Ten Easy Rules

1. Before you take off, check the map (M) and determine where the action is and where to find friendly aircraft. In the left hand column you’ll find a "target" symbol. Click on it to activate the Air Warning System (AWS) grid, which gives a rough outline of enemy activity. Red means 5+ enemy aircraft, yellow means less than 5 enemy aircraft. Note that intel is delayed with anything from 30-90 seconds. Friendly aircraft on your mission are shown as white plane icons.
2. Climb! Pilots found below 2 km (6000 ft) are easy prey for seasoned veterans who lurk above, and for the very deadly anti-aircraft gunners who abound on the ground. You will want to be flying at 4-6 km (12000-18000 ft) when entering a hot zone. Only if that altitude is clear should you go diving down to try your luck.
3. Friendly aircraft have blue halos and name tags. Don’t shoot at them (it will not hurt them but annoy them immensely) – save your ammo for the aircraft with red halos and aircraft type tags.
4. Look around you at all times. The enemy has a tendency to park behind you before shooting you down, so look behind your tail every 5 seconds.
5. Fire only at short range. You will want to fill the gunsight with enemy before letting rip. If the EA is but a small dot, forget it.
6. Do not fly directly at the enemy which comes straight at you. Head-on attacks are extremely detrimental to your health. Check out the ACM section for tips on how to fly and fight.
7. Keep your speed up. Low, slow and turning is a free ticket to the nether regions.
8. Fly gently. If you pull too hard on the stick, you will black out and possibly crash.
9. If you manage to shoot down an EA, flame a truck or bomb a bridge, return immediately to base to collect your mission success points. So doing, you will rapidly gain rank and access to better performing aircraft.
10. Stay civil. No amount of moaning, cursing or belly-aching will help you improve. Learn from your mistakes and keep your chin up.

Continue to General Instruction or Basic Flight Maneuvers