Why do pilots sleep in their planes?

[CapAndGown]

Almost invariably when a airfield attack occurs at night and some planes on the ground are destroyed, some pilots end up either WIA or KIA. Did the designers of AE discover some little known historical evidence that pilots routinely slept in their planes?

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown

Almost invariably when a airfield attack occurs at night and some planes on the ground are destroyed, some pilots end up either WIA or KIA. Did the designers of AE discover some little known historical evidence that pilots routinely slept in their planes?

This is purely conjecture on my part: pilots didn't sleep in their planes but they slept very close to them. ANy ordinance that hit the AF had a pretty good chance of hitting sleeping quarters and nearby slit trenches

[CaptBeefheart]

I think once in a while pilots in slit trenches or tents were hit by bombs, but it was pretty rare. I had no idea there were KIAs or WIAs in this game as a result, so I'll have take a look at that in the future.

How often do you see it, such as in ratio of aircraft destroyed to WIA or KIA pilots?

Cheers,
CC

[CapAndGown]

ORIGINAL: Commander Cody

I think once in a while pilots in slit trenches or tents were hit by bombs, but it was pretty rare. I had no idea there were KIAs or WIAs in this game as a result, so I'll have take a look at that in the future.

How often do you see it, such as in ratio of aircraft destroyed to WIA or KIA pilots?

Cheers,
CC

Basically I see it 2/3 of the time. And the ratio seems to be about 2 pilots MIA/WIA for every 3 planes.

It was not like this in WitP. The common sentiment then was: oh well, I lost some planes, but the pilots are OK. Not anymore.

[witpqs]

Sounds too high.

[Sardaukar]

They are in their planes sucking oxygen after night's party...[:'(]

(That was apparently very common..not surprising, since it works for hangover, I have tested this..) [:D]

[RUDOLF]

ORIGINAL: vettim89

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown

Almost invariably when a airfield attack occurs at night and some planes on the ground are destroyed, some pilots end up either WIA or KIA. Did the designers of AE discover some little known historical evidence that pilots routinely slept in their planes?

This is purely conjecture on my part: pilots didn't sleep in their planes but they slept very close to them. ANy ordinance that hit the AF had a pretty good chance of hitting sleeping quarters and nearby slit trenches

Not fully correct.
Several British pilots lived 45 min from the Airfield when Off Duty. !!
During battle of Britain some did sleep at the actual airfield, but more or less always scrambled in plenty of time for the strike.

BTW. If a Bomb would hit a barracks filled with pilots... then more then 2 pilots would die!

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: RUDOLF

ORIGINAL: vettim89

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown

Almost invariably when a airfield attack occurs at night and some planes on the ground are destroyed, some pilots end up either WIA or KIA. Did the designers of AE discover some little known historical evidence that pilots routinely slept in their planes?

This is purely conjecture on my part: pilots didn't sleep in their planes but they slept very close to them. ANy ordinance that hit the AF had a pretty good chance of hitting sleeping quarters and nearby slit trenches

Not fully correct.
Several British pilots lived 45 min from the Airfield when Off Duty. !!
During battle of Britain some did sleep at the actual airfield, but more or less always scrambled in plenty of time for the strike.

BTW. If a Bomb would hit a barracks filled with pilots... then more then 2 pilots would die!

As most islands in the PTO were not big enough to allow a 45 minute commute by pilots, they slept in tents closer to the field.

Given the accuracy of your average medium Bomber, a strike which hit the airfield could also spread bombs out over 1km or so, making to hard the hide.

[Sardaukar]

In Guadalcanal, pilot area was quite literally next to the planes. You do not want to wander into jungle. 

[AW1Steve]

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

They are in their planes sucking oxygen after night's party...[:'(]

(That was apparently very common..not surprising, since it works for hangover, I have tested this..) [:D]

On deployment in places known for partying , it was not uncommon for ground crews to have to service and re-fill the O2 system in squadrons I've been in. My 1st experince was as a rookie I came out to my plane and saw every single crewman doing their pre-flight with their oxygen masks on. And a ground crew was towing out an O2 cart and a small cart filled with portable bottles. The night before had been the squadron's "hump party" (over half way through a six month overseas deployment).

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown

Almost invariably when a airfield attack occurs at night and some planes on the ground are destroyed, some pilots end up either WIA or KIA. Did the designers of AE discover some little known historical evidence that pilots routinely slept in their planes?

P-47's were so roomy that pilots converted the area behind the cockpit seat into mancaves complete with mini beer fridge and wireless access.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve


The night before had been the squadron's "hump party" (over half way through a six month overseas deployment).

Hummph. REAL sailors only get steak and lobster, then back on watch![:)]

[Rob Brennan UK]

Is it fighters on CAP groups your seeing losses in ?

If so then i'd think it was readying fighters taxiiing or poss landing after damage.

[crsutton]

I am thinking that all the availble slit trenches were occupied by the much quicker ground crew personel

Seriouly, are you following the sizes of the airfields? I would expect some pilot losses in small fields but not in larger fields with fortifications.

[Djordje]

In combat report there are runway hits and airbase hits. I guess the latter can cause some pilots to die as it represents hits on airbase facilities.
What is the chance of them inflicting casualty among pilots is something that probably only devs know.

[dr.diplodocus]

I was under the impression that any airfield attack had the potential to inflict pilot casualties. But from my observations, its rare.

[ChezDaJez]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve


The night before had been the squadron's "hump party" (over half way through a six month overseas deployment).

Hummph. REAL sailors only get steak and lobster, then back on watch![:)]

Oh, yeah? Well, us "unreal" sailors got beer! And lots of it! And we could order steak and lobster at the club whenever we wanted!!! [:D]

Chez

[Knavey]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve


The night before had been the squadron's "hump party" (over half way through a six month overseas deployment).

Hummph. REAL sailors only get steak and lobster, then back on watch![:)]

I had PLENTY of surf and turf days in the Navy.

For those of you who wonder why they serve such good stuff, it normally proceeds the BOHICA announcement that your not pulling into port the next day, that liberty has been cancelled, and so forth.

[TheElf]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Sounds too high.

Take it up with the original designers. This was way out of scope for the AE project....

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Knavey

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve


The night before had been the squadron's "hump party" (over half way through a six month overseas deployment).

Hummph. REAL sailors only get steak and lobster, then back on watch![:)]

I had PLENTY of surf and turf days in the Navy.

For those of you who wonder why they serve such good stuff, it normally proceeds the BOHICA announcement that your not pulling into port the next day, that liberty has been cancelled, and so forth.

Port?! Liberty?! What the hell . . .

I saw the lights of Bridgetown, Barbados once. At 0300, through a periscope. We were going in the next day for a 2-day port call. We'd been under, on alert or mod-alert, for 58 days. We had never had a port call before. We had baked a cake. For the mayor.

At 0315 we were at a flank bell, running north, avoiding Grenada. At 0330 we (I was OOD) were prosecuted by a P-3 who thought we were a Victor sniffing around places the rest of the USN, who didn't know we were there, thought we shouldn't be. (Different command siilo I guess.) At 0335 I was at 350 feet, hiding under a convenient container ship with the Old Man by the conn watching the sonar repeater by my side.

At 0630 I reported to him that I had been properly relieved. He said, "Did you learn anything?" My response is classified.

And that day I didn't even get any steak. Or any lobster.

And that's no s**t.