Air Mission Tactics and Procedures

In the spirit of a little something for everyone, I wanted to talk about the issues around the control and command of air units before and during missions. This particularly applies to bomber groups, but is certainly relevant to fighter squadrons as well. The difficulties in coordinating ground forces are nothing compared to the art of air command and control, and in an online game, the successful outcome of missions will largely depend on how coherent the players are in the air.

Setting up the formation of the squadron before flight is essential. Everyone should know what their position is, and basic formation doctrine. I know that there are many different formations in real life, but in computer flight sims there is usually only one practical formation (unfortunately). The difference between real formation flying and sim formations is that a real pilot can look from side to side with ease, without even turning his head. The computer pilot has a limited and often fixed view directly ahead. Sure there are view keys that allow you to look to your sides, but try maintaining a tight formation with your friends using the view keys for 5 minutes and you will see the handicap. This makes flying in formation difficult and dangerous in any type of formation except Line Astern Low. Line Astern should be called the "Flight Sim Formation" as far as I am concerned.

Whatever formation you decide to use, be sure to pair off everyone in your squadron with another pilot. It's a good idea to pair off a newbie with an experienced pilot. This is the German WWII system that every modern air force uses today. The wing leader flies in front and concentrates on looking out for targets; the wingman follows his every move and protects his 6 o'clock, making sure that no one slides into position behind him during combat. This system is tried, tested and true…ignore it at your own peril. Each group of two pilots is then paired with another group, to form 4 plane "wings". Then you arrange the wings together into the formation of your choice. My experience is that larger formations than 4 planes are unmanageable and dangerous.

Each plane in the wing is numbered based on his position and rank from 1 to 4. Thus the wing leader is 1, his wingman is 2, the 2I/C is 3 and his wingman is 4. Name each wing using numbers or a name, it doesn't matter which, but the key is to stick to the designation during the mission. This is to make it easier for the squadron leader to manage his team. He can thus call out to specific aircraft and groups of aircraft simply by using their wing and position number. He doesn't have to know who is flying the plane, or ask who is in charge. This saves precious time in combat.

(1    2)   (3    4)

(1
    2)
        (3
            4)

(1
2)
(3
4)

   1
  2  3
        4

Stacking is the altitude that each aircraft in a wing takes in relation to each other (leader). High stacking means that each plane after the leader flies at a slightly higher altitude relative to the next plane. The planes form a bit of a ladder when viewed from head-on. Level Stacking means that all planes fly at the same altitude in the formation, and low stacking is the opposite of High, with each plane taking a lower altitude relative to the next in the formation. I strongly recommend that online pilots adopt the Line Astern Low formation as the standard, because it is easier to keep an eye on your leader when he is in front and slightly above you. I would recommend stacking by section IE: two man teams.

                3     4

This defines the proximity to each other in a formation. Tight spread means about 100 feet of spacing between planes. Standard Spread is about 300, and Combat Spread is about 500 feet. Combat spread is usually adopted by bombing formations just before entering a flak zone. The exact distances between planes is not written in stone, and each squadron can have their own definition of the exact spacing for the three types of spread.

Every mission will require a mission commander. However, more complex missions may require the assignment of a Lead Navigator or Lead Bomber, depending on the type of plane. The function of these individuals is to increase the chances of the mission's success by the assigning the responsibility of getting the flight to the target, and hitting it, to one individual, usually the most qualified bomber/navigator. The lead navigator guides the entire squadron through the flight plan, and if the formation gets lost he is responsible for getting them back on track. The critical job of the lead navigator is to make the call for formation turns at each waypoint (See Flight Plan below). Whenever the flight plan calls for heading change onto a new leg, the lead navigator has to get on the radio and tell all the planes in the formation to turn on his signal. The second critical job is to make sure that the entire formation is on the correct heading for the bomb run. Getting on the bomb run vector is a difficult and precise art, and if you miss, you will go through a hell of flak for nothing. The Lead Bombardier's job is much simpler; basically he gives the signal for the entire formation to drop its bombs for maximum impact. The lead bombardier is the final arbiter on whether the target can be hit or not.

The mission flight plan should include exact details on each leg of the mission, from takeoff to landing. A leg is a portion of a flight in a straight line. The total flight plan is made of several legs connected by waypoints. Very few missions will involve flying directly from the airstrip to the target. Flight plans often zigzag and take indirect paths to confuse the enemy about your real target and to avoid Flak defenses and/or fighter airstrips. Each leg of a trip should include a compass direction (from 000 to 360), an altitude and a target speed. The typical flight plan should include the following basic legs:

Target types, as well as locations, are usually given codenames (call signs), used for transmission during the mission. This helps curtail enemy players conducting espionage on your side. You can tell everyone what your target is if you want, but if the enemy somehow shows up with a swarm of fighters don't be surprised. Code words allow you to discuss mission details without having to name the target. Assign a call sign to the Primary and Secondary target, and let the navigators or pilots know what they are before the mission starts. Even better, only share the target information with people you know for sure can be trusted. During radio transmissions (chat), use the call signs for the target so that if you have an "enemy passenger" in your flight he won't be able to call his buddies and prepare a welcome for you. I don't think that this kind of cheating will occur very often in Red Baron, but you can discourage it with simple security procedures.
Communication discipline is also part of mission success. The squadron leaders can't compete with mindless chatter on the radio net when trying to give orders. Try to limit idle conversation and discussing sensitive information. Keep the radio channel free for the mission leader to use. If using voice com software, try to use radio discipline procedures, otherwise it will be render the tool useless. Identify yourself by your call sign before talking and end your transmission with "over" when you are finished and "out" when the conversation is done. It sounds cheesy but it really helps.