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Difficulty: Easy Supervisors: Command staff Rank: Not defined Duties: Pilot and protect the dropships Guides: N/A Unlock Requirements: Not available. Detailed Description: Not defined |__________| |
"We're in the pipe, five by five." ― Cpl. Ferro, Aliens
So you decided to be a Pilot Officer eh? You glorious bastard. You've just enlisted yourself in one of the most boring and dangerous jobs.
The Pilot Officer, as the name indicates, pilots the ships of Almayer. It's your duty to defend the dropships from any invasion and piloting between the Almayer and the groundside.
Introduction
Congratulations Ensign. You'll start at the Pilot's Office. To the south is your personal locker, it's conveniently labeled, Pilot Officer's locker. Take a look at the stuff in it. You probably won't be using it anyway. The most important of all the objects is your extra helmet. Your stylish helmet is not only amazing and unique. It makes you a hit with all the ladies and adds an internal slot to store pocket-sized items. It's useful. In addition to the extra helmet, is some standard issue marine armor which you may choose to put on. The standard issue marine armour has better protection than the flak jacket.
You have two ships: The Normandy which lands at LZ1, and the Alamo which lands at LZ2.. You should be aware that command can activate autopilot in the CIC for both ships, however, you have the special ability to cut the time of flight by half.
Preparations
Moving on when you've taken a look or have already taken a look. Go to the RO line. You're basically a standard marine for all intents and purposes although you have an Officer rank which allows you to boss around marines. Get yourself some attachments from the RO line, you're allowed two. For this guide we recommend a barrel charger, if available and a shotgun stock. Once that's done, go to marine prep to get kitted out. Kit out normally how you would play a marine. For this guide, we recommend a shotgun because there are people who are going to want to get up close and personal to your face. The shotgun should be loaded with buckshot, nothing says "get the fuck off my ship" to a xenomorph better than a face full of buckshot.
- Pack donk-pockets into your helmet as rations.
Piloting the ship
After you're all dolled up and kitted out, you'll want to head to briefing like a normal marine except you're not a normal marine. Instead of sitting in any of the chairs in each squad, you want to sit in one of the chairs at the front or stand facing the marines during briefing. Once briefing is done, join the stampede to the hangar. You want to get to your cockpit, which is basically your second home, as soon as possible and announce in the Command channel that you're ready to depart. Give the marines some time to make it to the respective dropship and organize themselves but after a couple minutes when all the seats are filled then you should depart.
Close Air Support
[Placeholder Description] Close Air Support or CAS for short, allows the Pilot Officer to conduct aerial ground assaults upon locations targetted via the tactical binoculars the Squad leaders use.
Attachable Weapon Systems
Alright so you're looking to pimp your ride with the best and most dangerous guns the USCM can afford? Well, while keeping in mind you've only got four weapon slots per drop-ship, here's what we've got available:
- Standard-Issue Rocket Pod: Technology like this stands to prove the old adage of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", by utilizing a delivery system that's been widely used for centuries, and still managing to improve on it in regards to accuracy, payload quality and a substantial decrease in equipment weight. These suckers only pack one missile at a time but they've got various flavors of death to load up, such as:
= GBU-67 'Keeper II' - A smaller casing for a payload that packs a huge punch, this thing's used mainly for cracking bunkers and blowing up hostile armor, it's got a small blast radius to maximize the damage on a single area however, so it's not great against large groups of hostiles.. To put it simply, it's your AP rocket. = AGM-227 'Banshee' - This one utilizes a larger casing than the 'Keeper II', because it's full up of highly explosive, good for hostiles to eat nutrients, commonly loaded for air combat due to it's highly damage shrapnel and large blast radius it also works well against infantry and lighter armored vehicles. This one's basically your HE rocket. = AIM-224 'Widowmaker' - The largest of the three rockets, this thing contains our latest napalm mix as well as an explosive warhead to ensure that whatever it hits won't be getting up and out of the fire anytime soon, easily your best option against large groups of infantry as it has a solid blast radius, and heavy armored or not they'll still burn. This one's for those of you that love the smell of napalm in the mornin'.
- Standard-issue Mini-rocket Pod: The bigger rockets are all well and good, but when you've got hostiles right ontop of your fortifications the last thing you want is to be lit up by a Widowmaker or a GAU strafing run, that's where the Mini-rocket system comes in with a smaller payload, more ammunition and it's ability to soften up hostile armor and take out infantry that are right next to you without actually hitting any friendlies. This thing's only takes standard issue munitions, no special armor-piercing or napalm rockets for this one, however the lower likelihood of friendly-fire still makes it an appealing choice.
- GAU-21 'Rattler' 30mm Cannon: Throughout the history of mankind, military men and women have always known that the best solution to any problem where brute force isn't working, is to apply even more excessive amounts of brute force, and in terms of high-velocity weaponry suited for both air combat and CAS, this is the USCM's solution for their drop-ships. The 'Rattler' fires 30mm high-explosive rounds in 20 round bursts at an incredibly high velocity in a general area around the designated target, ensuring any and all targets will feel the BRRRRRRRT, with each box magazine containing 200 rounds this baby can hold her own for long enough in a real firefight, just make sure your buddies stay out of danger close, this bad-girl doesn't care what she hits.
- Sentry Deployment System: This handy-dandy system contains one UA-577 Gauss Turret, much more powerful and accurate than the standard UA-571-C Sentry Guns, these things are great for drop-ships landing in hot LZ's and do a good job of deterring any hostiles attempting to sneak aboard when nobody's looking. They come installed with a super-cell battery so they'll last a good few hours before they need recharging or new battery, but keep it in mind for those longer missions.
- Machinegun Deployment System: This container holds a modified M56D smart-gun attached to a sandbag nest, and goes in the crew served attach point in the back of the drop-ship, providing a solid barrier against any hostiles attempting to outmaneuver the side-mounted Gauss Turrets and any other defenses you may have. It's got 1500 rounds locked & loaded as well as an enhanced scope for extra range, just make sure you don't try shooting past friendlies with this thing, unlike the handheld smart-guns this thing doesn't have an IFF feature.
Reloading Procedures
So you've fired your weapons, and now need to reload. Not to worry, here's a basic guide to reloading!. Please note, you will need a Powerloader to perform any reloading action.
- The first step you need to do is unload the expended ammunition from the desired dropship armament. To do this, simply walk up to said weapon in your Powerloader, and click on it.
- Next, collect the ammo (mini-rockets, 30mm) you wish to load with a powerloader. Please note, whilst most dropship armaments will only take one type of ammunition, Rocket pods can take 3 missile types.
- Finally, walk it over to the weapon, load said ammo in, and light up more hostiles to your hearts content!
Attachable Electronics
Want to improve the accuracy of your weapon systems? Or perhaps you'd rather install a couple spotlights to ensure no LZ goes un-lit, either way keep in mind you've only got 2 electronic slots when Detective Gadget'ing up your ship with these fancy gubbinz:
- Spotlight: A high-powered spotlight with a protective glass casing ensures you'll always have an illuminated landing zone, plus a bit extra.
- Targeting System: An advanced system that's much better at tracking laser-guided beacons than the standard equipment the drop-ships come with, essential for drop-ships planning on making accurate rocket strikes or a few GAU strafing runs.
Attachable Engine Upgrades
Not getting enough thrust out of the standard engines? Tired of waiting so damn long for the suckers to cooldown before you can take-off again? Well here's a couple solutions to your problems, keep in mind you'll want to actually open up the engine ports with a powerloader before trying to shove these things inside:
- Cooling System: Essentially a better version of the one the drop-ship already employs, plop this in your engines and you'll see a huge decrease in engine cooldown times, ensuring you'll be ready to take-off at the drop of a hat, even if you just landed.
- Fuel Enhancer: This piece of tech improves thrust produced by fuel combustion, decreasing the time it takes to get from Point A to Point B and provides that extra bit of maneuverability when avoiding hostile fire.
Communication
Communication as the pilot officer, otherwise known as the PO is key to being a successful pilot. You may ask why communication is required as someone who flies a dropship all day, well it's required because otherwise you aren't playing the job to it's maximum potential and being useful to the marines. When you find yourself playing the PO you'll want to be communicating in general comms and announcing the time when you plan to leave to depart from your current location giving marines and other jobs the time to get to your dropship of choice, if someone says "Hold" or "wait" it's usually because they need to evac someone so wait for them to get the injured aboard, if it's on the Almayer you'll generally here "Wait" and "Hold" because a marine is late and in that regards just launch, it's better that the you keep flying at a continuous rate then wait for one marine because they took too long getting an attachment.
Requisitions
Requisitions will normally load crates onto your dropship meaning that when you land you will need to announce that you have supplies to drop off to the marines otherwise they won't know they have any. Sometimes if the supplies that are loaded onto your dropship are specialised for example, sentry crates and specialist weapon armour it's good to announce that so the relevant jobs can come to the LZ to pick up the supplies. It's useful as a PO to relay supplies that are needed if you see that the marines are lacking anything but usually that can be left down to command.
Medical
If injured are loaded aboard your dropship you'll want to inform command/medical that injured are on the way if possible, if you needed to leave straight away prepare a general comms message (general comms because that way you'll also get normal marines help move injured to medical.) for when you land that injured are aboard and need to be taken to medical.
Engineering
If your desired ship gets battered and beaten by the lizard savages then not fear because if you contact the MT's or CE they'll fix your precious flying machine if given the time, if marines desperately are calling to evac wounded or they need a ride to retreat back on, launch as soon as possible even if you are missing windows and doors, it's better that you reach the marines in time to help.
Command
Contacting command as the PO is highly useful for the members in command as you can give an opinion on if the LZ (Landing Zone) will hold against the alien savages that are attacking or if it won't as usually by that point the marines over squad comms are silent or are screaming for an evac, so make sure that when you arrive to marines requiring an evacuation give an opinion to command on whether thee marines can hold the current defences or if you are retreating with the marines as it'd just be a waste of manpower and resources to carry on holding.
Tips
- Try to wait a bit for the marines to load up the wounded and late comers to load up in the shuttle before making a trip. Announce on the Common frequency when you've just arrived and are about to depart. You want to be efficient with your trips as much as possible.
- Keep your shotgun, always loaded and ready to go whenever those pesky xenos decide to go full koolaid man on a window or a door. Don't expect wounded marines to help you. Its great when they do help and manage not to friendly fire you with their highly inaccurate assault rifles but don't count on it. Depend on yourself for the protection of your ship.
- A special benefit to being a Pilot Officer is that you're allowed to boss around marines while they're on your shuttle. Don't tolerate rowdy and loud marines but be ready if they fight back. Follow proper escalation procedures. Remember, you out rank them and its your ship (and the USCM's ship and thus the Commander's ship).
- Leaving the dropship is not recommended unless you have just landed. Try not to stray too far from your craft. Retrieving marines is okay but if it leaves without you then you are in deep shit. You have a high chance of being 1. killed, 2. maimed, 3. captured, 4. killed again, 5. wounded. Although competent command staff will ask for you in the radio before manually piloting your craft.
- If there is damage to your craft. Be sure to request for a Maint. Tech or the Chief Engineer to come repair it, the next time you're on the Almayer.