How High?

[Slade]

Hello,

Some folks feel compelled to be at 25k before engaging in ACM.  Others zip in from 4k.  There are special situations where differing altitudes are appropriate of course.

In the context of your average ACM engagement in AH, at what altitude do you tend to level off at and engage ACM from and why?


Thanks for your comments,

Slade 

[BuckShot]

7k agl to 10k to stay out of base Ack, and because I'm too impatient to climb higher.

If I can dodge the first few passes from  a high alt plane, I feel that I can even the odds.

[scott66]

For me about 5k but it always ends up on the deck and me in the tower

[Wiley]

Depends on the situation.  If I know high alt buff types are in the area, I climb up to them.  If I know a base is getting swarmed by a bunch of low alt stuff, I come in around 7-10k or so quite often.  The longer I am in the air unmolested, the higher I get.  Can't remember who said it originally, but it's kind of true that if you're flying and not climbing, you're wasting time by not storing energy.  Doesn't have to be much.  If I want to get to the big red bardar faster, I'm quite often only climbing 500-1000fpm, but just constantly banking that E, no matter how little at a time.

Wiley.

[Oldman731]

In the context of your average ACM engagement in AH, at what altitude do you tend to level off at and engage ACM from and why?

5k.  A hold-over from AW, where 5k seemed to be the standard height you grabbed before entering a fight.

Never did figure out why that was.

- oldman

[SPKmes]

What ever height I manage to get to before encountering a red guy/s.... due to my fascination to defend...not very hahaha

Usual height is 10k that I will level off if undisturbed on a climb out

[Latrobe]

If I'm being lazy, I'll come in at 2K or less. If I feel like flying a bit more smart then I'll come in at 6-10K. If I want to mess with the P-51s and 190s at 25K then I'll climb up to their alt and just spend the sortie pushing them all down low and into the furball. 

[Xavier]

9K-12K, the latter when possible. That gives me some alt to get they typical 14K bombers staying under the wind, and when I get to the enemy base I can burn some E and drop to 5K to join the furball. 30K when I'm waiting for a dirty radar-dodging red dot headed for our strats.

But nothing beats the fun of dodging trees and flying through hangars at 20ft and 360mph. It's better than landing a sortie! 

[Coalcat1]

45k  but i realy prefer around 10 to 15k so i can have some alt to work with

[uptown]

I am not at the liberty to discuss classified information nor do you have the proper security clearance for said intelligence.  

[Schen]

I tend to ussually level at 7k to 9.5k due to most of the reasons above.

[BnZs]

There is no point to having 10K on a given bandit. Therefore height is rationally based on the best guess of where the bandits will b

I have taken a P-47N with full fuel and drops as high as it will go and let her cruise around on autopilot in the MA while I did housework or something, just to see if anyone would come up there  

[asterix]

Usually 20k, because it isn`t too high to see the icons of the enemies below unless they are flying very low. If high bombers are ib, then I don`t need to climb and chase them for too long. Good altitude for lone hunting, less chance of being ganged.

[Muzzy]

Above you.

[Mongoose]

  A lot depends on what tactical situation I am headed in to.  Most often, I level out between 10 and 12K.  In most cases I can get to that alt in my P38, heavy or light, and have a little time to look around for targets.