• Knock out the other side’s reconnaissance choppers as soon as you can. They’re vital to the war effort because they report on enemy movements, so eliminating these aircraft effectively blinds your opponent.
• Next, go for the other side’s military bases. They’ll be heavily guarded, of course, so hit the SAM sites first to eliminate resistance. Then take out the generators as well as the aircraft waiting for orders.
• On your way out of the base, stick low to the terrain, even ducking behind hills or buildings when you can, just in case there’s a SAM site or an anti-aircraft gun you missed. SAMs in particular are deadly because they can lock onto you.
• Finally, send in troops to capture the base, but make sure no enemy copters are approaching to take it back. Watch out specifically for Hinds and Blackhawks as they carry troops who can be re-inserted to claim the base for their side.
• If your copter takes damage, head for a friendly base for repairs as soon as you can. To lighten the load and get you there faster, fire off your missiles. If you’re not sure where the closest base is, try turning on autopilot, which will automatically take you there, assuming it wasn’t damaged in the attack. Call for an escort if you can, which will draw enemy fire away from you, and don’t forget that you can always try landing the helicopter on its belly if its wheels are damaged.
• When the action gets hairy, here’s a cheat to help you out: press the Control and R keys at the same time to automatically rearm, refuel and repair your copter. In addition, when you come to the options window after you first launch the game, click the “Advanced” tab and type “/goto:1” (without the quote marks) in the text field and click the check box to activate it. This will place a teleport button, symbolized by a chopper symbol, in the top right corner of the map. Click it and then click anywhere on the map to teleport there.

Charting Unknown Territory. Sometimes you may need to do some exploring before you find your target.

Scanning the Horizon. Take in the sights before you set a course of action.

The missions you undertake while flying your F/A-18 Hornet will be varied. Here’s a basic overview of them. You’ll notice that the game features preset ordnance packages that cover most of these mission types. You can go with those or create your own weapon complement.

• Anti-Runway: This type of mission tasks you with destroying an enemy airbase’s ability to launch aircraft. Take out as many structures as you can before returning home.
• Anti-Tank: Eliminate the enemy tanks in the area. This is a good time to practice your bombing skills.
• Combat Air Patrol: Watch over a sector of airspace and get ready to fend off the inevitable enemy incursions. Make sure you bring along an extra fuel tank or two as you may need them if you suddenly encounter planes at the end of a long patrol.
• Close Air Support: Assist your fellow troops on the ground by taking out the enemies attacking them. Take great care to avoid friendly fire accidents and don’t forget that SAM and anti-aircraft positions are often tough to spot until you’re almost on top of them. Fly with caution.
• Escort: Assist one or more fellow pilots on their missions. Their planes are often lightly equipped with weapons, so your objective will be to keep enemy aircraft away from them.
• Intercept: Eliminate the enemy fighters headed toward your base. Often they’ll be on their own escort missions accompanying a bomber or two, so make sure you take out the main threat before dealing with them. You won’t do your side much good if you’re tangling with other fighters while an enemy bomber drops his payload.
• Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses: Take out enemy air defenses to soften them up before a main attack. Pay attention to the layout of the surroundings as you’ll likely be return during the next mission to inflict further damage.
• Strike A: Equipped with light ordnance, your goal is to take out a lightly shielded target and get out of there as fast as you can.
• Strike B: Take along as many laser-guided bombs as you can to perform surgical strikes on heavily shielded structures. Watch out for aggressive enemy defenses.
• Strike C: The same as Strike B, except you’re carrying some basic heavy bombs because collateral damage isn’t a concern. You’ll still need to keep your eyes peeled for enemy fighters and anti-aircraft defenses.
• Strike D: The ultimate mission, this one sends you deep into enemy territory, usually alone and without a chance to call for backup, to destroy a highly prized enemy target. Extra fuel tanks are vital, as are heavy and laser-guided bombs, leaving you without room for many air-to-air missiles. You may need to show off your maneuvering skills as you drop your payload and get out of there with enemy planes on your tail.

Bombing Run. Call in the heavy armor when you need it.

Study Your Maps Carefully. Make sure you know the layout of the land before you hop in the cockpit.

Launching From Water. An F/A-18 fighter prepares to take off from a large aircraft carrier.