Pilots

[gmtello]

What is the best number of pilots for a squadron say of 10 planes 15 pilots? So fatigue keeps low and 2 in the pilot roster what does it mean the orange and green colour. Thank u

[anarchyintheuk]

Not sure that there is best number. I always max out the number of pilots.

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: anarchyintheuk

I always max out the number of pilots.

Which is max number of a/c + 1/3 rnd down. But be aware there are some strange rules governing groups due to expand and sub units which I've never quite worked out.

[gmtello]

What about orange color in pilots roster and green

[Yaab]

Green - skill changed during previous turn.
Orange - skilled changed during last month.

[Aurorus]

The answer to your question is not simple and does not have one correct answer. I suppose it is what you want that group to accomplish. Filling out training groups to their max is not always the best idea, especially if this lowers the average pilot experience to the point where many pilots are above that experience, since training groups do best if many pilots are below the group average experience.

You may not always want to fill front-line squadrons to their max either if it means a reduction in quality. If you put 4 extra pilots in a search squadron, for example, just to fill out all the pilot slots, but these pilots have low NavS or low exp, you will have no idea if the reports that this squadron provides of enemy ship types are accurate or not, because you have no way of knowing if a quality pilot or a poor pilot made the report. Similar with fighter or bomber squadrons. The AI may substitute an inexperienced pilot for a more fatigued, experienced pilot in a crucial mission.

So, the answer is: it depends.

[Numdydar]

Japan has crucial missions? I thought every air mission for Japan was a critical one as I never knew how many pilots/planes would come back lol.

[Aurorus]

ORIGINAL: Numdydar

Japan has crucial missions? I thought every air mission for Japan was a critical one as I never knew how many pilots/planes would come back lol.

Set the range for most of your missions to 0 and only bomb in hexes that contain friendly troops. You still will not know how many planes will return, but your pilots will thank you. Of course, you will not accomplish much with your air force, but at least you lose fewer pilots.

[Luftmann]

The manual states that Air Groups can be designated as "Training Groups" to train pilots(with instructors), but not to be confused with Groups on Training Missions.
Can anyone tell me how to designate a Group to Training that is not a Group on a Training Mission or is there really a difference.
Also, does leaving Pilots in TRACOM have any benefits?

[BillBrown]

ORIGINAL: Luftmann

The manual states that Air Groups can be designated as "Training Groups" to train pilots(with instructors), but not to be confused with Groups on Training Missions.
Can anyone tell me how to designate a Group to Training that is not a Group on a Training Mission or is there really a difference.
Also, does leaving Pilots in TRACOM have any benefits?

This is a scenario editor thing. There are some mods, especially the ones from John III, RS, BTS BTSL, and Treaty that have training units.

[Luftmann]

Ok, thanks.
Are there any benefits to including TRACOM pilots in groups on training missions/leaving them in the TRACOM?

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Luftmann

Ok, thanks.
Are there any benefits to including TRACOM pilots in groups on training missions/leaving them in the TRACOM?

Pilots have to have 80+ experience to be sent to TRACOM. Some like to let them go there because they raise the average experience level of pilots finishing their first year of training - i.e. when they go into the General Reserve pool. Others like to keep the high experience pilots in the squadrons where they can influence the effectiveness of missions. The downside of the latter is that you can lose these high-skill pilots on operations.

IRL the US did a mixture of both - using their best pilots at the front and sending some to make training more effective.

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: Luftmann

The manual states that Air Groups can be designated as "Training Groups" to train pilots(with instructors), but not to be confused with Groups on Training Missions.
Can anyone tell me how to designate a Group to Training that is not a Group on a Training Mission or is there really a difference.
Also, does leaving Pilots in TRACOM have any benefits?

"Training Groups", never made the final cut, so units cannot be designated as such. Of course, any group may be made to train.

To the best of my knowledge pilots in TRACOM are only supposed to advance some pilots through the initial pilot training program some of the time. IOW they push forward their month of training. They are not supposed to raise their experience levels, although I have read otherwise from some posters. If that's the case I don't believe its WAD. I was about to put the question to MichaelM, but he finally had to bow out due to other commitments. As for experience levels, these are supposed to be limited by the 'national' levels, more or less. As with everything here these levels are not written in stone, but are an average.

Now a TRACOM pilot in a group that is training, should assist in 'speeding' up said training a bit. From my experience it seems to work. Understand that the lower the initial training level the 'faster' this seems to happen. Makes sense. You may read about this in the "Pilot Addendum" file.

[AFBTD]

ORIGINAL: Yaab

Green - skill changed during previous turn.
Orange - skilled changed during last month.

fatigue is the key; engineers