fighter pilots tactics

[Glitechnia]

I'm sure most of the players here have great experience in flight and space sims and consider themselves very capable pilots. However I would like to do a sort of show and tell of tried and true fighter techniques that I guarantee will win you knife fights if anyone is interested I would like to share some of the best engagement tactics I have picked up.

[Tealstone]

I don't mess with knives... I'm a certified pistol instructor and have competed in IPSC/USPSA for a few years. I'll stick with my Springfield XD.

[Glitechnia]

I don't doubt it. But I can't tell if your joking, so for anyone who doesn't know a knife fight is a close quarters dogfight between fighter pilots

[JayneCobb]

Unfortunately, most fighter pilot maneuvers rely on air resistance and gravity to work effectively. Those maneuvers won't work in SC due to the newtonian physics model.

[Glitechnia]

that's true but i was not talking about airplane maneuvers, but the tactics used by squadrons carriers and pilots that are totally applicable in space.

[JayneCobb]

You should probably post it in HA forum then.

[WarMongrel]

Go on, post away anything that may be useful should get voiced. You won't be destroyed if its not groundbreaking/super-insightful as we are a nice bunch of people. Well some of us are.

P.s. I have never heard of it being called a knife fight. I thought you were thinking of going a bit postal and leading one man boarding parties only wielding knives.

[Glitechnia]

This tactic is called the Thatch weave and was developed to help pilots of inferior fighters hold their own against superior fighters specifically supermaneuverable.

It is executed either by two fighters side-by-side or two pairs of fighters flying together. This technique is good for attack or defence. http://i39.tinypic.com/517aqe.jpg

So we have two fighters lets say hornets flying side by side with maneuvering room(maneuvering room= turn radius of ship) in between. The are jumped by scythes who were hiding in the asteroids waiting for them to pass. Both hornets start cutting towards each other forming a <. This way if either hornet has a scythe they cant shake lose on their tail they still have a chance. So fighter A on right has a hostile on his tail FIG2. A and B now begin to cut towards each other and scissor. If scythe decides to follow either he opens himself up to side attack from the wing man who is cutting across. A is chased and B takes the shot. FIG3. Both complete the scissor with an enemy on A's tail. If the scythe continues attack, A cuts toward B like he is performing the scissor, but B slows and allows A to shoot on ahead. A's scythe can either follow A and allow B to rake him or break off and allow B to jump on his tail FIG4.
If the hornets are chasing any number of targets they still apply the scissoring maneuverable behind the target whichever way the more agile fighter turns the other wingman will have him. Scythe begins crazy turn the neither hornet can match. Hornets initiate scissor. Either way the scythe turns one hornet will able to match him at any angle.

[Avalean]

Before you start tacticals you have already lost the battle if the people do not know, understand and can follow proper radio and call communications.
I already have sent the guild leader a full class one basics for radio communications, flight positions and basic tactics.
We are even now using these in freelancer game to practice with.
I also have sent him a basic format for other related courses concerning tactics, wing formations in Squad, fire team and Wingman formations, Carrier directional commands, tactical over lap commands, and use of 2 and 3 dimensional wing formations for 2, 4, 6, and higher squad groups.
I also have basic course in mind for convoy formation, over flight convoy protection, overlapping fire mathematics and other related info.

Again, if you want to contribute then feel free to come along, we are currently playing Freelancer to hone up our piloting and team skills.
ALSO Get with "T" on the classes. One thing we do not want to do is be training people in more than one type of communications and wingman sets. Will only cause confusion and losses in the end.

See Freelancer thread in General discussions for more.
Avalean

[WarMongrel]

See, only some of us are nice people before we start fully getting involved in all that's said above this needs some direction from top down, so that we can be sure that we aren't doing things in ways that are not agreed on, or even known about by the CoC. I agree that we need to look at the basics already but the format for basics such as voice procedure, basic formations, target indications, fire control orders, navigational commands and lingo, convoy procedures, escort ttps etc etc. Although this is getting quite in depth and detailed and I've not even gone onto ambushes (both deliberate and snap), deliberate and hasty attacks, mobile and area defence, the intelligence cycle,patrolling blah blah blah.

I think two things are important now:

1. KISS - comms and very basic scrapping. No need to practice complicated manoeuvres above flight level (2 ships).
2. Direction from CoC on what is important to focus on and how, so we have uniformity and understanding across the corp. If this is nothing until the dogfighting module, then can I ask that this is a conscious decision after a guild/department leaders discussion?

Or is this already happening?