Gunship Academy

by Richard Sheffield

Rule 4: Whenever Possible Make a High Reconnaissance

Though not practical in all situations, if you have the opportunity to pop up and take a quick look around before entering a dangerous area, take it. When taking a look, restrain the urge to take a quick Hellfire shot. Firing a Hellfire means that you'd have to stay high until the missile makes contact. This would probably result in you taking several hits as well. If a target is close to your base, it may be possible to locate all the enemy positions in the area by popping up directly over the base. The best way to perform this maneuver is to use a lot of up collective to get high as quickly as possible and then cut both engines to lose altitude in a hurry.

If Buzzsaw had taken the time to take a quick peek over the hill, he'd have seen the infantry troops and either gone around them quickly or taken care of them on his way to the target.

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