Author Topic: Friendly in trouble- help or not? (Read 1080 times)

davidpt40 · « **on:** June 12, 2003, 01:34:00 PM »

When you see a friendly aircraft being attacked by an overwhelming number of enemy aircraft, do you (a) engage and go out in a blaze of glory (b) Stay high and fast, engaging if you can pick off a bandit without losing your advantage (c) get the heck out of there.

I usually fly American planes. They are slow climbers, mediocre turners, and slow accelerators. I don't like to spend 10-15 minutes climbing just to get exploded by a steel rain of 20mm shells.

Sometimes I will swoop down to scare off the bandits, or perhaps get a snap-shot. Other times I will watch the ensuing fight from my high perch.

But most of the time by the time I hit check-6, the friendly bish is dead from the fire of the 10-12 knights/rooks.

FlameBoy · « **Reply #1 on:** June 12, 2003, 01:40:13 PM »

Depends, if i have heard of the name i will help, if not, i wont, because the last time i tried to help the friendly ran, and left me to deal with the horde, lol.

bozon · « **Reply #2 on:** June 12, 2003, 01:44:38 PM »

Quote

When you see a friendly aircraft being attacked by an overwhelming number of enemy aircraft

dive in!
no way in hell am i going to let him keep them all to himself - such a selfish behaviour is ruining the MA.

let me have some!
Bozon

bockko · « **Reply #3 on:** June 12, 2003, 01:46:44 PM »

yep, its up to you. if you have 20k and just showed up it probably isnt too wise to burn your e to help a guy on the deck. However, in general, help friendlies whenever you can. If I am in a position to help but am not sure the guys needs/wants help, I ask on voice or type in the range channel to ask. Usually guys say sure but occasionally someone is duking it out to the end and help is not wanted. Be advised either decision you make will at some point be criticized:rolleyes: as in "you stole my kill" or "you left me hung out to dry" or some variation. So use good judgement, if the guy has a clear shot don't cut him off and cause him to blow up with kill shooter, but if you can take out a bad guy, take him out!

edge12674 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 12, 2003, 02:09:49 PM »

I have always prioritized my targets like this:

1) Enemy attacking my squadmate.
2) Enemy attacking my countrymen.
3) Enemy where I have the advantage and good chance to escape.

With that being said, there are still those who dive in and fail to do the math before being committed. I have done this myself (easy to do in a Zero) and do not expect my countrymen to save my butt when I put it on the line foolishly.

Give a six call when you can and IF you can buzz the enemy and shake them off your countrymens tail then the pilot being chased owes you a beer regardless of the outcome!!

Ouch · « **Reply #5 on:** June 12, 2003, 02:53:15 PM »

It depends entirely on the situation.

If the guy blew 10000 feet of altitude advantage to go for a single kill, and ends up under 6 bogies, I'll fly top cover for him, but no way in hell am I going to mix it up to save an idiot. (unless of course he's one of my idiots.)

If it's a friendly who just got worked into a bad situation, (or if I don't know what happened I'll give him the benefit of the doubt) I'll do what I can.

But I do keep a list of 'ungratefull sobs' who I will NOT go to help. Usually these are the guys who, after you clear one of the bad guys off of them, abandon you to the 4 or 5 others without even looking back.

JB73 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 12, 2003, 03:12:11 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by FlameBoy
Depends, if i have heard of the name i will help...

what if the name is "Shane" ???? i do hop just because you have "heard the name" you'r not dropping in!

Monty405 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 12, 2003, 04:17:51 PM »

i usually spam the guy with "check 6" so he cant accuse me in a following whine about not getting any check 6.

Edbert · « **Reply #8 on:** June 12, 2003, 04:40:32 PM »

If the guy is in a 5v1 then I'm sorry. If it is 2 or 3 I usually go in carefully, if there's a sign he intends to work them as a team then I'll stay. But what I hate most is even if trying to clear the 6 of a 1v1 when asked for help (I usually ask if he wants help in the 1st place too) is when I am closing to within firing distance at light speed and the guy breaks flat and hard INTO me!

I usually zoom up and let the stupid SOB die assuming he completed the turn in the first place. I mean, I just burned thousands of feet of alt and turned myself into a target to save the sorry bellybutton of a guy who doesn't even know how to drag-roll...daymn!

WldThing · « **Reply #9 on:** June 12, 2003, 04:50:47 PM »

Engage.... Whether there are 2 on him or 20... Im bound to get one of em in flames, even though i cant remember the last time i killed a con

bockko · « **Reply #10 on:** June 12, 2003, 05:20:51 PM »

Edbert, was that you at a7 last night? we worked a p47 or something if it was and if memory serves me correctly you did a good job of dragging that guy around!

Hornet · « **Reply #11 on:** June 12, 2003, 05:24:38 PM »

get in there and get after 'em

Tumor · « **Reply #12 on:** June 12, 2003, 05:47:10 PM »

All depends if I know who it is and whether or not they know I'm coming to help. I learned a long time ago that 9 out of 10 pilots in trouble got that way because they weren't smart... which usually leads to more not-smart behavior as your trying to bail them out of the not-smart sit they got into in the first place.

ie: You radio that your coming to help. Dork turns and heads straight for you leaving 10 gangbangers ample opportunity to pull HO's. You go up and work into another advantageous position and come in again. Dork turns the bad guys straight at you again.

... happens all the time, but not to me (anymore) lol

Steve · « **Reply #13 on:** June 12, 2003, 06:09:12 PM »

If it seems certain that the friendly is going to die regardless, and my joining will get me killed as well...I'll pass.
If it looks like there is at least a small chance we can weazel out alive, I'll dive in and help.. then listen on ch1 about how I'm nothing but a cherry picker.. blah blah blah.*

Conversely, if I'm getting ganged by the masses and am certain to die, I DO NOT expect anyone to dive in, just to get killed with me. It's nice for people to dive in and scatter the conga line, but if I'm caught turning with a swarm it's my own darned fault. I'm always grateful for the help, and don't care about kill stealing...just please try to avoid killshooting.

*As an example: couple days ago, I dove on a friendly field where exactly 7 knights were vulching 2 or 3 rooks. I got 5 and the vulchees managed to get the remaining 2, as I corralled them on their escape attempt. Soon, ch1 buffer had the comment: "You're nothing without a 5k alt advantage, Steve." Nevermind that the guys were vulching(which means you really don't have any right to complain). I asked him what he would have done, 7 planes in the air against his one..... I could pratically hear the silence as his whines evaporated off the channel.

udet · « **Reply #14 on:** June 12, 2003, 06:13:38 PM »

most likely b. I am a selfish bastard