Serious question: As a member of the training corps, how much time do you spend training on:
Improving bombing accuracy
Defensive gunnery from bombers
How the Strat system works
How to pork an airfield
Object identification
Deacking
Relative strengths/weaknesses of ground vehicles
Ground vehicle combat tactics
Gunning from an Ostwind/Wirbelwind/M-16/field guns vs. aircraft
Ranging from ships guns / shore batteries
Proper divebombing technique
Proper escort technique
Breaking a cap
How to capture a base
If I were a new guy who went to the TA to learn how to do these things better, would I be taught, or kicked to the curb? Because it sure sounds like all you are willing to do is teach people to DA in a 1 v 1 situation, which seems rather limited and limiting given the scope of gameplay available. A little clarification, if you would be so kind.
First, Aces High is first and foremost, a flying game. The Trainer Corps places its emphasis on that.
Nonetheless, trainers have on many occasions been asked to demonstrate basic vehicle operation and gunnery. They do so.
We hold wingman clinics, 3v1 clinics, divebombing clinics, and the like. Rolex holds clinics for those interested in flying bombers as well as his Basic ACM course. We hold CV ops clinics, we teach formation structure and integrity. Fuzeman has written the definitive piece on using 8" guns against ship and shore targets. Check out our website from the link on the Aces High home page. We teach Situational Awareness. We stress individual skills. Individual skills are what makes up the sum of unit of people. As I write this, there is a structured Training Academy under development.
I prefer to teach the Boyd OODA Loop. Observe, Orient, Decide and Act. This simple principle is applicable to anything you may do in AH2, fighters, bombers or vehicles.
Observation: Collection of data by means of the senses.
Orientation: Analysis and synthesis of data to form one's current mental perspective.
Decision: Determination of a course of action based on one's current mental perspective.
Action: Actual playing-out of decisions.
Everyone has an OODA Loop whether or not they realize it. The one who complete his Loop first, usually wins, as the other guy is still reacting to the changing circumstances The goal is to get "inside" the other guy's Loop. This forces them to react rather than to act. This applies not only to fighters (for whom Boyd developed the methodology), but to tanks and bombers as well. Do a Google search on Col. John Boyd.
If asked, we will answer questions about the items you mention that I have not addressed in this post. However, GVs are something we do not stress, nor will they be part of the Training Academy. Again, this is primarily a flying game. GVs are ancillary to that.
If someone contacts the Trainer Corps, or asks a trainer for help with any aspect of the game, they will get help. No one is turned away because of topic.
Does that cover everything?
My regards,
Widewing