SA: Whose responsibility is it?

[Waystin2]

I was thinking about the amount of folks ingame and yes a few Pigs as well that get upset when an unseen con jumps them. I will put it out there that SA around your aircraft is absolutely the individual pilots responsibility. You need to be looking around your cockpit at all times like a nervous mouse at a cat convention. Having the Pigs around you is a second layer of defense and eyes, but in the end it is you that needs to keep up with what is going on around your aircraft. We all need to take the time to toss sixes, clear sixes, but more importantly call out cons as they enter our operations area. Keep it simple and informative like: Pony at 10,000 feet from the northwest. It is enough that if someone needs additional info they can ask. What are the Pigs thoughts?



Way

[Ardy123]

I was thinking about the amount of folks ingame and yes a few Pigs as well that get upset when an unseen con jumps them. I will put it out there that SA around your aircraft is absolutely the individual pilots responsibility. You need to be looking around your cockpit at all times like a nervous mouse at a cat convention. Having the Pigs around you is a second layer of defense and eyes, but in the end it is you that needs to keep up with what is going on around your aircraft. We all need to take the time to toss sixes, clear sixes, but more importantly call out cons as they enter our operations area. Keep it simple and informative like: Pony at 10,000 feet from the northwest. It is enough that if someone needs additional info they can ask. What are the Pigs thoughts?



Way

Its always the pilots responsibility, not your friends. Sadly, there is a human limitation to the number of items at one time you brain can track, (its about 7). For most its much less, in AH anything over 3 begins to feel overwhelming because you have to also determine what their next move is by looking for clues in their moves, forcing you to look longer.

Here is a crazy video of me getting ganged, I was beyond my limit in terms of SA, but hopefully its helpful...

http://dasmuppets.com/public/Ardy123...garbageAim.ahf

[Waystin2]

I was talking to Changeup about this today. I was saying that I do not know how others do it, but I keep everything in an imaginary HUD in my head: I fix positions and tracks on Pigs, enemy cons, field positions, my compass orientation, etc. and constantly strive to update it. Yes it gets hectic, but I sure as hell do not get picked very often. Gotta go take my Ritalin now...

[Cheese]

+1...It's really hard to track all cons in the major furballs. Plus, even if you do die, you get a free plane!

[Ardy123]

If you have the ammo, the best thing to do is to get in there and don't be timid and run. The more you jump into hellish clouds of red, the better your SA will get. If you hide amongst your friends then it will never improve. Like everything else, practice makes perfect.

[HamHawk]

Whats sa? pd2191363.jpg What bad guys? I can snap look and remember positions as for thier next move I dont know enough ACM yet to judge that and often am too aggressive for my own good..but getting in a tough spot is a good way too learn seeing as I get a new plane and get to try again.

[UrSelf]

My SA is ok it could use some work, the only time i seem to get picked from my 6 is climbing down to help someone else, then i get killed while clearing there 6 while they fly home all safe and cozy, this is after i get yelled at to come save them. theres right times and wrong times to dive in and save a person, next time i'll think alittle harder about saving such person.

[Waystin2]

I did not want to go past my observation but folks have brought up a few things that I have got to get my self heard on.

1) Deciding not to dive in to more than one enemy con and fight it out is not timid, it is a SA decision with the following in mind: I want to get those two or more planes into a compromised situation where I and/or my squaddies can kill them. I am in it for the fight, but if it is short and a Pig gets a kill, it's good enough for me. I have flown now for over 4+ years and the thrill of the game is much different now that it used to be. A great 1 vs 1 fight cannot be expected everytime, but when it occurs enjoy it.

2) I have begun taking much less care of green guys, and focusing more on Pigs when in heavy action. I will NEVER hesitate to dive in for a fellow Pig. It is that promise that keeps us tight in the air. Some of us fly high, some us fly low, but we all fly as a pack. Period.

[UrSelf]

well i know when i'm around the Pigs i fly alot more aggresive because i know ever Pig will have my back to some extent, i'm not asking anyone to die for me it's just a plane and there free, but one thing about the Pigs is that they will Fly into the shit to try and save you if not save your ass.

Hats off to Changup last night, he was out of ammo , low fuel, i was behind him some with the same thing low ammo no fuel we both realized it was time to beat feet home, then i get jumped from behind i dunno maybe 3 or 4 can't remember, point is once i called them on me Changeup said " comming back to ya " i knew he was outa ammo no fuel so i just said "naw it's cool head home" he goes your a Pig we dont leave Pigs behind, we fought it out till the end.

Waystin i like flying around your wing, you do a great job of driving down and working an oppenant into submission all the time calling out other bogies or your intensions ( banking up, diving down popping back up ) things like that and it gets me doing the same thing which greatly improves my SA sense im more aware, the years with the 68th we have only a few real fighter sticks Raptor, hawk, RacerX, Lu, hobo, Spade and myself we did most of the fighter only roles or Hvy Jabo's the others did the bomber roles with great sucess, but we didnt comunicate as well as the Pigs do while Dogfighting so i'm still learning that part and will try to do better, i will say i'll dive in to save any Pig even if death results from it, I Leave No Swine Brutha Behind

[Ardy123]

My SA is ok it could use some work, the only time i seem to get picked from my 6 is climbing down to help someone else, then i get killed while clearing there 6 while they fly home all safe and cozy, this is after i get yelled at to come save them. theres right times and wrong times to dive in and save a person, next time i'll think alittle harder about saving such person.

Never a wrong time to save a person if he asks for it. We all have unlimited lives and planes.

If one is to learn, one is to throw caution into the wind at times. Otherwise one just learns how to avoid unfavorable situation.

The truth is we don't play and fight like 'real' pilots as we don't have any risk. Read any ww2 combat memoir, and you will soon see that all their behavior would be considered dweeby in our books. AKA, running to friendlies, avoiding combat unless an advantage is available, etc...

...And for good reason, but our lack of risk is liberating, enabling us to learn in ways that no real pilot would ever dare too, also enabling us to learn our planes better than real pilots.

This relates to SA in that we can afford to teleport to the tower and thus afford to work on our SA. Never should one get pissed at others for failing to give a check-6 etc...