standards Guide. If you enjoy and find this information useful and helpful (as we know you will) please take the time to thank him (Dslyecxi) and read his complete "Tactics, Techniques and Procedures Guide (TTP2), found HERE . It will make you better with ARMA 2 and any other realistic FPS. The Role of Vehicles on the Battlefield The first thing one must remember when taking a vehicle role is that you ultimately are there to support the infantry. It is not your job to run around pell-mell trying to rack up an impressive kill count; instead, you should do everything you can to work with friendly forces so that you can best support the infantry. If you cannot comprehend this fundamental fact, you should not be manning a vehicle, period. Vehicle Radars To get started, let's look at the method by which ArmA2 abstracts vehicle sensors - called simply 'the radar'. For aircraft, this represents the aircraft's sensor suites, radar systems, etc. For ground vehicles, it generally represents the thermal detection systems on such vehicles. Reading the Radar The ArmA2 radar is pretty simple to work with and understand. The green rectangular section is a 360 degree radar view, while the smaller, light green section indicates your current field of view. If you zoom in, it gets smaller. Zoom out, it gets larger. Radar contacts are color-coded by type - red is hostile, green is friendly, and gray indicates civilians or knocked-out targets . The icons will fade in and out based upon how far they are from you, too. TAB is used to lock onto a target - priority seems to be given to targets that are within your current field of view. For some vehicles, right-clicking can be used effectively to lock specific targets - this is generally best done by the gunners of vehicles. Lock Symbology Any weapon that can lock onto a target will first have to acquire the target. This is done either by right-clicking over the target, or pressing "TAB" to cycle through available targets. When a target is acquired, it will have a green box around it. To lock the target, you must have it within a certain number of degrees of the weapon's orientation (relative to the nose on most aircraft, or the direction the weapon is facing on ground vehicles) - this may vary depending upon the specific weapon. When a target has been acquired and locked, the box has a circle overlaid on it. At this point any guided weapon can be fired and it will automatically track and (hopefully) destroy said target. Note that when reaching the limits of the lock 'cone', the circle indicator will begin to fade out, letting you know that you're about to lose lock. This section is intended to detail all sorts of considerations that every ArmA2 pilot must make during flight. Further sections follow that are specifically oriented towards rotary-wing (helicopter) and fixed-wing (jet) pilots and the special considerations they must make. Minimizing Risk There are a number of things that can be done to limit the threat of anti-aircraft weapon systems. Several methods of tactical prevention are listed below, broken down by whether they're general methods or more specifically oriented towards gun or missile threats. In addition to that, countermeasure systems are discussed, as are evasive maneuvers. Tactical Risk Prevention Tactical prevention is simply the art of using proper aircraft employment and maneuver tactics to minimize the threats posed by enemy air defenses. Prevention: General These guidelines can be used to protect you from any anti-aircraft threats, regardless of type. Limit exposure over enemy areas. The less you're around to be shot at, the less shot you'll get. Mask with terrain. If they can't see you, they can't hit you. Maintain high speeds. If they can't lead you effectively, or you're exposed for short periods of time, they can't hit you. Use unpredictable flight patterns. If they can't predict where you'll be due to your maneuvers, they can't hit you. Avoid flying directly at/away from enemy infantry. If you're presenting a target that is moving relative to their perspective, it's much harder for them to hit you. Prevention: Guns These guidelines can be used to protect you specifically from anti-aircraft guns Fly at altitude. The higher you are, the harder it is to lead you. Prevention: Missiles These guidelines can be used to protect you specifically from anti-aircraft missile systems. Dump flares when going into an attack run if you expect a MANPAD threat on the ground. Dump flares when pulling out after an attack run. The enemy will very likely wait for a rear-aspect shot before engaging - putting flares in the air after an attack run will cause them to have difficulty locking you up, and will confuse any missiles already in flight. Countermeasure Systems Aircraft have two main types of countermeasures - flares and chaff. Unfortunately, neither is modeled in ArmA2 by default. Both are expected to be added by the community in short order, however, so we'll go ahead and cover the basics of how they work. Flares Flares are burning objects ejected from aircraft to attempt to spoof infrared (heat-seeking) missiles. Effective against: Infrared-guided (IR) missiles. The heat of the flares confuses the missile seeker, causing it to chase after a heat source that may not be the aircraft itself. Flares can also prevent the missile from being able to lock onto the aircraft in the first place. When to deploy: Whenever you think an IR missile has been launched at you, or when pulling out of an attack run or overflying known enemy positions. Chaff Chaff is a packet of thin metallic strips that spread into a cloud upon release and act to confuse radar systems. Effective against: Radar-guided missiles. The metallic strips of chaff give false radar reflections, confusing the missile guidance and frequently causing them to seek out invalid targets. When to deploy: Once given a launch warning or when you think one is imminent (ie, such as when 'locked up' and hearing a radar warning indicator) Evasive Maneuvers There are several standard types of evasive maneuvers available to aircraft pilots, regardless of whether they're flying a jet or a helicopter. Jinking. This is the act of making sharp, sudden, and unpredictable evasive maneuvers. Jinking makes it difficult to track and lead an aerial target. It is most effective against unguided weapons such as machineguns, cannons, rockets, et cetera. Break turn. A break turn is a sudden, sharp turn typically of 90 degrees or more. This is often used to attempt to evade a rocket or missile system, or when a heavy machinegun or anti-aircraft artillery piece has engaged the aircraft. Emergency climb/dive. An emergency climb or dive simply consists of the aircraft gaining or losing altitude rapidly in an attempt to evade a threat. Defensive roll. Used most frequently by helicopters, a defensive roll involves the helicopter rolling so that the bottom of it is between the threat weapon (typically machineguns) and the helicopter crew. A roll is usually accompanied by pulling the aircraft in the rolled direction, resulting in the aircraft pulling away from the threat. Classifications of Aircraft Threats How Threats are Classified Throughout the course of flying in ArmA2, you will be confronted with a variety of different threat weapons. Each of the main classifications of these threats is described below, via a "Capabilities, Indicators, React" info breakdown. The "CIR" rating is intended to answer the following questions. ? Capabilities. o What can the threat weapon do? o What is unique about it compared to the other threat weapon types? ? Indicators. o What lets you know that one of these weapons is being fired at your aircraft? ? React. o What do you do when you take fire from one of these weapons? o What are the best evasive maneuvers to use? Small Arms Fire (SAF) Small Arms Fire is generally the most common threat to aircraft on the battlefield. While they pose little threat to jet aircraft, they can be a major issue for a helicopter crew that does not exercise proper tactical judgment while flying. Small Arms are anything typically employed by the infantry - light and medium machineguns, rifles, et cetera. Their Capabilities, Indicators, React (CIR) info is as follows. Capabilities Can penetrate unarmored cockpits and passenger compartments Limited effective range. Dangerous at under 300 meters, moderately dangerous at 500m, and markedly less effective beyond that unless massed. Relatively light and 'weak' bullets Not stabilized, difficult to manage recoil to properly engage aircraft Difficult to properly lead aircraft moving at speed Often massed as 'ambush' fire in order to increase effects When sustained or massed, can cause tail rotor failure of fuel leaks Indicators Muzzle flashes and smoke Normal-sized tracers going past the aircraft. Sometimes there will be no tracers at all, just the impact sounds of bullets hitting the aircraft. Visible infantry or no visible vehicles Sounds of bullets hitting vehicle hull, accompanied by light damage React Break turn Jink Raise altitude or lower to mask with terrain HMGs & Vehicle CSWs, including AAA Heavy machineguns, crew-served weapons, and anti-aircraft artillery are a common threat. They are similar to SAF in many respects, but pack a heavier punch and have higher accuracy at range. Their CIR info is as follows. Capabilities Stabilized, high accuracy Heavy, damaging bullet. In the case of AAA, this is often an explosive cannon round. Indicators Large tracers Large muzzle flashes and smoke Stable stream of fire Vehicle at origin of fire (if veh CSW) High (HMG) or very high (AAA) damage from hits React Break turn Jink Sharply raise altitude or lower to mask with terrain Anti-Tank Anti-tank assets are generally used in "target of opportunity" situations against slow & low helicopters. It requires a great deal of skill (or luck) for an AT shooter to take down an aircraft with an unguided rocket, or a great failure on the part of the aircraft crew to allow such a shot to be successful. The CIR info for AT is as follows. Capabilities Very limited range (dangerous at 100-300m, falls off rapidly beyond that) Difficult to lead moving aircraft with AT Depending on the power of warhead, severe damage or destruction of aircraft is likely Indicators Backblast dust/smoke Linear smoke trail No obvious vehicle having launched it (infantry AT) or ATGM-class vehicle (ie: BRDM ATGM) at launch site. React Dump flares. You do not have time to decide whether it's an AT rocket or a guided missile. Break turn until you are moving perpendicular to the launch site. At this point you should be able to tell that it is a rocket that was fired, and not a missile. Once this has been confirmed, cease flare dispensing. MANPADs, SAMs, & Anti-Aircraft missiles Missile systems tend to pose the most serious threats to aircraft. Their guidance systems allow them to track even the fastest jets, while their warheads can wreck an aircraft with a good hit. Capabilities Seeking missile(s). Long range. Difficult to detect (MANPAD). Difficult to evade - extremely fast and maneuverable. Powerful warhead, can result in severe damage or destruction of aircraft. Oftentimes multiple missiles available. Indicators Backblast dust/smoke. Visible smoke trail coming from the ground. Smoke trail is curving/changing direction, indicating a seeking warhead. Radar warning receiver, IR launch indicator *. Smoke trail of an anti-air missile as it launches. By the time you see this, you only have a split-second to react. React Dump flares (IR) or chaff (radar) *. Fly perpendicular to missile flight path ('beam' it). Put terrain between self and missile. Continue dispensing flares or chaff until missile is no longer a threat and aircraft is out of engagement envelope of the launcher *. A Russian anti-aircraft gunner prepares to fire his Igla missile * While these do not yet exist in vanilla A2, they are expected to be added by the community in short order Damage Model Fuel Leaks Oftentimes an aircraft will receive a fuel leak after being hit by a MANPAD missile or taking sustained machinegun fire. The indicator for this is simply that the fuel level begins to drop. If you take a hit that causes a fuel leak, announce it to the appropriate person (ie the FAC or PltCo) and head back to base if possible. If you can't make it back to base, find some place to set down (if a helo) or eject (if a plane). (Note: In , helicopter pilots typically cannot "bail" out of their helos while in the air and survive. Thus, you must land the aircraft if you'd like to live to talk about it.) Intro to Helicopters Rotary wing aircraft - more commonly known as helicopters - are one of the most interesting types of vehicles to employ in ArmA2. They have a very unique set of flight characteristics compared to 'typical' aircraft, in that they are able to fly in any direction or even simply float in one place if they so desire. Their ability to operate so close to the ground forces makes them excellent close air support forces, while their cargo- and troop-carrying abilities give the ground commanders a way to move infantry around the battlefield to attack from unexpected directions, or transport resupply all over the battlefield to where it is most needed. Helicopters are extremely flexible aircraft that can be employed in a wide variety of creative and interesting fashions. They are the air asset you are most likely to find yourself working with when it comes to how Shack Tactical plays. Types of Helicopters Like with most things, there are a variety of classes for rotary-wing aircraft. Attack Attack helos are defined by the amount of firepower they can deliver, as well as how survivable they are. The AH-6 and OH-58 are the lightest, with the Cobra being above them in the medium category, and the Apache taking the crown as the heaviest attack helo due to its impressive armament and relatively survivable airframe. Light AH-6 Littlebird OH-58 Kiowa Warrior UH-1Y Venom (when carrying FFAR pods) A UH-1Y Venom acting in the CAS role Medium AH-1Z Viper Heavy AH-64D Apache Transport Transport helos are defined by the amount of personnel or equipment they can move around the battlefield. Thus, an MH-6 is at the bottom of the ladder as the lightest transport helo, while the massive CH-53 Super Stallion is at the top. Light MH-6 Littlebird UH-1Y Venom The UH-1Y Venom carries a pilot, copilot, two door gunners, and 7 passengers Medium SH-60 Knighthawk CH-46 Sea Knight The SH-60 Knighthawk carries a pilot, copilot, two door gunners, and 12 passengers Heavy V-22 Osprey. Note that this aircraft can go from a 'helicopter' mode to a 'fixed wing' mode once it is airborne, increasing its speed considerably. CH-53 Super Stallion The Osprey can carry a pilot, copilot/observer, and 23 passengers Helicopter Crew Roles Most helicopters are multi-crewed. For attack helicopters, this is in the form of a pilot/gunner combination, while transport aircraft typically sport a pilot, copilot, crew-chief, and door gunner. This section will cover the different responsibilities of each of the common helicopter roles. Pilot The helo pilot maneuvers the helo tactically in order to accomplish the assigned mission. The specific responsibilities of a helo pilot differ based on whether they are a transport aircraft or an attack helo, and are as follows. Pilot Responsibilities (General) Senior player in the helo Flys the helo and is responsible for the safety of all embarked on it Plans the route the helo will use into/out of the combat zone Has the final say on LZ selection and is authorized to change the LZ en-route due to evolving threat assessments Pilot Responsibilities (Attack Helo) Responsible for employing unguided rockets (FFARs) or bombs, if the aircraft has them Communicates with the gunner to maintain the gunner's situational awareness. This includes notifying the gunner of locations of friendly forces, upcoming maneuvers, and anything else that might assist him. Maintains situational awareness around the aircraft at all times. The gunner is often focusing on a given target, such as when using the gunsight, and thus it is important that the pilot continue to scan. Maneuvers in a fashion that allows the gunner to effectively engage the enemy Maneuvers in response to the gunner's requests Gives guidance to the gunner on weapon type to use Gunner The helo gunner helps to navigate and observe prior to combat, and once in combat, he scans for and engages the enemy while communicating his needs to the pilot. AH-1Z Viper Gunner Gunner Responsibilities Junior player in the aircraft Assists in navigation Scans and engages the enemy Communicates needs to pilot. If the gunner needs the aircraft oriented in a specific direction, or flying at a given height, et cetera, he communicates this to the pilot so that the pilot can fly the aircraft to best accommodate him. Communicates with ground forces as required, particularly when the pilot must concentrate on flying and a copilot is not present. Gunner/Pilot Intra-aircraft Coordination Things that need to be communicated are broken down by whether they're communicated by either crewman, by the pilot, or the gunner. By both: Threats. It is important that either crewman communicates anything he discovers about the locations of enemy threats as expeditiously as possible. The more of a threat the particular enemy is to an aircraft is, the more important it is that it is communicated promptly. This also includes any spottings of tracers, missile launches, or suspected missile launches. Friendly positions. Whoever sees friendly positions, either on the map or via visual confirmation, should relay it to the other crewman so that situational awareness is enhanced. This is particularly true for the pilot communicating with the gunner. Ammo status. Either crewman will have weapon systems available to them in some aircraft. Whatever the distribution, each crewman needs to communicate how much ammunition they have for their weapons, so that they can plan accordingly to fly back for resupply (if available) and also let the supported infantry know how much more support they can provide before they need to return to base. By the pilot: Maneuvers. Particularly when the gunner is employing a turreted cannon, the pilot should talk to him to let him know what significant maneuvers are being employed or are coming up. This helps the gunner to know how much traverse he has left on the turret before running into the limits. Fuel status. Knowing how much fuel is available is important, as it allows the gunner to prioritize targets based on how much flight time remains until a trip to a resupply area is necessary. Flight worthiness. If the aircraft is damaged by enemy fire, it is the pilot's responsibility to communicate this to the gunner. This includes tail rotor loss, loss of engine power, etc. By the gunner: Gunner activity. The gunner ensures that the pilot knows what he is doing - be it acquiring a target, locking one up, firing, or preparing to fire. This helps the pilot make decisions about how he flys the aircraft. Gunner needs. If the gunner requires a certain attack heading, or a specific amount of stability during the employment of a weapon, he must communicate this to the pilot so that the pilot can accommodate his needs. Gunner/Pilot Brevity Words Weapon Employment & Maneuvers Steady. Request from the gunner for the pilot to hold a steady bearing. Typically used when firing at hard or distant targets to provide the most stable gun platform. Rotate (left, right). Gunner notification to the pilot that the aircraft needs to turn a specific direction to allow him to employ his weapons. Popping up/pop up. Command from the pilot or gunner to indicate that the aircraft is going to, or needs to, rise up to clear an obstruction so that a shot can be taken. Dropping down/drop down. Command from the pilot or gunner to indicate that the aircraft is going to, or needs to, drop down behind an obstruction. This is typically done after a successful shot has been made. Firing/engaging. Gunner is engaging with his weaponry. Typically used when guns are being employed. Launched, missile away. Gunner confirmation that he has fired his missile. Lets the pilot know that he is free to maneuver. Running in. Pilot notification to the gunner that the aircraft is heading in for an attack run on a known enemy position. Breaking left/right/etc. Pilot notification to the gunner that a significant bank/turn is being employed in the specified direction. Threats. Note that threat warnings have a direction attached to them when known. Missile, missile. Warning call given when a suspected missile has been launched. This allows the pilot to immediately conduct a 'react to missile launch' drill, as well as notifying the gunner that he should be scanning for the launch origin. Taking SAF, taking SAF. Used to indicate that the aircraft is being engaged by small-arms fire, typically used to indicate that maneuvers are needed to evade it. Can be shortened to "SAF, SAF". Taking heavy, taking heavy. Used to indicate that the aircraft is being engaged by a heavy weapon such as a crew-served machinegun or vehicle cannon, typically used to indicate that maneuvers are needed to evade it. Can be shortened to "Heavy, heavy". Contacts Visual. Crewman has spotted friendly positions. Blind. Crewman cannot spot friendly positions. Tally. Crewman has spotted hostile targets. No joy. Crewman cannot spot hostile targets. Tracers, (direction). Used to indicate the direction that enemy tracer fire has been spotted. Flashes, (direction). Used to indicate the direction that muzzle flashes are being seen at. Status Winchester. Gunner is out of ammo. Bingo. Pilot statement to indicate that the aircraft must immediately return to base in order to make it back before fuel runs out. Crew Chief A crew chief is a member of the helicopter crew that, in ArmA2 terms, acts as a door gunner for the duration of the helicopter's employment. Unlike the 'door gunner' role, the crew chief does not disembark from the helicopter except in the event of an emergency (such as being shot down). The crew chief is responsible for communicating the proximity of obstacles to the pilot when in close terrain and attempting to land. This is done with simple concise verbal commands to the pilot to tell him which way to move the helo to avoid obstacles, such as "Tree on left, move right 10 meters". The door gunner, if embarked, assists with this process, as described in "Combined Arms". Crew chief waiting for takeoff, M134 in the forward-facing position Crew Chief Responsibilities Scan for threats & communicate them to the pilot. The crew chief must be constantly scanning for hostile threats. He watches for: Enemy personnel and vehicles Muzzle smoke Tracers Smoke trails from missiles or rockets Trees, large rocks, and other obstacles when descending into an LZ Upon spotting any of these, he immediately informs the pilot, either through "Vehicle" VON or Teamspeak. The crew chief can use either clock directions or relative directions (ie: front, left, right, etc) when calling these targets or objects out. Be proficient with helo door gunnery. This includes knowing how to correctly lead targets when the helicopter is moving at a variety of airspeeds. As a general guideline, one must lead in the direction that the target is moving relative to the gunner's perspective. If a target is crossing from right to left, he must lead the target by aiming to the left side of the target. Stay alert and aware of where friendly forces are, to avoid engaging them by mistake. Communicate with ground forces as required, particularly when the pilot must concentrate on flying Copilot The copilot's responsibilities in A2 are different from those of a real one, since they cannot assume control of the helicopter as a real one could. Because of this, their primary tasks are observation, navigation, and communication. In the event that the pilot is shot and killed in flight, they are tasked with leading the passengers and door gunners in a rousing game of 'scream for your life until the aircraft has successfully impacted with the ground'. Copilot Responsibilities Navigation. The copilot is in a perfect position to navigate for the pilot. Observation & observation pod. Whether equipped specifically with an observation pod or not, the copilot - being in the front of the aircraft - is in a good position to assist with observation. The observation pod obviously amplifies this. Communication. Due to not being tied up with actually flying the aircraft, the copilot is able to spend time communicating with other aircraft, ground forces, etc. Helo Flight Principles The art of flying a helicopter is one that takes time to master, typically accomplished with a great deal of offline practice. The following sections will help to familiarize you with the basic helo flight principles, as they apply to ArmA2, so that you know what you should be practicing towards. Taking Off Getting a helicopter into the air is a pretty simple process. There are a few things to keep in mind, as described below. Considerations Before Lifting Off Ensure that everyone who should be on the helo is loaded up and ready to go. This applies mainly to transport aircraft, of course. Look around and above the aircraft to familiarize yourself with what obstacles are nearby. Trees, power lines, light posts - anything that can cause a rotor strike must be noted and avoided. Consider other aircraft. If a multiple helo package is taking off, the aircraft must lift off in a predefined order to avoid colliding on takeoff. If working out of an active area where aircraft are coming and going at regular or random intervals, you must be careful to ensure that your takeoff does not run you into another aircraft working in the area at the same time. Know where you're going, and have a plan on how to get there. Trying to plot a course while already in the air is not ideal - whenever possible, as time allows, ensure that you've sketched out your route to the LZ and know what terrain to expect along the way. Once all of these are considered and checked for, simply apply power to the engines to lift off the deck. You only need to bring the helo a few meters off the deck to "take off" - there is no reason to go higher immediately unless terrain or obstacles force it. As you move away from the staging area, evaluate the terrain and choose your flight profile accordingly. Landing There are two primary aspects involved with landing - the basic procedures of the act itself, and the considerations that must be made when making a combat landing. Both are described below. Basic Landing Principles Be careful with your vertical speed. Having a low vertical speed upon landing is very important - the most common way to wreck a helo is to slam it down too hard. You can land safely with 30km/h of forward speed, as long as your descent rate is very low. You can get up to 40-45km/h or so if you are careful. Bear in mind that the higher your speed, the easier it is to wreck the engine with too fast of a descent rate. Pick LZs that have fairly level ground and are free of any major obstacles whenever possible, as this simplifies things. If landing on a slope, land facing up the slope and be careful that you don't slide. Oftentimes you will be forced to do a hover insertion when slopes are involved. Approach the LZ in a fashion that allows you to see all of the obstacles in the LZ area. Coming in via a shallow curving flight path can help facilitate this. If landing in a particularly tight LZ, use your door gunner and crew chief to warn you of any obstacles as well as provide guidance on how you should maneuver. If troops are already on the ground, they can act as guides as well. Combat Landing Procedures Decide on what kind of landing it will be. Full touchdown, hover, moving, etc. Minimize enemy threats via the approach route used. Choose high alt or low alt as necessary, based on expected enemy threats. Suppress with door gunners if possible. If the LZ is hot, the door gunner fire can be an effective means of suppressing it long enough to set down and get the troops debarked. Come in fast and touch down lightly. A proper combat landing requires a good grasp how to flare a helicopter to rapidly bleed of speed without gaining altitude. Coming in fast is the best counter to enemy small arms fire - it's not easy to lead a moving helo, after all. Tell your passengers to debark via "GO GO GO". Once you've touched down safely, or have entered a hover or slow & low state (in the case of a 'hover' or 'moving' insertion), give the "Go, go, go!" command so that the embarked infantry can hear you. They will then begin exiting the aircraft and conduct their mission. Listen for confirmation from the senior embarked player that all troops have dismounted. In some aircraft you will be able to look into the passenger compartment to watch the unloading process yourself. Once given the all-clear, take off and assume your next assigned task. If feasible, your crew chief can continue suppressing the LZ as you depart. Altitude Tradeoffs Flying a helicopter forces the pilot to take calculated risks in order to best accomplish his mission. One of these involves altitude - there is no one-altitude-fits-all solution; depending on the mission, terrain, enemy, et cetera, the risks/rewards of each altitude will vary. It is up to the pilot to be familiar with the tradeoffs involved and be able to make the right decisions when the time comes. The pros and cons of high and low altitude flight follow. High Altitude ? Pros: Reduces vulnerability to unguided weapons such as SAF, CSW, HMG, AT, etc Increased observation capability Eliminates dangers of collisions with terrain, trees, power lines, and other obstacles Higher chance of autorotating successfully due to altitude available Enemy has a harder time keeping track of you when they're also engaged with ground forces, as it forces them to look up a lot. Allows you to drop in and surprise them more easily. Facilitates steep diving attacks and strafing runs ? Cons: Easier for the enemy to hear the direction you are coming from More visible to the enemy Can be engaged by more enemy weapon systems at the same time than otherwise Easier to be engaged by guided missile systems Low Altitude ? Pros: Reduced visibility to the enemy Can mask with terrain, trees, and buildings, which further reduces visibility and muffles sound signature, increasing stealth and surprise Reduced vulnerability to some types of anti-air missile systems ? Cons: Much more vulnerable to SAF, CSW, HMG, AT, etc. Reduces visibility of the battlespace Introduces the danger of collisions with terrain, trees, power lines, and other obstacles Less likely to survive an engine failure due to lack of space to properly autorotate Reduces effectiveness of some attack profiles such as diving attacks and strafing runs Masking with Terrain & Tactical Helicopter Movement One important aspect of helicopter survivability lies in using the terrain to maximum advantage. Hills, valleys, forests, buildings - there are countless terrain features that can be used to mask a helicopter from enemy fire and observation. Attack helicopter crews will often stay low and fast, moving from one covered position to another to avoid enemy anti-aircraft artillery and MANPAD or SAM units. When it comes time to engage the enemy or scout out areas, the helicopter can pop up briefly, scan the area or employ weapons against the enemy, and then drop back down behind a terrain feature so that enemy gunners have little time to acquire, lock, and fire upon them. Bear in mind that when masking with terrain, the helo crew must be aware of what's on the 'near' side of the terrain being used for cover. Taking cover behind a ridge that has an enemy platoon sitting on your side doesn't do you a great deal of good. Also keep in mind that helicopters are highly susceptible to enemy air defense assets, and are by no means to be thought of as invincible flying machines of death and destruction. Keeping a helicopter alive in a hot environment, particularly a player-vs-player one, requires a great deal of skill, patience, and coordination between the crew members. Rambo helicopters will find themselves shot down in short order almost every single time. People who fly helicopters like they're jets will likewise find themselves being quickly shot down. Helo tactics and jet tactics are two entirely different beasts and must be treated as such. Nap-Of-Earth Flight The altitude a helo can safely fly at will vary depending upon the terrain. Heavily wooded, rolling terrain allows for helos to fly higher due to the amount of terrain and vegetation that interferes with MANPAD systems (ie very low exposure times, lots of obstacles for firing a clean shot), whereas desert terrain or other fairly flat terrain can force lower flight altitudes. Regardless of terrain type, nap-of-earth flight is an important technique to use to avoid enemy observation or engagement. NOE simply means that the helicopter is staying low and following the contours of the ground as it flies, as opposed to simply beelining across the sky without consideration for the terrain below. A few guidelines for NOE flight follow. Guidelines for NOE Flight Be vigilant in scanning for obstacles. The most common obstacles are poles, trees, and powerlines. At night, powerlines in particular become a greater threat due to the 'grain' and reduced clarity of vision brought on by nightvision. Know and consider the diameter of your rotor mast. If you need to go between two trees, for example, you must be able to visually determine if your rotors can fit through. Only fly as low as you need to. While flying a few meters off the ground is a good display of skill, oftentimes it puts your passengers at an unnecessary risk. Fly at the altitude that is necessary to accomplish the goal that NOE flight facilitates. NOE flight does not have to be "Hey guys, I just picked a flower off the ground!" altitude at all times. Attack Helo Attack Types There are several distinct attack types that can be utilized by rotary-wing aircraft. Each has a time and place where it can be used successfully, and being familiar with the different attack types allows for an aircrew to maximize survivability while fighting according to the enemy threat level. Slashing A slashing attack is used when the pilot determines that he can fly over enemy territory without putting himself at unnecessary risk. This is typically when the enemy is known to have no serious anti-air equipment. A slashing attack is simply a run where the helo flys in, fires ordnance, and then continues in the same direction and passes over or near the target before leaving the area. Slashing attacks are typically done with FFARs or fixed-forward-firing cannons or guns. A Viper flys past after knocking out an enemy APC Break-Off Break-off attacks are used when there is a threat of enemy air defenses beyond or at target. A break-off attack consists of the pilot lining up for an attack run, firing his ordnance, and then immediately breaking off so that he does not fly over or past the target. The distance at which the helo should break depends on the anticipated threat - bear in mind that the further away you break, the less likely enemy small-arms fire will be able to get you. Break-off attacks are typically done with FFARs. Breaking to the right after firing a salvo of FFARs at an enemy position Stand-Off Stand-off attacks are used when there is no significant threat of enemy return fire or anti-air defense and cannons or anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) need to be employed. For a stand-off attack, the pilot brings the aircraft to a hover (or slow flight) out of effective small-arms range of the enemy. The gunner then proceeds to employ the aircraft cannon or guided missiles to strike enemy targets. During this, the pilot scans the area around the aircraft for any enemy infantry that may be on the ground. If the threat of enemy anti-air is completely non-existent, the aircraft should hover at least 500 or more meters above the ground to reduce risk of enemy small-arms fire. The aircraft should remain in a hover only as long as is necessary to employ ordnance. Once complete, the pilot should resume normal flight. A Viper pummels a target area with FFARs from a stand-off position Pop-Up A pop-up attack is a variation of the stand-off attack that is used when enemy anti-air threats are expected. To employ a pop-up attack, the pilot must first move via a concealed or obscured approach to within effective weapon range of the target. He will then instruct the gunner that they are going to pop-up, and that the gunner needs to stand by with a specific weapon system (typically an ATGM). The helo then rises up just enough to clear the terrain feature, at which point the gunner acquires the target, fires his ordnance, and the pilot rapidly drops the helicopter back behind the cover afforded by the terrain. When done correctly, pop-up attacks are extremely difficult to defend against. Popping up from behind a treeline, this Viper has just launched a Hellfire at an enemy Tunguska Cobra Fire Control Systems The following section about the Cobras in is from Headspace, ShackTac member and creator of both the ArmA2 Artillery System and the Cobra Fire Control Systems. Cobra Employment in ACE2 Written by ShackTac NCO Headspace Pilot/Gunner dialogue is critical to smooth combat operations in the AH-1Z. The Cobra has two crew so that the tasks of flying, target acquisition, engagement, and evading can be done simultaneously. However, this requires effective coordination between the gunner and pilot to work effectively. Ensure that pilot/gunner communications are read back after receiving and that brevity is observed, particularly during combat. The pilot is responsible for ensuring that the top mission priority is fulfilled, that being to prevent the aircraft from hitting anything on the ground (or in the air) and to prevent anything launched from the ground (or the air) from hitting the aircraft. If necessary, the pilot will need to maneuver away even while the gunner is making a shot, if it is necessary to preserve the aircraft. Most, if not all of the weapon systems in the AH-1Z are designed to be used so that the helicopter can engage enemy forces with minimal exposure to threats. Take advantage of this. For instance, if friendly infantry is equipped with a laser designator, make sure to utilize the LOAL (Lock-On After Launch) modes of the Hellfire system so that you don't have to expose your ship to enemy AAA. Know the Hellfire weapon system and which mode is appropriate for the current engagement. If you are behind a tall obstacle, such as a mountain, the LOAL-HI mode is appropriate. If the target is only a few KM away and there are minimal obstacles, the LOAL-DIR (for Direct) mode is probably the better choice. The AH-1Z in ACE2 has the ability to elevate its cannon to match the range to target read from the laser, just like the real AH-1Z. Make sure that when you engage a target with the cannon, that you have the appropriate range locked in. Otherwise, you will waste ammunition. In cases where you must acquire the target yourself, ensure that you do so in the smallest time window possible so as to limit your exposure. When engaging targets with the AH-1Z's cannon, one helpful trick is to pop up over the obstacle, range the target location, then lower behind cover. When it's time to engage you will already know your range and thus be able to put fire on the target immediately. Transport Helo Insertion Types Flying troops to a landing zone is only part of the problem. Once there, getting them safely on the ground can be a challenge all by itself. It is important that every helo pilot is familiar with the landing options available to him, and is able to pick the right one to suit the situation at hand. Touchdown A touchdown insertion is the most common type, used whenever possible. All that is required is a helicopter-sized patch of relatively level open ground to set down on. This type of landing is also used when extracting troops, for obvious reasons. Touchdowns ensure that infantry are able to safely dismount without the injury that is possible when conducting hovering insertions. Hover Hover insertions have two primary uses. The first is when dropping troops on sloped terrain. In most cases, trying to land on sloped terrain is a recipe for disaster, so dropping your troops off from a hover is a great alternative to crashing and killing everyone. The other use is any time that enemy return fire is a significant threat. In such a situation you want to minimize the amount of time that you're low, slow, and vulnerable to the enemy. Keeping your skids or wheels off the ground is one great way to accomplish this, as it allows you to more quickly get back into the air if things turn hot. A safe altitude for dropping troops in a hover is below five meters. Anything more runs the risk of injuring the troops from the fall. A Venom inserting troops into a hot LZ comes to a hover moments before troops hop out. Moving A moving insertion is a variation of the hover insertion that is done while the helo does not come to a complete standstill. This method is even more secure than the hover insertion, as the pilot is at less risk of being hit in the cockpit by enemy ground fire due to his constantly shifting position. When doing a moving insertion, ensure that the aircraft stays under 30kph and is less than five meters off the deck. These are the thresholds for safe troop drops from a moving helo. Rooftop Rooftop insertions can be done either at a hover or by landing on the roof. It is recommended that they be done at a hover, as that tends to be the safer method. When doing a rooftop insertion, pay special attention to the rooftops of other nearby structures. If they are occupied, the insertion will likely need to be aborted due to the danger of being shot out of the sky. Bear in mind that the security of a rooftop insertion depends largely upon the surrounding terrain, the surrounding buildings, and the height of the building that is being inserted on relative to both the surround building heights and the surrounding terrain. For instance, trying to drop troops on a low house in hilly terrain that has enemy infantry likely positioned in the hills, or other locations that are higher in elevation than the roof, is a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, dropping a sniper team on a very tall building in relatively flat terrain is much more likely to be successful. Fastrope Anyone who has seen Blackhawk Down should be familiar with the concept of fastroping. While this capability does not exist currently with any of the default ArmA2 vehicles, it will no doubt be present in the future via community addons. Fastroping can be useful for inserting troops into an area where the helo cannot easily land. While the altitude of the helo makes it more vulnerable to enemy fire, it also allows for the doorgunners to fire without risk of hitting the disembarking troops. Helicopter Damage Model Due to the altitude they operate at, helicopters are apt to get shot up. Being familiar with the types of damage that can be sustained can help to prepare a helo crew for what to do when they take heavy fire, allowing them to react appropriately even when the situation is tense and every second counts. Tail Rotor Failure Heavy damage to a helicopter has a good chance of inducing tail rotor failure. Since the tail rotor is what stabilizes the helicopter at low speeds, this can be very bad news for the pilot and any embarked passengers. If at high speed, the helicopter will not visible react. You will probably not notice that your tail rotor has stopped spinning until the next time you slow down. At low speed, the helicopter will begin to yaw to one side as the tail rotor blades spin down. There are a few critical moments at the beginning of the process that should be used to get the helo down on the deck as quickly as possible, before the full spin begins. Once the full spin begins, having something like a TrackIR is of great use due to the fact that you'll want to be spending a great amount of concentration on both controlling your flight and scanning the terrain (while spinning heavily) for any safe area that you can set the helo down on. Alternatively, a helo at low-speed can try to gain speed until the effects of the tail rotor (or lack thereof) are nullified by the higher speed. This will temporarily remove the issue; however, you will still need to set down eventually, and at that point you'll have to fight with the spinning at low speeds. Also bear in mind that a hit that is powerful enough to cause tail rotor failure will also likely cause a fuel leak. Reacting to tail rotor failure is something that needs to be practiced in a non-combat situation (ie, set up in the editor) many times before it becomes second-nature. Engine failure & Autorotation The worst thing that can happen to a helo, aside from outright being destroyed, is for it to have an engine failure. In mods like , which (realistically) do not allow for the pilot/crew to bail out with a parachute, the only way to survive an engine failure is to get on the ground as quickly as possible without killing yourself and everyone else in the process. To accomplish a safe landing in a helo that has lost it's engine requires that you be familiar with the concept of Auto-Rotation, and are able to carry out the required actions with split-second notice and timing. Surviving an Engine Failure via Auto-Rotation When the engine fails, an alarm will sound and the rotors will begin to spin down. You cannot let them spin down, else you'll crash and burn hard. IMMEDIATELY press and hold your "Thrust Down" key to keep the blades spinning and begin a descent, while attempting to limit your forward speed as much as possible. If you are too slow, the blades will rapidly come to a halt and you'll be headed for a nasty crash. Scan your immediate area for a safe place to land - due to the lack of warning beforehand, you may be faced with some pretty tough landing spots. Identify the best landing spot and head for it while keeping your "Thrust Down" key depressed. You will want to try to minimize forward movement as much as possible due to how A2 models autorotation. At the last moment, flare your helo (bring the nose up) and press the "Thrust Up" key. If done right, the last bits of energy stored in the spinning rotors will reduce your downward velocity to something survivable. If timed wrong, you'll stall out too high off the ground and then crash and burn. Like everything else concerning helos, auto-rotation is a skill that must be practiced extensively in advance. Note that due to current FM limitations, you will be unable to attempt an auto-rotation if the helicopter is moving at a very high forward speed at the time of engine failure. In such a case, the helo will nose down, become unresponsive, and spread bits and pieces of your body all over the terrain at the site of the crash. Types of Fixed-Wing Aircraft Fixed-wing aircraft can be broken into several main groups for the purposes of ArmA, though some of them have little relevance to the game and will not be seen with any frequency. The main groups are CAS, Air Superiority, Bomber, and Transport. Close Air Support These are the most relevant to the ArmA experience. CAS aircraft are specialized at ground attack and are designed to provide excellent close air support to infantry. The A-10 "Warthog", loaded with bombs, Maverick ATGMs, FFARs, and AA missiles AV8 Harrier, loaded with bombs, FFARs, and AA missiles Air Superiority You will see these less frequently than straight CAS aircraft. Air Superiority Fighters can be multi-role, able to hit either ground targets or air targets with effectiveness. They tend to be faster than other aircraft. The VTOL (Vertical Take-Off/Landing) F-35 Lightning II. This configuration has all weapons stowed in internal bays. Bomber Very rare in ArmA2, though they may show up at some point. Bombers can obliterate large swaths of ground with massive payloads. They fly in, drop their bombs, potentially kill a huge number of the enemy, and are gone. These will rarely be able to provide effective CAS in the way that a dedicated attack aircraft can. However, if you'd like to flatten a small village, they will come in handy. Transport Transport aircraft like the C-130 will most likely be seen only in missions where we act as paratroops. They are unarmed and vulnerable but can deliver a large number of airborne soldiers into the action in short order. A C-130 transport Fixed-Wing Aircraft Crew Roles Pilot The fixed-wing pilot is the standard in most of the jet aircraft we will see in ArmA. He does everything in his aircraft - navigates, communicates and coordinates with ground forces, employs his weapons in support of ground forces, and so on and so forth An F-35 pilot prepares to take off Copilot The copilot/gunner of a fixed-wing aircraft deals primarily with weapons employment, navigation, and communication with ground elements. These are fairly rare - only the Su-34 in ArmA2 even has one by default. Basically, he allows the pilot to concentrate fully on flying the craft without interruption. Attack Aircraft Attack Types Fixed-Wing attack types share some similarities with their rotary-wing counterparts, but due to the speed at which the aircraft moves and the differences of FW flight compared to RW flight, they are distinctly different attack types that must be mastered separately. Break-Off A fixed-wing break-off attack is used to avoid flying over a danger area. Because of the speed at which a plane moves, break-off attacks typically are used when firing air-to-ground (AGM) missiles. The aircraft can fire the missile from extended ranges and break well before coming into effective range of the enemy air defenses. A-10 breaking off after firing a Maverick AGM Dive A diving attack is the preferred method for delivering rockets, laser-guided bombs, cannon fire, and 'dumb' bombs/munitions. This is because the "long axis" of the ordnance delivery becomes shortened when coming in in a dive, and thus ordnance tends to land closer together and human error (ie: timing of a bomb drop) is minimized. When conducting a dive attack, two methods can be used during the approach. The first is a high-altitude run-in, followed by a dive onto the target and ordnance delivery. The second method is a low-altitude approach, using terrain to mask the aircraft, before pulling up into a steep climb followed by a dive and ordnance delivery on target. This is known as a "Pop-Up" attack. Note that when it comes to dive attacks, the steeper the dive is, the more accurate the ordnance delivery will be - to an extent. The reverse of that is that the steeper the dive is, the faster you are likely to close on the target, and the harder it will be to acquire/align/fire/pull out. Finding a good balance between dive angle, aircraft speed, and other delivery considerations is key to mastering the dive attack. Note also that the higher that laser-guided bombs can be dropped, the more time they will have to adjust their flight and zero in on the laser designation. With cannon fire, the further away it is initiated, the more 'spread' there will be to the impact area, and the more damaging it will likely become. Slashing/Strafing The most basic fixed-wing attack run is a slashing attack or strafing run. In this attack, the aircraft flies in, fires cannons, FFARs, or other munitions and then flies over and past the target. Slashing attacks typically are done at a shallow dive or during level flight (depending on the target being attacked, the terrain it is on, etc). The pilot should maneuver his aircraft in an evasive fashion up until the last possible moment, as this gives the enemy less time to settle their sights on his aircraft. Direct attacks against anti-aircraft artillery such as Shilkas are done in an undulating pattern where the attacking aircraft pitches up and down, firing each time his weapons are aligned with the target, with the rest of the time acting to throw the Shilka's aim off. A-10 making a cannon run on enemy tanks Fixed Wing Aircraft Damage Model Exploding into flames There really isn't much to say about the damage model for fixed-wing aircraft. Aside from fuel leaks, there's not much that happens - typically you're either ok, or you're dead. You may have a small window in which to eject from the aircraft in some situations, though. We wanted to take a moment and say an additional Thank You and give 100% of the Credit to Dslyecxi for his time, efforts and his wonderful TTP2 Guide. As I'm sure everyone learned something, if not many important things from the Air Vehicle Section above; so please stop in at his website and take the time to read the whole guide. It contains a vast knowledge base that you simply cannot learn, just by playing the game. As such, the BEST Source of additional squad based tactics and information for ARMA 2 is Shack Tactical, as far as I know, HERE which is operated by a former US Marine and dam nice guy "Dslyecxi". He has put together what is the most all inclusive guide covering virtually every aspect of ARMA2 as a Tactile Strategy & Land Based Guide. You can find others but not a better guide that I'm aware of, anywhere on planet earth. Find it HERE This should be considered mandatory reading and studied thoroughly by anyone who is serious about playing ARMA2 or any squad based game. Thanks again to Dslyecxi for allowing us to use and benefit from his TTP2 Guide and his in-depth information on Air Vehicles in ARMA2. If you enjoyed reading the TTP2 and or the Air Vehicle Section above, please stop by Shack Tactical and drop him a note to say thanks for his great work, help and allowing us to use it in our Aviation Standard Guide. more to follow...Stay Tuned! Edited November 21, 2009 by Stang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KalXen~SPARTA~ Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 OMG.. obviously when this is finalized we need to seperate this out into a dozen or so seperate webpages to make it a bit more edible.. Awesome content ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durka-Durka~SPARTA~ Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 Good tutorial, but my God man! You need an NCO to reign you in and K.I.S.S. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang~SPARTA~ Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 (edited) Thanks Kal, When we're done we could either make it web-based or a PDF document Whatever works is good with me OMG.. obviously when this is finalized we need to seperate this out into a dozen or so seperate webpages to make it a bit more edible.. Awesome content ... Edited November 21, 2009 by Stang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang~SPARTA~ Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 (edited) Durka, Yea... I know...you're right! This is is basically a BLOG right now, where I'm putting (dumping) everything to capture it. I did want it to be a good resource guide (Aviation Wise), which is why I thought using Dslyecxi's Air Vehicle info from the TTP2 Guide, would make a great resource. the Tactics and Procedures will not be quite this in-depth...unless I get a bunch of help and you guys push for it. Good tutorial, but my God man! You need an NCO to reign you in and K.I.S.S. lol Edited November 21, 2009 by Stang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durka-Durka~SPARTA~ Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 When we're done we could either make it web-based or a PDF document Whatever works is good with me Just let me know, bud, and I can put it into a PDF whenever you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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