What do you do?

[SD67]

  Shoot the friendly...it sounds too dangerous to hang around there anyways.

That's standard GIAP procedure for FSO!

[dedalos]

In the furball lake, I was in a 1C and flew over 5 bud guys chasing a friendly.  Rolled over and started with the trailing con.  Do you think anyone warned any body or that anyone tried to break after tracers started flying all around them?  4 went down and the fifth got hurt.

The point is, you have to go for the one closest to your body because in this game all that matters is the one kill.  People will not break off in fear that the other friendly will get 'their' kill 

[CAP1]

This is a situation I've seen and been in once or twice, and was curious on what other people's opinions are for their course of action.

Scenario:

You're cruising along at altitude on the way to a fight, when suddenly you see below you a friendly being chased by two bad guys. The enemy fighters are outside of gun range but closing slowly, and are flying as a wing-pair (within D100-200 of each other), with one leading and the other trailing behind and off to one side to keep his own line of fire clear. There are no other cons in the vicinity, friendly or hostile. Let's say you're within a friendly dar circle and you can confirm there's no enemy lurking outside visual range. You happen to be flying without tracers turned on.

You radio the friendly you see him, and to continue pulling the bad guys out straight, then after neatly maneuvering for position roll in (so no, this is NOT a "Do I help my buddy?" morality call). You carefully manage your speed to ensure you close into gun range before the enemy can do the same to your friend, without overtaking them too quickly to get a good shot. You settle in behind them and watch the range counter click down. They're completely fixated and don't see you coming. Your finger is on the trigger and the counter on the trailing bandit hits your convergence range, however you still have a clear shot at BOTH targets.

Question:

Which do you shoot first?

A) Trailing Con - If you hit him solid enough and even get a pilot kill you may be able to knock him out before he can even warn his lead plane that he's been hit. You'll also have more time to take aim on the leader. The downside is, if the leader has been able to close into gun range on your friendly you may not have time to hit him before he can open up on his own target.

B) Leading Con - He's closest to the friendly and in the best position to fire. Additionally, if the wingman has his leader in view you'd have the twisted satisfaction of scaring the HELL out of him as his boss suddenly bursts into flames and making him realize that they've just screwed up very, VERY badly. However you would then have less time to correct your aim for the trailing bandit, and he may be able to break, out of your line of fire and make you work a little harder for the second kill.

i go for the wingman first, as he'll be missing parts efore he can do anything...and he'll be busy tryng to get out of my guns,so he won't take the time to warn the flight lead. i fly with tracers on, and most likely the flight lead will see them, and either turn off target or his intended victem will now turn back into the fight.

[shreck]

Question:

Which do you shoot first?

A) Trailing Con - If you hit him solid enough and even get a pilot kill you may be able to knock him out before he can even warn his lead plane that he's been hit. You'll also have more time to take aim on the leader. The downside is, if the leader has been able to close into gun range on your friendly you may not have time to hit him before he can open up on his own target.

B) Leading Con - He's closest to the friendly and in the best position to fire. Additionally, if the wingman has his leader in view you'd have the twisted satisfaction of scaring the HELL out of him as his boss suddenly bursts into flames and making him realize that they've just screwed up very, VERY badly. However you would then have less time to correct your aim for the trailing bandit, and he may be able to break, out of your line of fire and make you work a little harder for the second kill.

Tell friendly to break hard and enter into a nice little 2v2 

[ImADot]

Your finger is on the trigger and the counter on the trailing bandit hits your convergence range, however you still have a clear shot at BOTH targets.

Question:

Which do you shoot first?

You answered your own question.  The trailing bandit is in your convergence range...kill him.  Stay in contact with your countryman to let him know your intentions. As you open up on the trailing con, radio for your countryman to break whichever way will pull the con leader into a favorable guns solution for you, and kill him too.  Then follow your countryman to the nearest O'Club and have him buy you a tasty beverage of your choice for pulling his bacon out of the fire.

[Soulyss]

I try to factor in several variables, but my gut reaction based on the information provided in the scenario above would be to shoot the trailer first (and knowing my aim probably miss horribly).  A couple factors that I could potentially change that decision, but that would be my likely course of action based on the information at hand.  Bypassing the wing to shoot the lead would put my right in front of his guns, even with a substantial speed advantage would give likely give him a shot. 

Shoot the wing and the lead breaks means you've still accomplished what you set out to do, clear the friendly.  Shoot the wing and the leader does nothing still leaves you with a chance to score a double play if you set up the right angle on your gunnery pass. 

[MotorOil1]

Han Solo shot the wingman in Star Wars and look how that turned out!  You should check it out, good movie.

If the guys are that close to one another you can have them both down in a couple seconds.  Just hold that trigger down.

[Saxman]

Interesting perspectives. Personally, when I've been in the situation I've gone for the wing just because he's usually the cleanest shot to line up.

However I noticed several of you assumed that bypassing the wingman to fire on the lead would put you in the wingman's sights. May want to review your situational awareness.

As stated above: the wingman and lead are flying rather close together (between D100-200 of each other, however there's separation both front to back AND side to side: The wingman's line of fire is clear so this is not a conga line, meaning healthy left/right separation so his guns are clear if he has a shot. The trailer may be no more than 50-100 yards back of his leader, possibly even as little as 25). Unless your convergence is set absurdly short, (100yds) even if you wait a moment for the lead to pull into convergence both contacts will still be ahead of you.

[CAP1]

Interesting perspectives. Personally, when I've been in the situation I've gone for the wing just because he's usually the cleanest shot to line up.

However I noticed several of you assumed that bypassing the wingman to fire on the lead would put you in the wingman's sights. May want to review your situational awareness.

As stated above: the wingman and lead are flying rather close together (between D100-200 of each other, however there's separation both front to back AND side to side: The wingman's line of fire is clear so this is not a conga line, meaning healthy left/right separation so his guns are clear if he has a shot. The trailer may be no more than 50-100 yards back of his leader, possibly even as little as 25). Unless your convergence is set absurdly short, (100yds) even if you wait a moment for the lead to pull into convergence both contacts will still be ahead of you.

unless i intrepreted it wrong, i would also be in guns range before they were in range of the friendly. for this reason, again, i go for the guy closer to me first. if the other guy is so intent on the friendly con, then i go for him. usually, i see the lead guy pull up, or turn opposite of where his wingman was. if he does that, i just climb back up and see what he does........but the friendly is clear either way.....

it was actually a very good question, and very interesting to read the replies......WTG

<<S>>

[VonMessa]

Line up in such a fashion that if you do not kill outright, the wingman, and he happens to break, you can still be at angles to make a good shot on the wing lead without blowing your own E.

Chances are the guy getting chased has already traded all his E for speed, and helping clear him just might be the little bit that turns the tables.

[Steve]

Interesting perspectives. Personally, when I've been in the situation I've gone for the wing just because he's usually the cleanest shot to line up.

However I noticed several of you assumed that bypassing the wingman to fire on the lead would put you in the wingman's sights. May want to review your situational awareness.

As stated above: the wingman and lead are flying rather close together (between D100-200 of each other, however there's separation both front to back AND side to side:

Yup, and thus you fire on the plane capable of going the fastest, unless there is a current disparity in the speeds.

[SlapShot]

Typically I would drop on the trailing guy.

9 times out of 10, once you fire at the trailing guy, he will scream out to his buddy and both will break off the attack.

When firing at the trailing guy, go for a non-maneuverable kill ... If you kill him fine ... if not, then carry on to the lead guy.

If you don't kill the trailing guy and he breaks off ... that's fine too ... carry on to the lead guy until you kill him or he breaks.

Now ... hopefully the guy you just saved, will stick around and help with any of remaining bad guys ... if there are any.

Can't tell you how many times this scenario has happened and the guy I just saved continues on his run for home.

[Dichotomy]

What if the 'friendly' is someone who has picked a couple of kills from you recently or has picked you several times when he was playing for another country? 

[BillyD]

Tail end charlie. Target fixation is a dirty dirty thang....I like to fire some short bursts even before convergence to try to break the leader. Tracers have quite an effect unless the guy is totally TF. Obviously try to be like Delirium and kill them both if you can... along with half their air force too

[CAP1]

What if the 'friendly' is someone who has picked a couple of kills from you recently or has picked you several times when he was playing for another country? 

i can only think of 2 that i wouldn't help.....one's a lw and mw flyer, and the other mostly hangs in ew.........