helicopter flying tips?

[Major_Rosha]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

btw - W/S keys are NOT up and down - they simulate collective (which is a fancy way of saying engaging the pitch on the blades - or even a simpler way - power)

It seems like up and down - but that is a matter of the physics of the helo

I certainly didn't mean to give that impression. I was saying W is Collective/throttle(power) "Up" and S is collective/throttle(power) "Down" ... and while maintaining a level attitude, W will make you go up and S will make you go down (was just trying to keep it very basic since it is a FPS and not a flight sim and all)

You won't gain any altitude while applying Collective Down (S) while you can certainly lose altitude holding W down and the nose is pointed down :p Also, you won't gain altitude without applying some collective up (W) But yeah, its a fine line and attitude and airspeed are also determining factors...but on the simpliest levels ... if you want to go up, you need to be hitting the W key along with adjusting your attitude to one that allows you to gain altitude thinking of W almost equal to Up and S always = down works does it not?

[BeerStein]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

Pilot view you can see higher than the gunner. The gunner looks down at an angle from your gun sight. If you are trying to get him to shoot a helo - that helo needs to be below your gunsight - otherwise they cannot see him with the hellfire screen.

Think about it this way - if there is a helo in front of me - and my gun sight (as pilot) is level with the bottom of his helo - my gunner's tv will maybe just let him see the wheels of the helo. If he switches to gun - that is another story - he can aim a bit higher - not a lot - but just a bit.

Same with if you see a tank on the ground - if you nose towards it to hit it with your rockets - you have just taken your gunner out of the picture. You either set up your rockets or his Hellfire (IMHO - his hellfire gets priority - if hes a good gunner). I do not fire my rockets or nose in for an attack unless my gunner misses with the hellfire - and it is a them or us scenario for the kill.

Don't forget - as a gunner firing the hellfire - you can steer it in flight. Where ever you click the laser designator - the hellfire will fly that way and hit that target. I can't tell you how many gunners I have had that do not even know they have a secondary weap - let alone that they can steer it. Total frustration.

Clearer?

Oh - as for TopGunGreg's comments on how the helicopter works - kudos. I did not want to get into the 'collective' or the other finer aspects on how the helicopter actually functions. I love flying helicopters, and flying in them. There are some similarities within this game - but alas it is not a sim. I think they did pretty good with this game - at least better than DC. It is a bit more realistic, but also gives decent enough control for rookies to get in and have a chance at flying.

I guess since I have been using a joystick - even since DC to fly helicopters - I have come very proficient with it. I dred the thought of the day my joystick dies.

The forcefeedback is a major help as well. If you are going to purchase a joystick - I highly recommend getting a FF one. Gives you much better feel as to where center is - and when you throw the weight of the chopper off center, it is easier to distinguish when you are going to over compensate.

For me - if I want to hover level - or type - I can just let go of my joystick - and just cover up the eye on it so it autocenters. It will maintain hover for a little before I have to take over - but better than non force feedback style that is very easy to feel centered - but not be.

[Major_Rosha]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

amen amen amen
and for you non-believers
ditto ditto ditto

I probably have less than 20 kills with rockets
but over 500 kill assists when flying atack helo
we are a mobile killing machine
I even HATE to cap flags with attck helo
Not our job!!- we are ANTI - ARMOR
and we hover out of range of AA and keep an eye out for jets - we own the map -

if I ever get in an attack helo with a pilot whose first impulse is to shoot rockets - I type like crazy - USE THE GUNNER in COBRA/HAVOC - if he does not comlpy - I NEVER go back with him again

almost same with BH = we do some capping - but as troops are getting better at defending= we just roam the skys like the spectre in Vietnam

And Amen to all that as well! I hate engaging in Air-to-Air with another Attack Helo ... that is NOT what the Attack Helo is good at doing. I like flying low, using cover, and popping up from behind cover to give my GUNNER the shot. Rockets are for Air to Ground not Air to Air :) I love it when I have a gunner that knows how to gun ... even better when the gunner knows the map and can tell when I am setting him up for shots on the Stinger/IGLA sites and knows where he needs to shoot. I try to keep the Gunner positioned for shots before I resort to rockets myself.

[Tronchaser]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

if I ever get in an attack helo with a pilot whose first impulse is to shoot rockets - I type like crazy - USE THE GUNNER in COBRA/HAVOC - if he does not comlpy - I NEVER go back with him again

Please don't fly with me then. Nothing is more annoying than a gunner who gets whiney because I don't line him up the "perfect shot". My job is to Number 1 - Stay alive. If that means you don't get a shot, then tough tittie.

Although, when I think about it, I probably don't do anything with gunners since I've met very few who can actually hit something with the tv guided missles without taking 30 seconds to do so.


And, what platform did you fly in?

[AngryWatermelon]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

Pilot view you can see higher than the gunner. The gunner looks down at an angle from your gun sight. If you are trying to get him to shoot a helo - that helo needs to be below your gunsight - otherwise they cannot see him with the hellfire screen.

Think about it this way - if there is a helo in front of me - and my gun sight (as pilot) is level with the bottom of his helo - my gunner's tv will maybe just let him see the wheels of the helo. If he switches to gun - that is another story - he can aim a bit higher - not a lot - but just a bit.

Same with if you see a tank on the ground - if you nose towards it to hit it with your rockets - you have just taken your gunner out of the picture. You either set up your rockets or his Hellfire.

Don't forget - as a gunner firing the hellfire - you can steer it in flight. Where ever you click the laser designator - the hellfire will fly that way and hit that target. I can't tell you how many gunners I have had that do not even know they have a secondary weap - let alone that they can steer it. Total frustration.

Clearer?

yep i get the picture :) cool. thanks

[imported_TheDragon]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

salute(s) to:
major rosha and beerstein
excellant posts
vist out clan or clan server anytime

https://www.thecongclan.com

69.1.227.55

check six

dragon

[Major_Rosha]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

Although, when I think about it, I probably don't do anything with gunners since I've met very few who can actually hit something with the tv guided missles without taking 30 seconds to do so.


And, what platform did you fly in?

Methinks this goes back to the "knowing the gunner's field of view" issue :p (but yeah, not a lot of people out there can use the TV Guided to any level of effectiveness) When I switch to TV Guided, sometimes I have to wait on the pilot to actually get me the shot ... because he is too high or too low and I can't even see the target. At least most seem to realize they need to be facing the target for the gunner to even think about taking a shot

[imported_TheDragon]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

Please don't fly with me then. Nothing is more annoying than a gunner who gets whiney because I don't line him up the "perfect shot". My job is to Number 1 - Stay alive. If that means you don't get a shot, then tough tittie.

Although, when I think about it, I probably don't do anything with gunners since I've met very few who can actually hit something with the tv guided missles without taking 30 seconds to do so.


And, what platform did you fly in?

well - first off - I AGREE 100000000000%
in fact my motto in my Clan is
"stay ALIVE - you cannot kill the other guy if you are DEAD ! ! "

my gunner knows this - better to come back from around the hill and try again
and I yell at him for taking "snap shots" -
we do not have to be steady hover - although I do this a lot;
shooting only when flying smooth - gets him about 90% hit rate
we even avoid targets moving across our line of site - I pull back and get him a better angle

my actual jets? - mostly F4 and A4 - USMC

[BeerStein]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

I was not saying be a slow hovering target - the key is smooth flying as TopGunGreg said.

Also - if you go for rockets off the bat - you are giving away your position so much more. The smoke trails give you away. If you are going in for a hide and pop type flight - rockets are not so good.

With the hellfire - if you know your maps - you can fire from WAY off - farther than you can see - and hit your targets.

I had one gunner the other night - that every time we would hit the helipad on the hotel - I would point to the enemy heli spawn - and every single time he would take out 2 people in the helicopter before it would take off. By the time we would fly over there - they would have respawned and we would take them out before they could get off again. If we just were taking off for the first time - he would take out the stinger over there - then we would go in for the chopper - then cover the map taking out the armor. That night I got my highest scores ever - was in the 90's multiple times - 97 being my top score - all as just the pilot. We traded off and on in the beginning - but he was doing much better with the hellfire than I was.

Also - for all those "hotshot" pilots that think they are badass for doing barrel rolls and flips for no reason other than to show off - ppppaaaahhhleeeeaaaase. You are nothing special. Unless you barrel roll or flip for a target of opportunity - I have no need for you.

I tell you what - a good tail stall with a helicopter on your tail is even more effective. To take a line from Top Gun "throw on the brakes and they fly right by."

TopGunGreg thanks for the server info - I will stop by there sometime soon and check it out. I am trying to limit my play time til next week. Trying to cram for MCSE exams. Maybe I should have allowed more than a week to study - lmao. Its all good - I use the stuff every day so it should not be a big deal. Damn I am ready to play with all this talk. Too bad I can't game at work any more - lmao.

[WackBag]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

Major Rosha,
Stop reading these forums and get some work done. But those were good tips and I WILL use them against YOU!

[Tronchaser]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

my actual jets? - mostly F4 and A4 - USMC

Heh, you certainly give away your age with that one. I was in the Navy for 8 years and worked on the S-3A, S-3B, ES-3A platforms.. Not too many A-4's or F-4's around anymore. I can promise you that!

[imported_TheDragon]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

almost 55!
flew in 1971 -1980
son now flys Super Hornets
other son ([C4] Ghost )also a cpl here in BF2

[DrGringo]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

Best advice I've heard, I don't know if anyone's posted it here, but pretend that you're balancing a marble on a book. You start to move it forward you gotta move it back so it doesn't fall off (or crash into the ground).

[AngryWatermelon]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

wow thanks guys, had a great flying session last night.. im able to land perfect now, but having still alittle trouble hovering. the helo seems to keep drifting a lil. so im always trying to balance it out. like the guy above me said, hovering is like balancing a marble. hehe. also, i saw what u guys were talking about now about the "gunner FOV". i took my buddy around in an empty server last night and he was practicing his hellfire's :) on some ground vehicles. thanks for all the help guys!

[harout01]

Re: helicopter flying tips?

The helicopters where much better in Deseart Combat Mod dont you think?