P7-149 Rotary-wing: Aircrew Attitude & Mindset

Introduction

As a pilot you have a certain responsibility and impact on a mission similar to that of a game master. Fixed-wing aircrew need to assess whether a target is an imminent threat to the ground forces and if it’s worth engaging. Hopefully in the future, the technology we have access to will change, but for now - and especially in larger deployments missions are built around the infantry and not aircraft - and you'll often see things you're not supposed to. For example you might see a game master spawn in units depending on the area of operations, this doesn’t mean you need to engage it right away, before the ground forces ever know there is a threat.

Missions are generally built with the ground forces being the main focus on an ORBAT although this does depend on the ORBAT, as aircrew you are a supporting asset and as fixed aircrew you are sometimes less than 5% of the entire ORBAT, therefore you will need to hold off on targets if they are not a direct threat or in view of the ground forces in order to promote the enjoyment of all forces.

Playing the part

As a supporting asset you are simulated to be part of a larger force and the game master might ask you to engage targets in a different AO, reasons for this could differ from a lore point of view to the game master wanting to keep you away from an area of operation to setup enemy forces without you noticing.

It’s important to stress that this is due to technical limitations because arma’s areas of operations are not big enough and cannot support enough units at one time to keep it playable for all persons. The best aircrew know this and augment the game masters role. For example a Forward Air Controller might ask you to survey a position further afield, which has not yet been populated by the game masters, to which you can contact the mission support element and ask them what you would see in that situation, then passing it on - simulating your role.