Basic Flight Manoeuvres

Welcome to Basic Flight Manoeuvres.

So you've learned a bit about what ships you may be piloting, and what ships you may ecounter during your time here in the VE. It's now time to take that knowledge and apply it to something pratical - flying. As a pilot, you'll be doing a lot of this, but you'll also be doing a lot of fighting & evading, in space and in a planet's atmosphere. As such it probably helps if you learn some of the basics of piloting a starfighter to further assist you in your recollections.

Piloting 101

“	Never fly in a straight line.	”
—2nd Lt. StOrMz, Naval Training Officer

Take Off & Landing

Since TIE series starfighters lack any form of landing gear, they usually need special support when landing or taking off from the hanger. Traditionally, this 'support' has come in the form of a special ceiling brace where the fighters sit, however it can differ from location to location. Some TIE models, such as the standard TIE starfighter, are capable of 'sitting' on their wings, although if you don't get the landing just right you could snap them. Others, like the TIE Defender are physically unable to land without a ceiling bracket.

Whatever fighter you're in, and whatever system your commander decides to use for the situation at hand, taking off and landing always involve similar things:

Take Off

• Full systems check
• Engines on low power
• Docking clamps are released
• Cruise slowley out of the hanger

Landing

• Make sure there's no structural damage that could prevent you from landing.
• Make sure control has set up the proper equipment for landing.
• Make sure you have an appropiate approach vector and speed.
• Ease the fighter into the assigned landing gear, and power down all systems.

Depending on where your fighter is stored, you may need a ladder to get in and out of your fighter, or you may need to go up to a higher level if your bird is on the ceiling.

Cruising

Whilst more often then not you will be carried to your destination in the hanger of a capital-class vessels, sometimes you have to do things the old fashioned way and fly from A to B. Assuming that you're not being shot at or running for your life, this simply involves cruising. Specifically, you will be flying in formation at a set speed, and there's pretty much nothing to do but sit there and try and pass the time.

It's quite possible to drift in space when one doesn't pay attention, so it's unwise to try and nap, however, some activities you could engage in are:

• Talking to fellow pilots using the com channels, either pritvate or squadron.
• Running diagnostics, checking sensors or other light manual calibrations.
• Practice flight manoeuvres with your wingman.
• etc...

Closing In

At some point, you'll be given the order to engage. Now, sometimes this won't pan out how I lay it out below (you may get ambushed, or do the ambushing, etc...), but usually, you'll still be a 'safe' distance away when the order is given. Once this has happened, taking into account any 'special' instructions, you'll normally do the following tasks:

• Rev up the engines to attack speed.
• Get into whatever formation/grouping you have been assigned.
• Check your shields & weapons, maybe fiddle with the settings (e.g. assinging all power to the front shields)
• Following the assigned attack angle or vector.

Another choice you may have to make is whether to fire a volley of missiles (if equipped) before getting into close range dogfighting. If you do, then you would select the weapson, line up your target using your computer, and let lose. Warheads are usually used when engaging larger vessels, however they can also be used as an effective tactic to break up an enemy starfighter formation. Your squadron commander will usually advise you what to do, but bear these things in mind.

Combat 101

Dogfighting

When in combat against enemy fighters, this is what you will be doing the most. Dogfighting involves you going head to head with your enemy, and carries with it all kinds of different variables and factors. For the moment, we will concentrate on one-on-one dogfighting. Group tactics will have it's own section further down.

The First Pass

Usually, you and your opponent will start on 'opposite' ends of the 'battlefield' and will approach each other on a head on vector. For a few minutes, you won't be able to do anything, as neither of you will be in laser range. As mentioned above, you can try to use any warheads you may be armed with, however this will require your opponent to stay still whilst you obtain a missile lock. Seeing as in they will be warned should anyone try to get such a lock, they are unlikely to oblige. In the event you do get a lock, it may prove to your advantage as it will force your opponent to dodge, thus leaving them exposed to you. However, it's relatively easy to dodge a head-on incoming missile, so chances are you'll be back to where you started.

When you get into tracer-range, things get that much more interesting, and tense. Your first instinct will be to let lose with all you have, trying to keep your aim centered on your opponent, who will be trying to do the same to your whilst dodging your incoming fire. It's extremely unlikley that you'll destroy your opponent on the first pass using only lasers, as standard policy is to put all power in the front shields. Assuming this is the case, you'll most likely pass each other with weakened, yet intact shields.

Attack and Manouvre

Assuming that you're both still in one piece after the first pass, now comes the hard bit. The key to one-on-one starfighter combat is staying behind your enemy, and shooting at them long enough until they're no longer a threat. This will involve using any number of compelex (or simple) flight manouvres to keep the enemy in front of you. Don't forget they will be trying to do the same thing, so it all boils down to who's the better pilot.

Should you find yourself either unable to get behind your enemy, or keep them from getting behind you, then that's when you have to get creative. Dodging and evading are whilst, and you should then check your environment to see if there's anywhere you can lose them. E.g. a nearby asteroid field, a capital ship, a planet etc...

Things to consider are:

• Shields - make sure they're in the right configuration. It's best to have a general spread until needed, i.e. if your enemy does manage to stay behind you.
• Weapons - Keep them hot, keep them charged. It's best to go for a power/longeviity configuration, so you let off several bursts over an extended period of time.
• Keep Moving - unless this is part of some ploy, then never fly in a straight line, keep moving, dodging, evading anything to keep your enemy from getting a lock.

Basic Combat Manouvres

It's all very well saying that you should do this and that, but it's of no use to you unless we give you some ideas as to how. Below are some basic combat manovres you can employ during starfighter combat:

Stalling: This simply involves cutting your engines and drifting slight up/down and to the side. With any luck, your opponent will overshoot you, allowing you to then come up behind them and give your foe a taste of his own medicine.

Barrell Roll: Useful in dodging enemy fire, the barrel roll keeps your fighter in motion and makes it harder to it. This can be combined with a sharp turn or a dive for extra effectivness.

Banking: This involves turning your fighter on its lateral (sideways) axis whilst turning. IT's useful for conducting sharper turns, and is essential when trying to break free of an enemy, or even get behind them.

Climbing/Diving: Less useful if the enemy is directly behind you, diving or climbing will make the enemy's life difficult whilst they're far away, and could help you set up another head on pass.

Obviously there are more tactics you can employ whilst in flight, however these are best left to enthusiasts and experts for now and so these will serve you for your training.

Group Tactics

Very rarely is a pilot left flying on his or her own however. The smallest official operating group in a squadron is a flight of four fighters, which can also be broken down even further into pairs. No matter where you are, and what you are doing, at the very least you should have your wingman with you, if not the rest of your flight.

Starfighter combat changes dramatically with more people, and there are several factors to bear in mind. More pilots means more ships flying about the same space, so be wary of collisions. Also, the fact that you have an extra person with you means you can gang up on single fighters, and take them out quicker.

You can also cover for your wingman, either by keeping enemy fighters at bay, or chasing after someone chasing after your wingman. Again, you can perform any of the manouvres listed above in group combat, and some will even prove more effective with an extra person at hand.

Fighter v Ship Combat

Whilst not preffered, starfighters can engage certain classes of ships without taking too many losses. Naturally, bombers are very suited to this role, and can pound on a ship with ease provided they are given enough cover, and don't stray too close. Even regular starfighters can take on smaller capital ships, however this is where things get a little more tricky.

Some things to remember:

• Never do it solo. In fact don't even think about engaging a capital or sub-capital class vessel without the rest of your flight there. There are always exceptions, naturally, but this should be the general rule.

• Critical system. Since you lack the firepower and longevity of bigger ship, you have to take on your opponent one piece at a time. Going for critical system such as engine, shields etc... will help even the odds. Whilst you could never hope to compeltely destroy anything larger then a corvette or a cruiser, you could still do enough damage to it to knock it out of the fight.

• When in doubt, pull out. You ARE taking on something that has more firepower then your squadron combined. If you don't think it's going to work, pull out! Of course, orders are orders, and if your commanding officer tells you to stay and fight, then that's what you must do. No harm in asking, though.

Here are some ship types you could probably take on as a squadron:

• Carrack-class Cruisers
• Corellien Corvettes
• Patrol Boats
• Strike-class Cruisers
• Star Destroyers* (This will only work if you manage to hit the critical points outlined in star wars lore: Shield Generators & Bridge)
• Non-military vessels