A little helicopter advice is needed

[Balkor_Wolf]

Hey everyone ^_^ Just got back to playing Project Reality again now that i have a better computer and ive decided to learn to fly helicopters, purely because of the occasional times ive had in the past land transports havent been available and no one in the squad was able to fly the helicopter.

Anyway, ive been doing a lot of local Co-op play on different maps trying to practice against bots, but with these being bots it can be a little difficult to get a gunner or passangers without having to do some really difficult landing somewhere (Normally ending up with a crash.)

What ive been woundering though is how people can seem to land so flawlessly while being shot at to drop off a squad and then able to take off again all within a few seconds, Where ive seen this most often is Mutrrah City (I think thats the map name) Wher I constantly see choppers weaving through the narrow streets and landing at high speeds only to take off again within a couple of seconds.

IVe tried this before and it always ends up with a crash, i always find it difficult to land without the helicopter shaking around a little and my landings are never on target so im just curious if people have any tips on landing in a hot zone or just landing in general.

Another question is how i sometimes have a pilot kit, go inside a helicopter and get a Message saying im Unable to operate in this position, IS this a bug or is there something im missing?

Thanks in advance ^_^

[=Toasted=]

What ive been woundering though is how people can seem to land so flawlessly

Practice practice practice!

Also, often times landing a helicopter is very similar to landing a jet, coming in fast but then raising the nose to slow up just before touchdown. Really all you can do to learn is keep crashing until you get it right. I'm sure there are some video guides somewhere as well.

You may find that flying simply isn't for you, but there are many roles on the battlefield that you can excel at instead. Just keep trying in COOP, and avoid Deployment until you are certain that you can consistently land and keep the helicopter alive on the battlefield. This also means dodging sudden threats such as AA, and high caliber rounds fired from vehicles or emplacements. Accidents do happen, but you shouldn't even try flying in Deployment unless you are certain you are up for it.

I myself can fly fairly well, but I leave the flying to the experts.

Just keep practicing, and you may end up a great pilot.

Another question is how i sometimes have a pilot kit, go inside a helicopter and get a Message saying im Unable to operate in this position, IS this a bug or is there something im missing?

Those particular helicopters are for the AI only, as they have different mechanics and handling that allows the bots to use them.

[Balkor_Wolf]

Practice practice practice!

Also, often times landing a helicopter is very similar to landing a jet, coming in fast but then raising the nose to slow up just before touchdown. Really all you can do to learn is keep crashing until you get it right. I'm sure there are some video guides somewhere as well.

You may find that flying simply isn't for you, but there are many roles on the battlefield that you can excel at instead. Just keep trying in COOP, and avoid Deployment until you are certain that you can consistently land and keep the helicopter alive on the battlefield. This also means dodging sudden threats such as AA, and high caliber rounds fired from vehicles or emplacements. Accidents do happen, but you shouldn't even try flying in Deployment unless you are certain you are up for it.

I myself can fly fairly well, but I leave the flying to the experts.

Just keep practicing, and you may end up a great pilot.



Those particular helicopters are for the AI only, as they have different mechanics and handling that allows the bots to use them.

Thanks for the advice ^_^ Flying is something im deffinately wanting to get good at, although not jets since I hate using joysticks, I did a fair bit of flying on vanilla BF2 which I enjoyed for the most part so i guess as you say I just need to keep crashing untill I find out how far i can push it.

Another question I have while thinking though is about height of piloting a helicopter, A lot of people mention that flying low is the best trick to avoid AA behind terrain but ive personally found that it leaves me more open to Machine gun fire.

And a final question =P When piloting an attack helicopter I spend a lot of time hovering, which as you can guess is leaving me open for attacks from the ground but im not wanting to move too much to make sure my gunner has a good shot, do any pilots have advice for that? Personally im thinking i should start to hover over the targets for just a few seconds before moving around and doing the same thing just from another direction.

[Psyko]

heres some tips. some people may contest me. if in doubt try it on COOP.

*Don't use a joystick for any choppers, USE YOUR MOUSE*
*Turn the sensitivity of your mouse up to around 4 in BF2 options so you can pull out of dives more quickly*
*if flying an attack helicopter its better to be higher than everything else on the battlefield, way higher*
*If you want to land the blackhawk or Cow the way you just discribed, Nose down and reduce throttle gently so it feels like your dunking a doughnut. the chopper will bob but it wont slide faward at nose down if your cutting engine feed, dont ever practise this with guys in the back*
*trasnport choppers always fly low, but never between trees. BF2's networkables can make vehicles bump into things.stay above the treeline*
*Finally always check the map if your going to pick people up. if they have a marker its likely that they wont use colored smoke to indicate a safe landing spot, not just that, the passengers might be safe but because your line of site is completely different from theirs, you will not be safe. fly in low between hills but dont try to hug the cliffs*

other people might have a different way of doing these things but this is my way and i never crash, ever.

[Bufl4x]

What ive been woundering though is how people can seem to land so flawlessly while being shot at to drop off a squad and then able to take off again all within a few seconds

Plan ahead. Know where you'll land and start losing speed and altitude when you are close. Just let go of the throttle increase button (w by default) and when over the LZ, nose up a bit and brake (press s) to touch down.

Don't ever fly high unless paradropping troops, the last thing you want to do is hover high over an LZ and slowly descend. Come in as low and fast as you are comfortable, and let the lack of throttle slow you down on the last 50 meters.
If you practice enough you won't even have to break or nose up, you'll feel when to release throttle to have just enough momentum to land on the right spot.
Instead of holding down S when braking and loosing control, just keep tapping it.

Plan ahead some more, use your caps lock map to keep track of whats happening on the battlefield and to make sure an area is clear. Avoid landing close to red map markers, most people prefer walking instead of dying.
Never pick a straight route to the LZ from the carrier. The long way is usually the safest way.

[Alex6714]

Mouse - keyboard - joystick debate will never end. Personally I find a joystick to be the best option, but it just depends on what your are used to and what you practise more on. Going from one to the other will be a shock, but after all its just practise and whatever feels better.

I find joystick more logical and fun, because I also like flying simulators though for you if you don?t like them it may not be the best option. Though the throttle control is better.

[Jigsaw]

When I was in Nato in the PRT we used to train our helicopter pilots by making them fly at ground level through the streets of Muttrah, including flying through the hangars at the docks.

If you want to learn chopper control in PR then there is nothing better.

[Psyko]

When I was in Nato in the PRT we used to train our helicopter pilots by making them fly at ground level through the streets of Muttrah, including flying through the hangars at the docks.

If you want to learn chopper control in PR then there is nothing better.

with desasterous results iirc

[Rissien]

with desasterous results iirc

Well it is a good way to practise manuvering quickly. I used to always make runs down that outer road untill it ended, the only real 'tough' part was that sudden turn at construction but you get used to it, and freak the hell out of your passengers XD. While in the middle of the city i dont fly too fast you will find Im one to fly along the roads.

Balkor, like psyko suggested about trees, at least when your still learning dont fly between them, When you get the hang of things they can be instrimental though. I spent about 5 minutes with the attack huey on barracuda, just doing flybys over chinese anti-air emplacements *manpad* just pissing them off because they kept hitting the trees lol. Of course main thing was i just never got a good angle to hit them back, but was amusing none the less.

im a mouse/keyboard chopper pilot btw.

[Jigsaw]

with desasterous results iirc

It served it's purpose, we got some of the best out of it

[Psyko]

its a pretty risky gamble. Most people's interwubs fart at least once a minute.

[Balkor_Wolf]

Thanks for all the advice everyone ^_^ Its been a great help and slowely i have been becoming more confident with landings. IVe even had a go at the chinook and despite how ive read alot about it being back heavy and a pain to land I find it much easier to land than the black hawk, although a much bigger LZ is needed.

[dtacs]

Don't procrastinate when landing. When the pilot flies around the landing zone looking for the perfect spot and I'm screaming in his ear or spamming chat for him to land, its incredibly frustrating knowing there is nothing you can do. Land fast and hard, if you're going to lose the chopper so be it. The 6 people inside it are more important.

While landing, spam F1 so you can see when everybody is out and its safe to drop a crate so it doesn't crush anyone.

Supply crates must be dropped under 15ft to stop them exploding.Remember that, because if you fail and it explodes, expect the infantry to ask for another one immediately. No infantry should suffer or be blamed for your mistakes.

Do not fly slow when you have the option to go as fast as you can. If there is a large stretch of open land in-between the pickup and landing zones, dip that sucka and go as fast as possible.

Map specific:

• On Dragonfly, the best landing zones are on the rooftops.
• On Barracuda, going around the back of the island past the Chinese main is relatively safe.
• On Kashan, never ever land on top of the bunkers. They leave you and the troops exposed and there is ample landing space right next to it, which is covered by the bunkers themselves.
• On Muttrah, flying around the back of the map over the MEC main and over the mountains is comparatively safer and you can void AA lock somewhat.
• On Yamalia or any other map for that matter, land as close as possible to the infantry that needs a pickup. When you land further away and the inf have to run, you draw much more attention, especially to rampaging APC's.

[HMARS]

As an infantry player, I would implore you to master flying before ferrying squads around the AO. It seems pretty obvious, but I've had my squad wiped out because a novice pilot crashed while trying to fly through city streets at high speed. Grunts appreciate the transport, but not if it kills them.

[scothdk]

Mouse - keyboard - joystick debate will never end. Personally I find a joystick to be the best option, but it just depends on what your are used to and what you practise more on. Going from one to the other will be a shock, but after all its just practise and whatever feels better.

I find joystick more logical and fun, because I also like flying simulators though for you if you don?t like them it may not be the best option. Though the throttle control is better.

I Only use keybord for helicopters, but i agree that flying with joystick is alot of fun

[Sniperdog]

When I was in Nato in the PRT we used to train our helicopter pilots by making them fly at ground level through the streets of Muttrah, including flying through the hangars at the docks.

If you want to learn chopper control in PR then there is nothing better.

This. Just do this. A lot.

Another good thing to try is loading into chopper maps with a lot of static objects and just placing random marks on the map and pretending you have to pick up troops at or near that mark.

Practice, practice, practice...

[PLODDITHANLEY]

i too practise flying when I can, but a few pilots have said that the flight characteristics aren't the same on CO OP as on mulitplayer - this seems true from what I can tell.

Therefor I find an empty MP server on the list for practising.

[dtacs]

Considering you won't be flying through the hangers as it has no benefit since you'll be landing outside them, whats the point? Learn how to fly safely and efficiently as possible. Coasting through close-placed static objects teaches you how to fly through them specifically, which is silly because you would never do something on a map like Muttrah. You come in at building height, then land in a street which is going in the same direction you are.

In the end, its not how you get there, its simply getting from point A to B safely.

Procrastination of the landing zone or flying around in circles looking for a good spot is the worst possible thing you can do. Not only does it risk the chopper since you are an easy target, you often blatantly risking over 15 tickets by doing it. See this for more of what not to do..

[Psyrus]

Considering you won't be flying through the hangers as it has no benefit since you'll be landing outside them, whats the point? Learn how to fly safely and efficiently as possible. Coasting through close-placed static objects teaches you how to fly through them specifically, which is silly because you would never do something on a map like Muttrah. You come in at building height, then land in a street which is going in the same direction you are.

In the end, its not how you get there, its simply getting from point A to B safely

Well no, as a long time chopper pilot I can tell you that excercises such as flying in and out of the hangars are extremely helpful, because it might not be hangars next time, but trees or tight building area LZs for which you need to have a very firm grasp of the exact dimensions and handling of your chopper in tight situations.

Building height will often get you AA/APC'd, pilots need to learn how to fly ~1-2m above the ground using the throttle and pitch to avoid clipping it and dying, because it's an extremely useful skill in certain situations. Experience in each type of chopper is also important, as they all handle differently, from the Huey to BH, Lynx to skycows, Kiowas to Havoks, you're looking at subtle nuances in each case, be it through size, handling or quirks.

The training you're lambasting is the very thing that gets me compliments almost every time I can't be bothered to SL and decide to fly

No longer applicable but here's the sort of thing I'd do when bored @ 3am and no one was playing PR (and I didn't feel like going international)

[Delta_Zulu5995]

Muttrah is a knack. Once upon a time I could handle those Hueys through the scenic Muttrah streets with ease. Not any more unfortunately, but once you learnt to pull it off and keep the habit, I found it extremely rewarding.