The qualities of a great AH pilot

[Zerstorer]

Please post what your personal opinion of the qualities that distingish a great cartoon pilot from the average or simply good.   These qualities can include behaviors in additional to technical knowledge or skills.




 

[zack1234]

 

[DmonSlyr]

People who are good at flying, killing, ACM, and use the plane's advantages in more than just one specific airplane.

Pilots who are good at defensive setup maneuvers  when con's are trailing their 6s.

People who say "awesome shot" rather than "BS shot". We all get lucky here and there.

[Zerstorer]

A good sense of humor?

I think that actually does qualify.  

[Zerstorer]

People who are good at flying, killing, ACM, and use the plane's advantages in more than just one specific airplane.

Pilots who are good at defensive setup maneuvers  when con's are trailing their 6s.

People who say "awesome shot" rather than "BS shot". We all get lucky here and there.

In general I agree, tho' the specifics could be fleshed out a bit.

[Coalcat1]

Those who don't HO first merge and are willing to fight regardless of the odds

[Kruel]

In general I agree, tho' the specifics could be fleshed out a bit.

In order of importance to me (first being most important).

- A good marksman (nice flying never killed anyone)
- Good SA (being aware of your surroundings first, empowers you to make the best decision when it comes to BFM/ACM later
- Knowledge of ACM, specifically, judging Energy states, knowing when to press an attack or feign one to create a rope or energy trap(when flying defensively)

Some people are good at one or 2 of these, but when you become proficient at all 3 is when things really start clicking. These people are few and far between. These folks are usually on the offensive, their SA usually keeps them out of trouble and having to fly defensively.

Personality traits:
Confident
Patient
Objective
Disciplined

Side note: Whenever these people die, they don't blame anyone  but themselves.
 HOed ? It takes 2.
 "Picked"? SA failure.
Vulched? Another SA failure.
Ganged? SA/ACM failure

The personality traits I mentioned usually leads to this person to analyze why it is they died on a particular sortie, and correcting THEIR mistakes, instead of expecting others to fly differently in order to accommodate their shortfalls.

[DmonSlyr]

In general I agree, tho' the specifics could be fleshed out a bit.

If you'll go down to the "109 dweeb" thread, in the last post, I kind of explain the defensive maneuvers and how they are important for people who constantly have con's jump on their 6. I could literally write a book about how important defensive counterpunch attacks are. Better than average pilots can set up kill shots by making planes over shoot, they can also use this method to put the planes attacking them into a neutral position in order to work around for the advantage. Takes a lot of skill, timing, stall experience in the plane, using the blackout to the enimies weakness when they are chasing you.

I think people who are good in and fly more than one plane have a better knowledge of the game and prove that they can actually fly more than just one certain style. Flying different planes also allows you to understand a planes weakness better.  Pilots who fly more than one plane typically understand the game, flight model, and ACM better because they are more verse and understand how different styles are important to certain situations in AH. For example if my base is being heavily attacked, I'm not gonna up a P47, I'll up a ki84 or la7 because that what those planes are most useful for in these types of situations.

[Zerstorer]

- A good marksman (nice flying never killed anyone)
- Good SA (being aware of your surroundings first, empowers you to make the best decision when it comes to BFM/ACM later
- Knowledge of ACM, specifically, judging Energy states, knowing when to press an attack or feign one to create a rope or energy trap(when flying defensively)

Some people are good at one or 2 of these, but when you become proficient at all 3 is when things really start clicking. These people are few and far between. These folks are usually on the offensive, their SA usually keeps them out of trouble and having to fly defensively.

Personality traits:
Confident
Patient
Objective
Disciplined

Side note: Whenever these people die, they don't blame anyone but themselves.
 HOed ? It takes 2.
 "Picked"? SA failure.
Vulched? Another SA failure.
Ganged? SA/ACM failure

The personality traits I mentioned usually less to this person analyzing why it is they died on a particular sortie, and correcting THEIR mistakes, instead of expecting others to fly differently.

NOTE: My clarification for what you meant is in red above.

I agree with these qualities and characteristics.  I also commend you on your observations at the end....I think those are critical points some seem to miss.

If you'll go down to the "109 dweeb" thread, in the last post, I kind of explain the defensive maneuvers and how they are important for people who constantly have con's jump on their 6. I could literally write a book about how important defensive counterpunch attacks are. Better than average pilots can set up kill shots by making planes over shoot, they can also use this method to put the planes attacking them into a neutral position in order to work around for the advantage. Takes a lot of skill, timing, stall experience in the plane, using the blackout to the enimies weakness when they are chasing you.

But this assumes a defensive mindset to some degree.   Do you view that mindset as a requirement for the LWMA and if so why?

I think people who are good in and fly more than one plane have a better knowledge of the game and prove that they can actually fly more than just one certain style. Flying different planes also allows you to understand a planes weakness better.  Pilots who fly more than one plane typically understand the game, flight model, and ACM better because they are more verse and understand how different styles are important to certain situations in AH. For example if my base is being heavily attacked, I'm not gonna up a P47, I'll up a ki84 or la7 because that what those planes are most useful for in these types of situations.

Now you have lost me.  If a pilot has a good grasp of ACM, flight model, strengths and weaknesses of each fighter in the planeset, etc....what difference should his plane choice make given the situation you propose?   They are all just variables the pilot is making judgements on based on his experience and ACM knowledge.  Shouldn't a pilot with the qualities you list be able to just take up any plane in the base defense situation and be equally successful?

[TequilaChaser]

I've always thought of a Good AH Pilot ( in fighters being more specific here ) as having the following abilities and specific traits ( and it might sound a lot like Kruel's post with a little bit of DmonSlyr's mixed in )

1st off the Great AH Pilot has very good game etiquette, and can handle friendly ribbing and cross country banner

then in my order:

Exceptional SA ( Situational Awareness ) - one needs this long before they ever even get close to any other opponent
Expert Shooting/Aiming Skills - if you can not shoot and hit, all the BFM knowledge in the world will only last you so long
Excellent Study of BFM then ACM ( ACM is for multiple vs multiple fighting )

Then one thing that is more the norm for the Aces High arena in my experience over the years, is being extremely proficient at Defensive BFM, because most will not engage you unless you actually show them that they falsely have the upper hand ( cast a line & hook and see if they bite - To Fight )

as for the traits: I am going to copy Kruel's but edit one line to my thinking

Personality traits:
Confident
Patiently Aggressive
Objective
Disciplined

and when I am flying and really got my head/thinking into it, I haven't lost that sortie until I am looking out the Tower window.... <--- always been the way I think, I try to always think 3 or 4 steps /points beyond the CURRENT, it has helped me for so long to do this....   SA Overload is what usually gets most of the "great" AH fighter pile-its sent to the tower

YMMV    edit: and NO I am not one of the GREAT ONES

TC

[LilMak]

I'd have to say, more than anything, a good AH pilot has knowledge and experience. When you hone those two skills, it doesn't matter what the plane or situation may be, you can be successful. No matter what you style is, if you don't put yourself in uncomfortable situations occationally you're not going to get better. The best way to get both is to put in the time and/or find someone to teach you.

[Zerstorer]

Then one thing that is more the norm for the Aces High arena in my experience over the years, is being extremely proficient at Defensive BFM, because most will not engage you unless you actually show them that they falsely have the upper hand ( cast a line & hook and see if they bite - To Fight )

I agree with this.  This was what I thought Violator was getting at, but wanted him to expand on it a bit further.

[WWhiskey]

The pilot that calls,"I got this" and fights his own battle,, close second is the pilot that stays out of an obvious one v one or at least asks before getting into it.
Worst is the guy that follows a broken plane to the deck shooting and shooting after someone else has already shot it down, trying to gain the kill message.
As far as the enemy, fight to win, secondly fight to survive,, a great fight followed by a short pursuit is just as good as a fight to the death for both sides, live to fight another day, an enemy that has you killed and let's you go will get more respect than any other player in the game as far as I can tell!. Salute, instead of calling BS, many times I've thought, how the heck, then I remember , I don't know it all, it's just a game and stuff happens!
And Hoing is part of combat, it was one of the most effective parts of WW2 fighter combat, if you show me your not going to  I won't either on the merge, all the rest of it is war!
Just my opinion tho,, it's a fun game.

[Kruel]

NOTE: My clarification for what you meant is in red above.


Now you have lost me.  If a pilot has a good grasp of ACM, flight model, strengths and weaknesses of each fighter in the planeset, etc....what difference should his plane choice make given the situation you propose?   They are all just variables the pilot is making judgements on based on his experience and ACM knowledge.  Shouldn't a pilot with the qualities you list be able to just take up any plane in the base defense situation and be equally successful?

Well, planes are better at certain things than others, the LA7 for example is an excellent base defender, it's ability to get up to speed and climb to a decent altitude quickly makes it so, but a P51 is not, the slow acceleration limits it's ability to get "spooled" up quickly. All things being equal you would have more success in the LA7, in the base defense role than your would in the 51 (I'm assuming we are taking off from the base that is under attack and not one that is a grid away.)

It's not to say you couldn't be successful in the 51, but you would be more so in the LA. For this particular role. It's the same as saying, you would have the same level of success at 25k in an LA vs a 51. It wasn't built for that alt.

Now, I don't think it's necessary to fly different planes to know the strengths and weaknesses of each. You can do that by flying your own planes against them as well. I don't fly the 51, but I do know once it gets slow it takes time to get back up to speed (unless there is room to dive), I can use this to my advantage, I didn't have to fly it to know this.

[LLv34_Dictonius]

A good fighter pilot do not play to the hand of his enemies by playing their game, rules or standards - he fly only to his own advantage.

Despite how much they cry about running, HOing, not fighting the real fight. A really good pilot do not care. He fly, kill, land and do it again.