flying for landlubbers

I'm gonna warn you, even with an airsquad you are probably going to get shot down a lot.

There are some skygods in this game that have been playing since beta and they will take on you and all your friends and win. Me and a squad of 6 all got killed in our reavers versus 2 scythes who were these kinds of players. After that little incident I've kind of given up on using a ESF. If I want to fly I'll pull a liberator and bomb stuff.

if that happens I'll just grab an esf now and then just to farm infantry like most of the other esf pilots seem to do. the certs won't go to waste i'm guessing.

Unless they pull AA and cheese you out of the sky. Which is what happens to me 90% of the time.

I just cert eject pod now and use my ESF as a rapid transport with guns.

If you don't Cert your ESF to farm Infantry, then you will have a hard time doing it. AH, Rocket Pods, and Hornet are all effective vs. Infantry. The other weapons have a much harder time killing Infantry, let alone farming them.

I do some A2A vs. ESFs (if the opportunity presents itself, and the odds are in my favor: I determine they are a worse pilot or I have tons of ESF allies to help), but I mostly focus on G2A. Dedicated A2A is the province of Gank Squads and Aces, and if you are not either, then you are gonna run across them and they will wreck you.

Best way to pick apart a team of 2 ESF with a larger group, is to spread your group out and have whoever is not being rushed down use their A2AM to target and hit them. They will both be running Fire Suppression, so you don't have to worry about flares. Also, you want to be dictating the terms of engagement, and opening the engagement from range with A2AM, forcing them to close with you or run. Don't chase them to low altitude, because they can use terrain to break line-of-sight and nullify your A2AM. Instead, let your A2AM do the chasing, and keep up higher where to engage you they need to move away from any cover. Be micced up together, and try to focus on one target at a time.

And NEVER forget: Q-Spot is one of your greatest weapons. Keep those enemy ESFs Q-Spotted so ally ESFs (or AA) can see them and track them.

You can also do things like put a AA on the ground, and then get them to duel you over that.

If I play A2A (which I rarely do) I usually do that option. Or if I'm with a squad that likes aircraft, I'm usually the guy on the group playing AA support. I'm not a fan of the airgame in PS2 what with the low ceiling and Helicopter-like ESF's. But hey, if you like it make sure you roll with a good support team of Aircraft and AA. A well placed skyguard can drastically change an air engagement.