Pilot
The Pilot is the fastest logistics in the game. A helicopter moves a squad across the whole map in a minute and delivers supply pallets, while attack helicopters support the fight from the air. It’s one of the best-paying roles, and the most expensive in hardware.
Pilot levels only in helicopters. Ground vehicles belong to the Driver.
In short
Section titled “In short”- The MH-6 is unlocked from the start, $6,250 per sortie. You get paid for every passenger delivered and later for their kills: $500 and $750 in Season 1. In 0.2.0 the base payout for a player delivered by air dropped from $150 to $100.
- Never fly empty, and land in cover at the edge of the zone, not in the middle.
- Attack helicopters ($12,000–28,000 per sortie) only once you fly confidently. Since Season 2 the Little Bird with miniguns unlocks at level 8 for $125,000. Watch for anti-air; flares are V.
How to play Pilot
Section titled “How to play Pilot”- Don’t fly empty. Every passenger delivered to the zone is cash and XP. Passengers keep earning for you after they get out, as long as they keep fighting.
- Drop in the zone, not in its centre. Land in cover near the zone edge. Payouts double in the Hot Zone, but that’s also where you’re easiest to shoot down.
- Remind passengers about parachutes. If you drop them from the air, anyone without a parachute in their slot will die. Since Season 2 parachutes take longer to open and don’t open at all below about 10 m, so don’t drop people right above the ground. The basic parachute costs $500, the sport one $700. See Getting to the zone.
- Haul pallets. A supply pallet delivery is one of the biggest one-off payouts in the game. Since Season 2 the mechanical, ammo and fuel supply pallets unlock by WARDOG level: 5 ($10,000), 9 ($25,000) and 16 ($50,000). The patch notes say nothing about the building-supplies pallet.
- Watch out for anti-air. The Gepard, MANPADS and FOB anti-air all hunt helicopters. Countermeasures are V — don’t waste them early.
How Pilot earns
Section titled “How Pilot earns”| Action | Payout |
|---|---|
| Deploying a supply pallet (Z20 Lakota) | $1,250 (0.2.0 patch notes; $2,500 in Season 1 by our data); the pallet costs $400 (Season 1) |
| Unloading the pallet at a FOB in the zone (UNLOAD SUPPLIES) | +$1,800 (our data, Season 1); less outside the zone since 0.1.2 |
| Supply delivery, small crate (MH-6) | $250 and 150 XP (0.2.0 patch notes, was $500 and 200 XP) |
| Passenger survived — for each one delivered | +$500 and 100 XP (our data, Season 1), +$1,000 in the Hot Zone (community data, Season 1). The base air player delivery dropped from $150 to $100 in 0.2.0 |
| Assist from a dropped player — a fighter you brought in got a kill | +$750 (our data, Season 1) |
| Round trip to base — per survivor aboard, three at least | +$250 × passengers, at least $750 (community data, Season 1) |
| Refuelling the helicopter | −$5 (our data) |
“Assist from a dropped player” pays for every kill by a fighter you brought in, even after you’ve flown far from the zone. That’s why a full helicopter pays better than it looks. Payouts double in the Hot Zone, but that’s also where you’re easiest to shoot down.
Delivery streaks (since 0.2.0): every consecutive run adds a bonus. Crate +$100, pallet +$250, up to 10 in a row. Player delivered +$25, up to 25 in a row. Return trip +$50, up to 10 in a row. More in the Season 2 breakdown.
More in Income by action.
Helicopters and gear by level
Section titled “Helicopters and gear by level”| Level | Unlock | Unlock fee | Purchase price |
|---|---|---|---|
| start | MH-6 (light transport) | — | $6,250 |
| 2 | Small armoured crate | $10,000 | $500 |
| 8 | AH-6M [Miniguns] (attack) | $125,000 | $10,480 (was $12,000) |
| 10 | Z20 Lakota (transport) | $35,000 | $7,400 |
| 15 | Large armoured crate | $25,000 | $800 |
| 20 | AH-6R [Rockets] (attack) | $250,000 | $18,800 |
| 25 | Z20 Lakota [Miniguns] | $85,000 | $15,000 |
| 35 | Havoc (attack) | $650,000 | $26,000 (was $28,000) |
Levels also unlock music tapes. There are no new helicopters past level 35 — it’s XP only from there.
- The MH-6 is the starter helicopter with no requirements — it’s what you level your first ranks in.
- The AH-6M [Miniguns] unlocks later since Season 2 (level 8 instead of 4) and costs $12,000 instead of $7,000: Bulkhead found it too strong for how early it unlocked. Its miniguns are weaker too: the 0.2.0 high-calibre damage cut applies to them.
- The Z20 Lakota is the main transport: lots of passengers, and it carries pallets.
- The Havoc tops the track: rockets and a cannon, but $26,000 per sortie (since Season 3, was $28,000).
Levelling Pilot
Section titled “Levelling Pilot”- Flying — XP for time in the air.
- Carrying passengers from base into the Control Zone.
- Supply deliveries: a pallet into the Control Zone is worth 400 XP since 0.2.0, plus 100 for every pallet in a row, up to 10. One of the biggest single XP awards in the game.
- Kills with helicopter guns and rockets.
- Repairing helicopters — since Season 2 this XP goes to Pilot, not Support.
Class level 20 now takes 111,500 XP instead of 250,000.
Common mistakes
Section titled “Common mistakes”- Flying empty. An empty helicopter to the zone is lost cash and XP.
- Landing in the middle of the Hot Zone. All three teams shoot wherever a helicopter lands.
- Buying an attack helicopter before you can fly. Learn on the MH-6 first, then spend $12,000–$28,000 per sortie.
- Wasting countermeasures early. Save them for a missile.