Ok i've been seeing alot of threads lately about being "good" chopper pilots. They of course bring out people bragging about thier 100-200 point rounds in the BH. There is alot more to flying a chopper than just circling targets in a BH with 3 engineers keeping you repaired.
Here is a list of things an effective pilot needs to learn. They are mostly targeting attack chopper pilots but BH pilots use a subset of them too.
Flight
Maneuvering the helicoptor.
Basic - level flight, landing, hovering, forward motion
Advanced
Maneuving the helicoptor so both gunner and yourself can hit targets.
Being able to hit and destroy your target with as few a shots as possible.
Moving the chopper from location to location quickly and safely.
A pilot needs to learn to communicate with his gunner. I can't stress the importance of this enough. Every pilot should have VOIP to make communcation easy. VOIP lets you identify intended targets so that on a single strafing run both gunner and pilot can take out a target.
Know Your Choppers
Each chopper handles differently. A pilot will need to learn what each is capable of if they intend to fly them. The most notable difference is between the SF choppers and the original BF2 choppers. They fly more like a blackhawk than an attack chopper.
An attack chopper is not made for capturing.
Seriously folks, let your ground forces do it. You may go cap when your team has no flags left, but you're supposed to be suppressing the entire enemy armor together with with your jets. You will be of more use if you make sure no chopper, APC, tank, car gets near your friends than when you endanger yourself while trying to cap that flag.
Edit: added a few things i forgot and some other people mentioned
Here is a list of things an effective pilot needs to learn. They are mostly targeting attack chopper pilots but BH pilots use a subset of them too.
Flight
Maneuvering the helicoptor.
Basic - level flight, landing, hovering, forward motion
Advanced
- Sideways flying - You can fly just almost as fast sideways as you can forward. This allows you to keep the target(s) in front of you while moving for a better shot or to avoid a threat.
- Rotational Speed - The speed at which a chopper rotates in both directions is affected by the torque of the main rotor in different ways. A pilot needs to learn how to adjust the torque to quickly turn. Angle of the chopper also affects rotational speed.
- Circling a target with nose facing target - advanced form of sideways flying, gives gunner a constant view of target. circling allows him to hit people running behind buildings.
- Transtion from forward to sideways flight - Flying forwards is usually recommended so you don't crash into things. A pilot should learn to transtion to sideways flight while maintaining airspeed.
- Barrel rolls - flipping over and not asploding or losing your lunch.
Maneuving the helicoptor so both gunner and yourself can hit targets.
- Gunner targeting - The gunner is the most powerful weapon of the chopper, you need to know the angle at which his weapons points so you can give him good shots. Attack chopper pilots also needs to learn to use the gunner view indicator to determine which direction the gunner is looking.
- Strafing - Swooping down on a target to shoot at it. This includes avoiding obstacles that might be in the way or be near the target and avoiding incoming fire. Often you target will be near buildings so you will need to learn to shoot quick and then avoid whatever is behind the target.
- Threat avoidance - You will get shot at so you need to know how to avoid getting shot down. This includes using flares and evasive maneuvers to avoid AA rockets and guns. A pilot should learn to use buildings and other objects for cover.
- Chopper Dogfight - Choppers frequently fight eachother in a literally explosive ****ing match. A pilot needs to learn how to get the advantage in altitude and position, and conversely how to deal when you don't have it. You also need to learn how to keep track of where the other chopper is now and where he will be.
- Covering Troops - Ground troops should be doing the flag capturing and defending and you are their best defense against vehicles and other troops. Taking out them before they have a chance to kill your teammates means a better chance at winning the round. Just be careful not to hit your own team
- Repair at 40% health (or earlier). I hate gunning for pilots who insist on shooting infantry with their rockets while we're getting the **** kicked out of us by a far-away PGZ or Linebacker. Just dive for cover, stay low and fast so you're safe from stingers and jets and have your gunner check your six. The gunner should remember where any possible missile trails come from, so he can pick off the AA with his rockets from outside the danger zone after you've repaired.
Being able to hit and destroy your target with as few a shots as possible.
- Pilot's shot or Gunner's - A Pilot needs to learn when to fire at the target. A gunner can take out most targets quicker than the pilot's rockets. This is especially true with infantry which should almost always be taken out by the gunner. Conserving your ammo for when you really need it will make a huge difference
- Target Priority - You need to be able to quickly select targets that are the most threat or quickest for you to take out. Generally AA and Choppers are the first targets. Priority is very situational. If you have 2 targets and you can avoid one by using a building it buys you time to deal with the threats one at a time. If one target is already damaged it will take less rockets to kill.
- Leading Shots - A Pilot needs to learn how to lead his shots in 3 dimensions. You have to compensate not only for the choppers speed and angle, but also the movement of the target.
- How Wide Do The Rockets Fire - Each chopper has the rockets placed in a different position. A pilot needs to learn what this distance is to avoid firing 14 rockets right past either side of the target.
- Attack from afar. Your chopper's weaponry is excellent for long range attacks (as of before the upcoming nerf). Make use of that - take out as many things while you're safe. Especially if you are not yet as proficiant a pilot, it's important to keep out of trouble in the first place. Once you got some experience, you can dance around enemy convoys or groups of infantry while picking them off one at a time, sure, no problem. But until you can, stay far.
Moving the chopper from location to location quickly and safely.
- Map Layout - knowing the layout of a map is crucial. You need to know where the buildings/mountains, AA, helipads are. You need to know how you can get everywhere, where the threats usually are, and what cover you will have.
- Mini-Map - using minimap lets you identify targets including thier location and direction way before you can see them. A pilot should use this not only to navigate his way to the target but also to approach it from a direction that will allow a good shot at it before they see you.
- Smoke Trails, Tracers, and Muzzle Flashes - Lead you right to AA and other targets. Just be ready to flare or move quickly to avoid getting hit.
A pilot needs to learn to communicate with his gunner. I can't stress the importance of this enough. Every pilot should have VOIP to make communcation easy. VOIP lets you identify intended targets so that on a single strafing run both gunner and pilot can take out a target.
Know Your Choppers
Each chopper handles differently. A pilot will need to learn what each is capable of if they intend to fly them. The most notable difference is between the SF choppers and the original BF2 choppers. They fly more like a blackhawk than an attack chopper.
An attack chopper is not made for capturing.
Seriously folks, let your ground forces do it. You may go cap when your team has no flags left, but you're supposed to be suppressing the entire enemy armor together with with your jets. You will be of more use if you make sure no chopper, APC, tank, car gets near your friends than when you endanger yourself while trying to cap that flag.
Edit: added a few things i forgot and some other people mentioned
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