Demo problem: why do I suddenly drop like a stone?

[Papagenox]

This would be in the second training mission-- the atmospheric flight drone sweep. For some reason after the last navpoint (5) is reached the plane drops like a stone. I try to give it throttle and pull up on the stick but nothing happens, so I crash. This is after I've done the Alt-I thing. Also, I noticed this last time that my wingman also crashed, even though I told him to return to base after nav point 4.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

How was your fuel?

[FreshQu33blets]

My fuel was fine, but I think I figured it out. I think what was happening was that I was still on auto-nav, which isn't very adept at landing. Naturally none of my inputs would work if I were still using autonavigation. I ended up completing that mission once I figured that out.

BTW, are the AI pilots any better at landing planes (on the ground) in the full game? In the demo my wingman crashes most of the time when I tell him to return to base.

[John DiCamillo]

They're not great at landing, but it doesn't really come up in the campaigns. There is only one or two squadrons of friendlies assigned to a starbase in one of the four campaigns. All the rest of the fighters are assigned to carriers or orbital space stations.

[andrewb1]

I've found that "jumping the gun" when docking or landing is what will kill off the AI wingmen, at least in the demo. I couldn't figure out why they kept crashing until I realized that you need to wait for clearance until trying to land/dock.

Regarding Nav Point 5 in that scenario, I believe you're right as the same thing happened. The nav computer simply doesn't know what to do next.

ORIGINAL: Papageno
BTW, are the AI pilots any better at landing planes (on the ground) in the full game? In the demo my wingman crashes most of the time when I tell him to return to base.