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Release Pilot: What? - 3/31/2015 6:11:37 PM

Anthropoid

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From: Secret Underground Lair
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If I consult my pilot list for any particular air group, I have some buttons that allow me to release them according to different clumps (least or most experienced, or those two poles in groups of 5 or 10).

My options of where to release them are:

Active
Reserve
Group

It is my understanding that pilots who are not assigned to an air group exist in one of two (possibly three) "pools"

A "Reserve" pool and a "Replacement" pool.

There is also something called TRACOM, to which there is no reference whatsoever in the Manual.

I would guess that "releasing" a pilot to the "active" pool would release him to the "Replacements?" whereas release to the reserve pool --> Reserves and "active" ?? No idea.

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Post #: 1

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 3/31/2015 6:40:45 PM

kbfchicago

Posts: 359
Joined: 10/17/2009
From: NC, USA
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Not in front of game so button/terms may be off slightly...

- Pilots are; Active in group, in-active in group, in reserve pool, or in TRACOM. (They may also be in basic flight school before they come into play but I think that is mote to your questions).

- From WITHIN a group you can release to the reserve pool, removing them from the group and putting them in a transitory status - between group assignments within a "reserve pool". When you click on "request" "veteran" from "reserve" status you see this pool. There is often tansit time/delay between when you release into and when you see pilots moving to/from the reserve pool. This is the place to stockpile pilots from your training groups prior to sending out to front line groups. It is also the pool pilots go to when you disband groups (you will see the message "pilots and planes sent to pool". A caveat is all disband/withdrawls are not equal, watch msgs carefully, in some cases you must manualy send pilots to reserve before disbanding or you will lose them from the game. Note NO training takes place for pilots in the reserve pool.

- From WITHIN a group you can also release them from active status to in-active. They stay IN the group but will not fly missions. Pilots in in-active and in-transit status (incoming with a delay from the reserve pool) are darker vs. active pilots. You can transfer in-active pilots between groups by selecting (from the gaining group) "request" "veteran" from "replacement" status. This will give you a list of all in-active pilots by group (note you DO NOT see reserve pool pilots in this view, only in-active pilots already in another group).

- TRACOM is your Training Command. Pilots must have a minimum level of skill to get into TRACOM (80+ I believe). Generally assign them to TRACOM from a group once they have the requist skill level - they will be highlighted in yellow, by (right? might be left...) clicking on the name and confirming xfer to TRACOM. Assigning TEN skilled pilots provides a training benefit to the flight school graduates you pull in via "request" "new pilot" from "replacement" which brings in brand new rookie pilots who are not currently in any group or your reserve pool. How much benefit you get is a matter of much debate on the forum...one of those developer randomizations and reflections of real life variabilities.

Hope that helps you...

Kevin

(in reply to Anthropoid)

Post #: 2

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 3/31/2015 7:00:53 PM

kbfchicago

Posts: 359
Joined: 10/17/2009
From: NC, USA
Status: offline

As to how to use these capabilities....

TRACOM assigned is a good place to "hold" high skill pilots for later assignment while (potentially) benefiting the skill level of novice pilots from flight school. I stock up TRACOM to 10 very early if playing Japan, usually by late spring '42 for allies, once you have decent skill levels in front line groups. Debate rages on how much benefit you get and if you get benefit from more than 10 or by type (Fighter vs. bomber). I do it cause it just makes sense...

Either as Japanese or Allied you will have training groups in CONUS/home islands to bring your noobs from flight school up to some level that has a chance for front line survival (usually 50+ flight, 60+ in skill areas like Air, Ground bomb, etc.). The Reserve pool gives you place to park these pilots once they've gotten a minimum survivable skill level and open the training group up for next batch of noobs. This should keep up a steady flow of "ready" pilots to your front line units. Just sending pilots via "new pilot" from "replacmenet" to front line units is the quickest way to an airframe shortage as they will die very quickly, faster than you can build planes. Reserve pool is also the place your withdawn/disbanded pilots hang out until re-assigned. Especially as Allied, you have a bunch of group withdrawls to manage and you want to keep those pilots in service!

"in-active" within a group is (for me) the least used. When I need to cherry pick pilots from on group to another it comes in handy. Most of the time it's becuase I have a reserve pool shortage and I'm moving pilots before they optimized their training group time due to desperate front line needs. I do find when playing Japan I use this more vs. Allied, with multi-use groups (i.e. twin engine torpeodo bombers like Betty/Nell) you have to juggle between carrier TB needs and 2E pilot needs and due to mulit-skill requirements they spend more time in training groups.

(in reply to kbfchicago)

Post #: 3

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 3/31/2015 7:13:56 PM

Sauvequipeut

Posts: 79
Joined: 4/7/2007
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As far as I am aware:

'Active' and 'Group' are options which allow you to micro-manage your squadrons by deciding which pilots are actually flying if there are more pilots than planes in the group. A pilot currently assigned to flying can be placed in the Group reserve using the 'Group' button, and his plane can be given to a current group reserve pilot using the 'Active' command. At least, I think that's how it works - I just leave the game to sort things out at squadron level and nothing disastrous happens. The programme will, apparently, rotate pilots between active and group reserve to deal with issues like high fatigue.

'Replacements' is where the fresh-faced meat from the 12-month training programme arrives. Once a replacement pilot has been assigned to a squadron, he cannot return to Replacements - all pilots from disbanded squadrons etc go into 'Reserve'. If you strip a squadron of its pilots before a forced withdrawal, they go into reserve too. The big difference between the two (apart from average XP)is that the replacements are uniformly unskilled across all specialities, whereas the Reserve pilots, having already been in a squadron, should have developed some specialist skills as bomber pilots, float-plane pilots etc. When drawing from the reserves, a squadron will draw the most appropriately skilled men first.

TRACOM is limited only to pilots above 80 XP. If a pilot in the 12 month training program hits the national XP level before 12 months, he will be released early to the Replacements pool. The more pilots you have assigned to TRACOM, the faster pilots in off-map training gain experience, therefore the more should finish training early. Note that TRACOM only effects pilots under basic training - it has no effect on your reserve or replacement pools or on-map airgroups you have under training.

So in short my understanding is:

Active: Puts pilot from group reserve into a plane.
Group: Pulls pilot from plane into group reserve.
Reserve: Sends a pilot to the skilled pool for re-assignment to a different squadron.
TRACOM: Sends a highly skilled pilot as instructor to the automatic basic training programme.
Replacements: is where products of said training sit while awaiting their first squadron assignment.

Hope enough of the above is accurate enough to be of some help...

(in reply to Anthropoid)

Post #: 4

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 3/31/2015 7:27:14 PM

tiemanjw

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I would note that since pilots that you select (or release from reserve) into a squadron arrive in group reserve (they are greyed out and won't fly missions), it is convient to "release" them to "active" - rather than individually selecting each one and setting to active. Saves a few mouse clicks.

(in reply to Anthropoid)

Post #: 5

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 3/31/2015 9:55:57 PM

rustysi

Posts: 7472
Joined: 2/21/2012
From: LI, NY
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quote:

"in-active" within a group is (for me) the least used

One thing I like to use this for is when I have a unit leader that also flies. If I want to keep him as the unit leader and not lose him in flight I assign him to group reserve.

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(in reply to tiemanjw)

Post #: 6

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 3/31/2015 11:34:22 PM

Anthropoid

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Fantastic info guys! Each and every one of you are officers and gentlemen!

kbfchicago: I was slightly perplexed about the Reserve vs. Replacement distinction I get when I'm in the main window for an air group and filling it up with pilots.

But, Sauvequipeut, your post cleared that up.

Couple observations: Not too many Chinese pilots are there!?

Holy crap there are both a ton of Soviet pilots and air groups! Without moving a good third to one half of them to the off-map "Soviet" base, and at least doing a lot of fiddling to get them all smoothed out . . . no way you've got enough aviation support to keep all those planes serviceable.

Note to self: if playing a competent Allied player DO NOT let Soviet intervention occur! Even if those units are 2nd string 1930s designs, holy crap there are a LOT of them!

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Post #: 7

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 4/1/2015 12:03:48 AM

rustysi

Posts: 7472
Joined: 2/21/2012
From: LI, NY
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quote:

Note to self: if playing a competent Allied player DO NOT let Soviet intervention occur!

If you survive long enough it will, and nothing you do can stop it.

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Post #: 8

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 4/1/2015 12:31:07 AM

Sauvequipeut

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Anthropoid

But, Sauvequipeut, your post cleared that up.

Couple observations: Not too many Chinese pilots are there!?

Looks like I had entirely the wrong idea about Active/Group, though...I'd been assuming that group reserve was the surplus (but active)pilots in the squadron - didn't realise you could use it to lock pilots out of flying duties. That probably comes from never using it...my MO being 'Put them all on active and let the game-god sort them out'. Learn something new every day..

Not many Chinese pilots...but not many airframes for a good long while. Or supply for flight operations.

(in reply to Anthropoid)

Post #: 9

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 4/1/2015 12:34:02 PM

HansBolter

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From: United States
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Sauvequipeut

Learn something new every day..

That never stops happening with this game.

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Hans

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Post #: 10

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 4/1/2015 3:19:01 PM

Alfred

Posts: 6685
Joined: 9/28/2006
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Another thread where "pilot" inaccuracies are repeated. And the only reason why there is "debate" is because too many people continue to peddle AE myths.

1. TRACOM does not provide any training benefit per se other than this very small and quite indirect "assistance". Pilots graduate from their 12 month training course with experience +/- their "coded" national experience. Accordingly they graduate within a range. TRACOM helps to push below national coded experience level graduates up towards their national coded experience level; it does not assist them to graduate above their national coded experience level.

2. TRACOM can push students faster along their 12 month training course. This results in monthly graduation number variability.

3. An inactive pilot in a group is not assured of not flying. Only surplus inactive pilots in the unit are warehoused from flying. Example using a USA fighter unit with a TOE of 25 airframes.

any unit can have a third of its TOE in additional pilots added by the human player to the pilot roster , hence with a TOE of 25 the unit could have a total of 33 pilots on the roster.
these 33 pilots can all be active or up to a maximum of 8 can be made inactive on the roster
the game code automatically moves an inactive pilot to active status to plug a shortage of active pilots to fly the available airframes
with 25 available airframes, piloted by 25 active pilots and 8 inactive pilots on the roster, the game code automatically rotates high fatigue active pilots to the inactive roster and rotates an equivalent number of non fatigued inactive (or surplus active) pilots to fly the available airframes

I have posted the correct answer in detail in many threads which deal with pilot training.

Alfred

(in reply to HansBolter)

Post #: 11

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 4/1/2015 5:42:59 PM

Sardaukar

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TRACOM is good place to keep really good pilots for later to form elite squadrons. Easier to find them that way and to prevent them to be assigned randomly to units from reserve pool. Plus as Alfred said, there are some minor benefits in novice pilot training, mainly for Japanese.

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(in reply to Alfred)

Post #: 12

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 4/1/2015 6:25:56 PM

Numdydar

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+1

This is what I do with 80+ pilots as Japan. This way I can save them for when I get better AC to put them in

(in reply to Sardaukar)

Post #: 13

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 4/1/2015 9:01:49 PM

rustysi

Posts: 7472
Joined: 2/21/2012
From: LI, NY
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quote:

Only surplus inactive pilots in the unit are warehoused from flying.

This is how I do it but its not how I explained it in my post. Apologies.

< Message edited by rustysi -- 4/1/2015 10:02:28 PM >

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Post #: 14

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 4/2/2015 10:18:05 AM

LTC

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Sorry to but in here, but I am also having a little trouble with pilots. I am trying to train pilots in restricted squadrons (both permanent and HQ movable), as well as some that are not. When i attempt to move pilots to the reserve i find with some air groups i can only select active or group reserve I am not able to push them into general reserve. Is this something i am supposed to be restricted in doing or am i actually doing something wrong.

(in reply to rustysi)

Post #: 15

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 4/3/2015 5:49:53 PM

Alfred

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quote:

ORIGINAL: LTC

Sorry to but in here, but I am also having a little trouble with pilots. I am trying to train pilots in restricted squadrons (both permanent and HQ movable), as well as some that are not. When i attempt to move pilots to the reserve i find with some air groups i can only select active or group reserve I am not able to push them into general reserve. Is this something i am supposed to be restricted in doing or am i actually doing something wrong.

No need to be sorry. This is exactly the sort of issue which a newbie might not readily grasp.

For the purpose of sending pilots to the General Reserve Pool, it is not relevant as to whether the unit is restricted or not restricted. What is relevant is whether the unit is scheduled to be withdrawn. In that situation, you cannot reduce the pilot roster to below the TOE. Accordingly,, to send pilots to the General Reserve Pool the following steps are required.

1. Unit not scheduled to be withdrawn.

(a) left click on active pilot (delay = 0). This makes the pilot inactive (delay = 1) and sends him to Group Reserve

(b) left click on an inactive pilot (delay = 1) to send him to the General Reserve Pool

(c) right click on an inactive pilot (delay = 1) makes the pilot active (delay = 0)

2. Unit which is scheduled to withdraw (the withdrawal date is given in white above the unit name. If it subsequently is scheduled to return, the return date is in purple)

(a) same steps as outlined in (1) above for surplus pilots above the TOE. For a USA fighter unit with a TOE of 25, pilots 26-33 are surplus irrespective of whether they are active or inactive

(b) once the pilot roster has been reduced to equal the TOE, you need to add fresh pilots in order to have a surplus again. Thus if the intention is to harvest all 33 fully trained pilots you need to do it in several batches of removing 8 surplus pilots (as per above), adding 8 fresh "green" pilots from the Replacement Pool and then proceeding to remove 8 of the remaining fully trained pilots and so on.

Alfred

(in reply to LTC)

Post #: 16

RE: Release Pilot: What? - 4/4/2015 2:01:34 AM

Anthropoid

Posts: 3107
Joined: 2/22/2005
From: Secret Underground Lair
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Great stuff Alfred, thanks.

< Message edited by Anthropoid -- 4/4/2015 3:53:16 AM >

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Post #: 17