If you get someone like me, who knows how the SA-7 works and is determined to shoot the apache down, rather than do anything else, then that apache will go down very quickly.
Agree, I think AAs should be removed from the ins for this map unless they get modified, tech in the right hands are almost as deadly as the aas when the apache is hovering. Most people think its safe to fly high and have a nice steadly platform...
However as Alex said exp players can easily shoot you down even if you are high or take you down with RPG+lots of light arm fire.
When I fly, I only attack the compounds round the edge of the map as AAs rarely travel from ins main base to a cache in those areas to defend (ins at the caches in these areas usually just spawn there, make hideout and defend).
I fly vanilla style, circling over the compounds as fast as I can. Im flying as low as you would in vanilla if your were attacking inf. This is the only time the gunner gets his accurate shots off. If I am aware of enemies that the gunner is not I usually just back away and strafe with hydras and then contunue to circle. One time I did this we got 4 caches and 57 kills (19 as me pilot and rest gunner) also didnt die.
If I ever fly over the city I only do it for a laser (only lasers from SL/spotter thats in the sqd or on TS) I also keep my flares alive.
However, it is still very difficult to stop the campers in main.
Problems Ive had:
AA in the tall tower can lock when the heli is on the pad. (in public play there is no way you can leave the apache just lying there as soon as it spawns as a noob will get in it.) Ofc best option is to clear it out with inf...chance of that happening on pub = not very likely.
Tech camping main. VERY difficult to do anything with (if ins is exp). When your taking off wait for at least 1 min so you are FULLY warmed up and can fly at top velocity. Try to go up, with flares sharlply and go straight back down, the tech will probably start shooting and you will know where it is. Ofc if you got hit 2-3 times youre lowering to the heli pad anyway. Then best thing is to move fast and engage with hydras (DO NOT HOVER AND TAKE A HELLFIRE SHOT), 1 hydra about 10m away from tech will probably kill the gunner let alone with more or closer shots.
The biggest problem is the return. You may be damaged, have very little or no flares and worst of all, be a unexp flyer. To be sucessful in landing you need to be very exp and skillful. Flying in to the base fast and slowing it down between the trees somewhere before you slowly hover to the heli pad is your best bet. Problem with this is it is very trickly to pull off consistantly if you are not a exp and skillful pilot.
The base needs to be modified so that the choppers can take off and land safely... getting shot down should be done on the battlefield where both parties are fair.
I reakon moving the base back more north so that technicals can still drive round the back but cant go further than say 10m away from the wall. This means the apache wont be able to be seen taking off from the back but veh can still drive round.
Or have a much bigger no go zone. The plains are so flat that the technicals can still camp just from further away. Giving the helis a fair chance.
I then flew up to an altitude of 400, and told my gunner to target the tower with his cannons, and to see if we could get down safe from technicals. We got above main, he shot a few shots, but I heard the lock, and we were killed.
Attack heli pilots will soon realise that hovering is too risky on most maps. AAs are too quick on locking on. Kashan has a big view distance so its the only map you can sucesfully hover and kill. Quinling has too many hiding spots for aas so I only use spotter lasers. Muttrah is always strafing on a spotted location and flares are always constant, only time I hover is if im under 20m or so, so im behind a building of some sort where I know aa will have a difficult time getting us (only near docks).
Karbala is different as you only need to worry about held AAs, technicals and RPGs. The way I fly as I said above means you only need to really worry about a lucky AA or RPG shot. (need 2 hits with RPG to kill, be careful on return if hit by RPG). Technicals will have real trouble hitting you unless they really close to you.
Remeber after a AA has shot it needs to reload. So dont run if it missed, same with RPG. If you cant quickly locate the shooter, just strafe with hydras on the location you think he might be in. (a bleed given to an ins usually means he will bleed out) Ofc you only have so many seconds with the RPG as it has 3 shots.
Maybe I should put a guide up...
I also think that there only about 10 or so attack chopper pilots in PR that are exp enough to be able to use these birds the way they should be.
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