In depth, at altitude

The General Staff booklet (see yesterday’s post) is lucid with regard to the importance and progression of air combat missions. It states that an aerial offensive is conducted in due order through i) Offensive Patrols ii) CAS and battlefield exclusion measures iii) Strategic bombing. Point ii) echoes back to the currently prevalent concept of ”shaping the battlespace” to suit the attacking force, don’t you think?

Anyway, for the benefit of people doubting the utility of ”pure” fighter missions far remote the surly bonds of earth, the booklet states that

 ”The sole mission of offensive patrols is to find and defeat the enemy’s aeroplanes. Their normal sphere of action extends for som 20 miles [times 5 with WWII standards and without limit by today’s world] behind the hostile battle line, and the further back they can engage the enemy’s fighting aeroplanes the more immunity will they secure for our machines doing artillery work, photography and close reconnaissance.// Fighting may take place at any height up to the limit to which the machine can ascend, known as its ”ceiling.” Artillery observation imposes a limit of some 10,000 feet, but fighting, bombing and photographic machines may fly at any height up to 20,000 feet or even more [double that for WWII-era machines]. Offensive patrols must therefore work echelloned in height.”

 This parapgraph and particularly the last point, relative to practice in the online arena, is significant inasmuch the bulk of virtual pilots have a strong inclination to engaging in aerial combat directly above a contested locale in the frontline and largely shun the more effective deep and high missions, indeed, scoff at them. Furthermore, when groups of online pilots do venture into the deep, they seldom do so echelloned in three dimensions – you may see a sweep or a raid, but it is almost exclusively restricted to a single altitude and a single (moving) point in space.

So, what of it? Why this argument? Well, in terms of online air combat, I like to argue for an arena that comprises more than the run-of-the-mill self-perpetuating furball. This is a behaviourial matter that must start with giving people a cause for doing something else than trucking to the nearest hot spot du jour, i.e. factories and infrastructure in the rear, bombers to pulverize them and escort fighters to accompany the bombers. Without these components tied plausibly into the realm, air action will ever be arcadish. And with these components in place, there must be participants able and willing to conduct ops in a convincing manner – solid groupings of tactically proficient pilots. Quite a quest, n’est-ce-pas?

Dicta BMBM 4/6

Never dogfight unless it is the only remaining option.
Following on the heels of the “one pass, haul ass” principle the beginner team must recognise that dogfighting, either singly or together, is the most difficult and least productive way of learning how to operate as an element. By engaging in largely static manoeuvring you reduce team cohesion and depreciate situational awareness, besides giving the enemy a chance to fight back, to such a great extent that nothing will be learned, except that turnfighting is difficult and bad for your health. Dogfighting, as in turning and burning in ever decreasing circles, is only an option when all other options have been expended – and if you harkened to previous principles you should have plenty of options left. You must realise that it is OK, more than OK, to leave a bandit behind: there are other ways of killing him or denying him a kill than to wrestle with him. Resist temptation to engage at all cost, resist temptation to part with advantage. There will always be other bandits to kill at some other place, some other time.

Dicta BMBM 3/6

One pass, haul ass.
Your situational awareness cannot handle more than a few bits of environment data at the same time, therefore you must work to reduce the computing workload to a manageable maximum. The actual count is of course relative to your experience but even the most experienced pilot will have a hard time keeping track of more than four or five fluid factors and their incessantly shifting energies and vectors at the same time. With this in mind you are best served by adhering strictly to the simple “one pass, haul ass” principle of diving in, taking whatever shot that presents itself, followed by an immediate disengagement. As you gain experience you will be able to cut the time and distance required for a secure reversal back into the fray by several orders of magnitude. The beginner team however should tread warily and make doubly sure that the coast is clear before turning back to engage a second time.

Dicta BMBM 2/6

Always climb from rear fields.
The idea that you must sortie from the airdrome closest to the action is utterly false. To keep you alive and provide you with at least one massive advantage you must perforce sortie from airdromes in the rear and do the bulk of your climbing to operational altitude where there are few enemy or no opposition at all to disrupt the process. Superior altitude confers such an undisputable advantage that it cannot be ignored: he who has altitude may shed it or convert it to position as required, while he who remains below is on the defensive by default. In addition to the altitude advantage you will automatically secure advantages of position, surprise and speed. Securing this and its related basic advantages only requires a few extra minutes, minutes that would otherwise be spent fighting at a crippling disadvantage. It really cannot be emphasised more: climb in peace to rule undisputedly.

Dicta BMBM 1/6

The fledgling team can, if it is astute enough, replace experience yet to be gained with a set of hard and fast rules that will allow the team to “surf” on the wave of experience as it presents itself through their actions. These rules are simple enough that anyone may understand them and follow them, though you will no doubt find that sticking to them requires more than a simple nod of the head:

1. Always fly in line abreast.
2. Always climb from rear fields.
3. One pass, haul ass.
4. Never dogfight unless it is the only remaining option.
5. If in doubt, disengage.
6. Team before self.

Always fly in line abreast.
The line abreast formation maintained during climb and cruise is the most important aspect of fighting as an element. As long as you fly parallel to each other, at a distance of 300-500 yards, and look inwards toward each other every so often, you enjoy all the fruits of mutual visual and operational security. Thus formatted nothing will escape attention and nothing can hurt you, provided of course that you take proper steps to meet the threat. The line abreast formation will be disrupted by combat and during positioning for combat, however, and that is quite all right for by then the line abreast will have provided you with a massive advantage. As soon as combat ends or engaged manoeuvring gives way to disengagement or flight, regain line abreast formation.

In Pursuit

In Pursuit - A Pilot's Guide to Online Air Combat

Welcome to the new permanent home of Pilot Press! Here you will find the free version of In Pursuit, the unofficially acknowledged primary reference guide to online air combat that I first made available to the general public in 2006. You will also find snippets and previews of upcoming titles that complement In Pursuit in areas where the former is but brief and sketchy.

Do leave feedback if you please, and I’ll be happy to answer any questions or concerns that you may have regarding flight sims and online air combat both in general and in detail. Do please also tell your friends and squadmates about In Pursuit, and keep a close tab on enemies that seem to know what the game is all about.

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