Ghosth is exactly correct. He's one of AH's "old sages" and has forgotten more about this game than most of us will ever know.
It’s all about situational awareness. You absolutely MUST know where every potential threat is at all times. Moreover, you need to determine their E state as well. Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING is more important in this game than SA. Good SA will keep you out of trouble your skills cannot extract you from. That's how it works for me. I don’t care if you are flying an F-16, if your SA is miserable, eventually, you will be shot down. Not only should you be constantly looking around accessing threats, but you should check the radar every two or three minutes to determine future threats as well.
I have three basic rules I fly by. Speed, Altitude and Stealth. Whenever possible, I will enter a fight with all three to my credit, regardless of what I am flying.
Consequently, I have shot down well over 200 enemy fighters and bombers this tour, yet I have not lost a single fighter to enemy fighters, and only one or two to enemy bombers.
I am anything but an exceptional pilot. Therefore, if I can do this, anyone can. It really is about situational awareness and developing tactics that work for the type of aircraft you are flying at the moment. We read all the discussions about who has the greatest dogfighting skills. However, if you develop top-notch SA skills and tactics, and fly to the strengths of your aircraft, those highly skilled furballers become far less of a threat. Think of it this way, let them worry about you, rather than you worry about them. I'm seriously considering flying the P-40B exclusively next tour, just to prove this point: While the aircraft is a big factor, SA and tactics are the keys to success.
Another point: I can’t emphasize this enough, FLY CONSERVATIVELY, ATTACK AGGRESSIVELY. Seek and acquire every possible advantage, then use your advantage to attack with maximum aggression. Any hesitation once committed can be deadly to you. However, do not confuse aggression with recklessness. They are very different.
If you find yourself lower and slower than the enemy, you have not adequately assessed the situation prior to engaging, or you have accepted the tactical disadvantage intentionally. If the latter is the case, you will have to rely upon your ACM skills to be successful, or just simply to survive. If you don’t have that level of skill, then avoid those circumstances. However, if it is a situation that you suddenly find yourself in, you need to work on your SA a bit. But that's ok, this is the baseline you start from.
Ultimately, surviving in the MA, if indeed this is important to you, boils down to SA and tactics.
You are welcome to fly with the =Ghosts= in the MA (we fly with the Rooks) anytime you wish. Or, you can join any number of outstanding squadrons who take pride in training new pilots. Remember, today's newby is often tomorrow's hot stick.
My regards,
Widewing
