Transport heli protocol

[rampo]

Hi, Im interested about how you act in transheli tactics and other vital stuff for effective troop transport. First i would like to tell you about my ways to operate in transport heli squads, you can use the displaying style as an example if you wish to post in your own tactics.

1.Wait for any calls for transport/supply drop, in the heli pad.

2.Check the LZ by asking the player that requested the heli in team chat, ask the commander or by my previous experience of the area.

3.Inform the transportee the exact landing zone/pick up location in coordinates that include more specific info of the area (for example:B5kp6 north of the T-building)

4.Ask the squad leader to mark the area on the map

5.Ask the transportee to mark the area whit smoke if possible

6.In case of possible lock on missiles i fly in from a planned direction fast while dropping flares to distract the AA (in case of triple-A, APC's or 50.cal HMG's i don't go at all)

7.Land as quickly as possible and get out of the area while letting a co-pilot ask for a drop-off location in case the transportees didn't mention it earlier

8.Drop the squad just like i would pick up a squad and head bak to main.

Please post in you'r own ways of transport piloting

[Mad-Mike]

Very good info^
If im squad leader and im asking for a heli lift, I look on map and see when theyre coming to my location, I get the nice purple smoke out a few mins before he reaches me. So he can see my exact location, So the pick up is fast and safe!

[RedSparrow]

When available, I prefer to fly in pairs so that there are back up flares close at hand. Normally I'll say the lead pops the flares inbound and then the follow-up to pop flares outbound if it's hot AA territory. But when flying behind someone, try not to follow right behind, fly off to the side if you're in close formation, just incase they slow down without you realising or if they blow up unexpectedly.

When I'm following I like to keep to the right most of the time and try to keep the lead chopper in view on the left side of my screen at all times so I can take visual cues as to what direction we are taking.

[waldo_ii]

I know you are asking about how you do things from the pilot's perspective, but if you want to hear/see some instructions from the grunt point of view....

[Sidewinder Zulu]

If you get a missile lock and you are out of flares, pull your joystick (or mouse) all the way to the left or right in a roll, and then back again in a circle to perform a barrel-roll.

I know from experience that this is a fairly effective way to dodge most AA missiles, since they will shoot past your helicopter while it is inverted.
I've even had the missile lock break for a moment when I did a roll while dropping flares.

You should only attempt a barrel roll as a last resort, and only if:

A. You have little/no flares remaining

B. You are at least 100-200 meters off the ground

C. Your rudder is not disabled from a previous missile impact.

This doesn't always work, but it has saved my helicopter on several occaisons where I almost certainly would have died otherwise.

Hope this helps!

(and don't do a barrel roll just to show off, it's kind of immature and you will look like an idiot if you crash by accident )

[hiberNative]

I know you are asking about how you do things from the pilot's perspective, but if you want to hear/see some instructions from the grunt point of view...

dunno why you said that experienced pilots never operate in rugged terrain. i drop and pick people up in slopes all the time by hovering and i can't remember the last time i lost control and crashed. just keep tapping W quite rapidly.
i think it's important that pilots don't always plow into the ground like that.

i actually prefer to hover over plain surfaces too. i don't trust the collision mechs in the game and i've seen people flip choppers from getting stuck in the ground.

[mat552]

The flipside to hovering over rough terrain is when you drift sideways and maul the whole squad you were supposed to be dropping off. Plowing into the ground and gently landing on a tough spot are two different things.

[hiberNative]

when you drift sideways

i don't drift sideways, and if i would it wouldn't be at speeds to kill someone if they touched the helicopter.

[mat552]

It's my experience that you only need to touch an unlucky squaddie to start his bleedout.

In any case, I find it's much better to drop your precious cargo on flat land as close as you can to the dangerous area. I long ago stopped presuming that my skills are above crashing or drifting, and I became a much better pilot as soon as I did.

[waldo_ii]

And not everybody is going to have you as a pilot, hiberNative.

[rampo]

then back again in a circle to perform a barrel-roll...

Well i think we all know performing a barrel roll dodges all attacks

[Shafty]

Nothing sucks more than a pilot that doesn't know the basic landing zones behind the mountains.

Don't try to land people on the very top of mountains, not only does it give the position away, but you risk getting shot down.

There are multiple nice flat landing zones behind the mountains (like behind crane on Muttrah)

[rampo]

Nothing sucks more than a pilot that doesn't know the basic landing zones behind the mountains.

Don't try to land people on the very top of mountains, not only does it give the position away, but you risk getting shot down.

There are multiple nice flat landing zones behind the mountains (like behind crane on Muttrah)

You know you dont have to land there?... you can just hover over the LZ just dont hover too high