Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerkraz
What would be the operational cost for the aircraft, and how would that translate to the players?
Increased fees?
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Operational cost depends on the plane used. I assume that most of these pilots the OP is referring to would be renting, as opposed to owning their own aircraft. Rentals for a Cessna 172, in my area at least, go for around $125-$145 per hour of flight time (time that the engine is turning). After taxes, miscellaneous fees, fuel surcharges, etc., you could be looking at $150-$175 per hour flight time. The Citabria the OP refers to might be cheaper, but I'm not quite sure - I've never flown one.
Factor in all required checks, engine run-up, taxi/take-off, and enroute time between the airfield and the game location, you could be looking at a few hours, and perhaps between $300-$500. Lots of new pilots would be happy to spend that as they work at building up their hours, but a couple of dollars from each entry fee could ease the burden.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Berkut
As far as comms go... 2 people in cockpit - pilot and spotter. Spotter has radio for contact with ground. Relays information to pilot as necessary.
PS. I think Ultralights would be perfect for this kind of work. Can loiter around for a while, quiet, cheap.
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The comms issue isn't the physical setup of who sits where, it's more to do with the usage of non-aviation band radios inside the aircraft, and the potential interference with the aircraft's radios and navigational instruments.
Your thought of ultralights is interesting, though a separate type of licence is required for flying ultralights, versus a regular single engine Cessna. It would require those pilots to actually go through some conversion training to get an ultralight endorsement. However, it could end up being cheaper after a while, and ultralights are much easier to operate from unprepared airstrips. Hell, they might even be able to operate from the airsoft field itself (with the appropriate safety measures in place, of course).