To say there aren't mechanics/armorers at v-bases is just ludicrous. You obviously don't know anything about the military or military operations. Sure, a good crew can service their own rides and often did. Vehicle crews consist of specialists assigned to man a specific station and knew enough to perform basic maintenance. But there were "professionals" at the post that were dedicated to maintenance. Personally I think the way resupplying vehicles in AH is a bit unrealistic but that's the way it is. I mean one minute you're turreted and someone drops supplies and magically your tank is like new again. And you think it's a stretch to get fuel and ammo at a v-base.
No, I don't sell vegetables. According to your logic if I sell a tomato then I own a farm. OK, maybe you're on to something there. I won't be on AH today because I have a tomato to sell. Then I can claim my residence as a farm and qualify for all sorts of subsidies from Uncle Sam.
Military aircraft still divert to this day. Aircraft typically only divert if there is a problem. They only sit as long as it takes to get parts and mechanics to fix it. And that is only the case for places not equipped to handle a problem with that aircraft. Said V-bases would be equipped to handle a gas and go. If you need your flaps fixed, that aint gonna happen. If you need a new rudder, that aint gonna happen. Leaking oil, tough luck. If you need more than fuel and ammo then a large v-base isn't for you. Just as in a race, if your car needs more than gas and tires you might as well drive right by the pit and go straight to the garage cause it aint gonna happen in the pit.
I was in the AF for 21 years. We operate from FOLs all the time. Given a suitable airstrip you can probably setup an FOL. Let's think about this for a minute, what would you need to rearm? Fuel, a large v-base has fuel for vehicles. Is it a stretch to think they could have fuel for aircraft? Ammo, they store ammo for vehicles. Is it a stretch to think they could have ammo for aircraft? Someone to put the fuel and ammo on the aircraft. Is it a stretch to think the same guys that put fuel and ammo on vehicles could also be smart enough to do the same for vehicles with wings? I've participated in many ICTs and believe me, it isn't rocket science (pardon the pun).
A big factor to consider if a pilot can go back into combat is time. If a pilot launches from an airfield and flies four hours to his objective, spends and hour at his objective and another four hours to return to base he's going to be spent. If however, he can refuel and take on more ammo an hour away from the objective he can get back to the fight. For the sake of entertainment, hours consist of minutes in AH and we can fly dozens of sorties. But that doesn't mean that we can't or shouldn't try to simulate the real thing.
Airstrip = airfield. Some Wal-Marts have bays to change oil and tires. Do you think of Wal-Mart as a garage? I don't, I think of it as a department store that can do an oil change. If I need a new motor it aint gonna happen there, I'm going to take it to a garage. But hey, if you're right and I'm wrong I'm going to be a farmer.
Rider
OK. So an A-10 is going to drop down and land next to the 1st Armored division, out of the blue (literally
) and said armored division will have on hand, out of standard procedure, the proper ammunition, bombs, rockets, and fuel to service the A-10?
Same A-10 finds a nice straight length of road and lands and out of the woods pops the armorers and fuelers to service the aircraft. How did they get there? Have they
always been there? If the lands there, unannounced, next Tuesday will they still be there? Were they there two weeks ago?
I think you may get my point.
How many English based fighters or bombers took off from their home fields, fought in combat, then rearmed somewhere in France and went back to fight?
Basically, what you are asking for is an airfield with no town (and no aircraft.)
wrongway
