VTV Flight Modes

Basic

This is the mode that a VTV starts the game in. It is the simplest to fly in, and all steering is done with the joystick. The VTV has a low "seek height" in Basic mode. This is the height above the ground that the VTV wants to remain at. Additionally, in Basic, the VTV will remain at the height it is told to. That means if you push the joystick forward and let it go, the VTV will remain at the height it was when the joystick was released.

The joystick will turn the VTV left or right when it is pushed left or right. The foot pedals are not used in Basic mode.

Standard

Standard mode is similar to Basic, except that the VTV has a higher "seek height." Like Basic mode, the VTV will remain at the level it was when the joystick was released. Obviously, one will need to raise or lower the craft to avoid obstacles and other VTVs, but on long, flat straightaways, one will want to be as close to the ground as one can be.

Like in Basic mode, the joystick turns the VTV, but unlike Basic, the foot pedals are now active. While they don't need to be used to turn the VTV, they can help make the VTV turn more tightly. The foot pedals act like the rudder pedals on an airplane - they turn the vehicle on its long axis without using thrust to initiate the turn. The joystick will change the amount of power going to the thrust vector ports to turn the vehicle. Again, this means that there is a little bit less energy available to push the craft to its top speed. Generally, this is a negligible amount, but the pilot should be aware of it to squeeze the maximum performance from the VTV.

You will also note that the VTV now rolls side to side more than it did in Basic mode. This is a function of the VTV using less of its energy to keep the craft level and more to make it go fast. This will become more pronounced in Veteran and Expert modes.

Veteran 

Veteran mode takes the flight characteristics of Standard mode and ups them a notch. The VTV is now very responsive, will roll a great deal side to side when turning and has a higher seek height than previously. Also, when the joystick is released, the VTV will rise to its seek height. Therefore, it is crucial that the pilot always keep the joystick pushed forward while flying (remember the energy that the VTV has available to it is limited). Basically, at this point the VTV is outputting all its energy to its fullest capability and relies on the pilot to keep the craft flying as smoothly and quickly as it can.

Foot pedals are active as in Standard mode, and the joystick still turns the nose of the VTV left and right.

Expert

Expert mode is far different from all of the other modes, and offers the most control and responsiveness a VTV can give. The fundamental difference between Expert and the other modes is this: The joystick DOES NOT turn the nose of the VTV left or right. In Expert mode, if the joystick is pushed to the left, the entire VTV will slide to the left without changing the direction the nose of the VTV is facing (this is called "side slip" and is available also as a function of one of the buttons in the cockpit to be discussed later). In order to turn the VTV, a combination of joystick and foot pedals must be used. While this takes some time to master, once it is, the VTV will give the pilot the greatest control possible over the flight of the craft.

One of the primary benefits of Expert mode is that all of the VTV's flight control surfaces are handled by the pilot, and this in turn leaves more energy to push the VTV forward. In all other modes, at least a percentage of the VTV's thrust is directed to the various vector ports at all times. In Expert, none of this energy goes to the ports unless it is directed there by the pilot. This results in slightly higher top speeds.

How do I find this in the cockpit?