Learning how to be a combat pilot

[Wiedmaier]

I would love to see an advanced tutorial that helps people learn and practice things like engine management, high altitude performance, trimming for climb, navigation and the ZE beacon, pursuit curves…

Give me the VF-3 ready room and Jimmy Thach to set up a can off the wing for pursuit and gunnery training.  Walk us through the Thach Weave.  
 

I would love tutorial/learning missions that help me understand air combat maneuvers and not just the basics.  There is a lot of historical precedent for extensive training as well.  Both on the ship, and in how veterans were frequently rotated back to training squadrons to make sure they were up to speed with the latest lessons from combat.

[Wiedmaier]

I’m going to add, the whole Appendix to First Team by John Lundstorm could be integrated into a flight training mode.

The amount of deflection shooting that Wildcat pilots in particular spent time practicing was considerable; and it was a unique advantage of the wildcat because of its stubby little nose apparently!

I appreciate being able to set up any sort of encounter in the air and start flying, but there’s a reality of not knowing what the hell I’m doing that really makes me feel discouraged when I play combat sims, and I would love to see a first month of a career be getting up to speed with carrier operations as a new pilot in the VF.

[Mysticpuma]

Great books 👌

[Boom]

Good points you have raised Wiedmaier.  A quality tutorial is hard to beat.

But while waiting for Combat Pilot to launch, there are a couple of things you can do.

First off is practice with whatever is your favourite sim. Select invulnerable, unlimited ammo and set up various one-off scenarios eg head on, height advantage, height disadvantage, bomber intercept and so on. Even just fly around in a furball and try to dodge any enemy.
Once you feel you are improving, go full real and see if you can survive against ace opponents. And just practice, practice practice. It's unimportant to keep score. What you should be striving for is hitting your target before it nails you. Be patient, gain an advantage and then strike. If you have a mate you can fly online with, do so. Practice mutual support.

Secondly read and re-read the Appendices contained in The First Team, especially Appendix 2 and 4. Again practice online with your mate.

Thirdly buy a copy of "In Pursuit: A Pilot's Guide To Online Air Combat" by Johan Kylander. It is slightly dated, but still the best (IMHO) guide to flying and fighting 'Propellor' driven aircraft.

Fourthly avoid reading Shaw's excellent "Fighter Combat".  Shaw's book is very detailed, and not for the beginner. More importantly it is based on air combat in 'Jets'. There is a world of difference in what you can achieve between fighting in 'props' as opposed to advance 'jets'. Theory is slightly different, and physical outcomes are wildly different. 

And finally, fly just to improve your skill. Can you perform something as basic as a standard bank where you can keep your rudder bubble in the middle? And not lose (or gain) height? Now tighten that turn to the max and still maintain the bubble centre. You may be surprised how easy it is to avoid someone on your tail by such a basic maneuver. Can you do an eight point roll? A barrel roll? A vertical scissors that'll let you drop onto your opponents tail? Doesn't matter how good a shot you are, if you cannot get onto an opponents tail.

A really good sim to practice such moves is Microsoft's FSX or MS2020. Flight mechanics are outstandingly accurate for a number of aircraft, especially the quality 'after market' aircraft. Several combat props are available. 

[wheelsup_cavu]

16 hours ago, Boom said:

"In Pursuit: A Pilot's Guide To Online Air Combat" by Johan Kylander

In Pursuit can still be downloaded from this website in pdf form.

https://pilotpress.wordpress.com/category/in-pursuit/

Get your FREE copy of In Pursuit right here.
https://pilotpress.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/inpursuit.pdf

I found the live link for the download from the Internet Archive version of the site which had the original main site page.

https://web.archive.org/web/20080224003631/http://web.comhem.se/~u85627360/

Which I found using one of Bearcat's Sturmovik Essential threads.

https://web.archive.org/web/20080213031217/http://forums.ubi.com/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=400102&f=23110283&m=51910959

 

Wheels

[Feldgrün]

On 9/7/2024 at 2:37 AM, Boom said:

Thirdly buy a copy of "In Pursuit: A Pilot's Guide To Online Air Combat" by Johan Kylander. It is slightly dated, but still the best (IMHO) guide to flying and fighting 'Propellor' driven aircraft.

Does "Johan Kylander" fly in any current flight sims? Has anyone here ever "flown" with him?

I've learned more than anything else flying with a team and working together towards an objective. I hope this game allows robust MP communication, as that makes a huge difference.