In this chapter of me book on strategy we'll take a more indepth look at the value of the airbases in AH. The reason for is a lot of the time I see people wasting time fighting over a worthless base when a small group is getting clobbered trying to take one of more value.
The most important fields in AH (for the current map) are 1, 9, and 17. These three have an elevation of 5000ft, making them the highest ground in the arena. These fields are also in close proximity to all the strategic targets in thier respective lands.
The next fields are 2, 4, 10, 12, 18, and 20. These fields have an elevation of 3500ft and also have some proximity to roughly half of the strat targets in thier respective lands. I'd also add fields 3, 11, and 19 to this group. Even though they are 0ft elevation fields, they are close to the strategic targets. I'm sure many a pilot could testify about the pain the arse TWC has made of ourselves after capturing 3, 11, or 19 =)
This brings us to the rest of the 0ft elevation fields, 5, 6, 7, 8 in the south, 13, 14, 15, 16 in the west, and 21, 22, 23, 24 in the north. These fields have little value strategically, save as stepping stones to the more valuable fields, and for pushing a reset. The quickest routes to the heart of a land is the fields closest to the center of the map (5, 7, 14, 15, 22, 23). Then leaping from those to the central low fields (3, 11, 19).
Once one of the central low fields is captured, it's a short flight to knock out any of the strat targets. Like taking down the HQ to cover a strike getting ready to attack one of the high ground bases =)
The outer low land fields (6, 8, 13, 16, 21, 24) are relatively worthless. They can be used as stop offs to the 3500ft elevation fields, or even to the central low land fields - but it's a quicker flight from the inner fields.
Been many a time TWC has pushed into one of the central low fields, then launched an all out effort on the city of the land we're invading, flattening it rather quickly. A short rtb flight and we're up again after the HQ, which others are taking bombers to other strat targets.
Blind and cripple a country from the central low land field, which can be done fairly quickly, then launch strikes to take the high ground =)