Mysteries of handheld AA

[Stealthgato]

I found it to still be possible to hipfire MANPADS and hit choppers with it. Thought this was fixed?

[Navo]

you be hacking stealth

[=HCM= Shwedor]

Sometimes the rockets go straight... I find it similar to the hip-fire deviation that standard rifles have ingame. You can usually guess where the rocket will come out of the tube next if you have already fired it a few times. Not very hard to use the AA hip-fire when engaging helicopters.

[Hulabi]

I've been shot down multiple times by friendly AA in Kashan. I'm piloting the Apache and kicking the shizz out of the enemy Havoc, the Havoc dives to run away and at the same time friendly AA is locking onto the enemy MIG. The MIG flyes/flies (grammar ftw) inbetween us and pops flares. The friendly AA then somehow locks on to the flares and bounces off of them or something and hit's our Apache..

[MaSSive]

Ye Hulabi same ( similar ) thing happened to me few times. Read few posts back or post #11 Rhino explained it.

[Mikemonster]

I've been shot down multiple times by friendly AA in Kashan. I'm piloting the Apache and kicking the shizz out of the enemy Havoc, the Havoc dives to run away and at the same time friendly AA is locking onto the enemy MIG. The MIG flyes/flies (grammar ftw) inbetween us and pops flares. The friendly AA then somehow locks on to the flares and bounces off of them or something and hit's our Apache..

This would actually happen in real life with a heat seeking missile. Obviously in this situation the operator wouldn't fire.

Oh that explains it. But why have you altered this since its not quite realistic. Is it? Radar system in aircraft's should give you a warning if you are being targeted right? Once missile is airborne and you're locked your odds are pretty much low

Unless your plane has one of these fancy systems that detect a missile launch, in real life the pilot would have no idea that he was either locked or fired at. In most warzones fast jets have a 20,000ft minimum operating altitude for this reason. And it's why pilots need to keep good situational awareness and scan the skies all the time.

Even with a warning, if it's a close range shot your odds are pretty low anyway. Flares are countermeasures but they are in no shape or form guarantees of safety.

You may hear a search radar guiding a radar missile towards you (or indeed the radar's own seeker if applicable) but this is a different kettle of fish altogether - these systems are active and the IR (heat seeking) missiles are passive.