Pilot

Pilot
Unit
Affiliation	USA
Role	Vehicle operator
Properties
Hit points	100
Armour type	Human Armor Chem Suit Human Armor with Chemical Suits
Combat
Speed	30 (20 if badly wounded)
Sight range	150-300
Function
Upgrades	Chemical Suits Advanced Training
Abilities	Promotes vehicles depending on rank
Notes
Escapes from destroyed vehicles possessing veterancy level Can not be purchased

Pilot is a generic term for anyone operating a vehicle. However, when most American commanders refer to a 'Pilot', they are referring to Pilots who had survived the destruction of US vehicles.

Background

The US Military still has the finest pilots and combat training regimens in the world, and these men are no exception. Their experience against the GLA proved invaluable in the war. Able to escape from decimated vehicles and aircraft, Pilots could return to their base and relay intel and give experienced advice to other pilots and vehicle crews, and each one was more than willing to return to the fight, providing some demoralization against the GLA.

US vehicles have titanium-plated cockpits and US aircraft were equipped with ejection seats as well as parachutes and basic survival kits, giving their Pilots a good chance of survival. Since Pilots able to survive such destruction were highly skilled, they were deemed a valuable asset. If they could be escorted to another vehicle, they could show its crew what they had learned on the battlefield, making them more efficient. They can not be trained from a barracks.

In-Game

Pilots cannot be trained; a Pilot appears when a US vehicle with veterancy is destroyed, either from the wreakage if its a ground vehicle, or by parachute if it's an aircraft. Pilots can only emerge from newly made US vehicles. Vehicles that had their original pilot killed by Neutron Mines, Neutron Shells, or Jarmen Kell and were taken over by other infantry or were hijacked by a Hijacker will eject the infantry instead.

Completely unarmed, a Pilot's only ability is to grant his veterancy to a friendly vehicle by entering that vehicle, regardless of what he originally drove. He can access jet fighters while they are on standby in an airfield or Comanches when they are repairing at an airfield.

Pilots can also enter vehicles on the player's same team, but the veterancy will be granted to the teammate instead.

If the vehicle already has veterancy, the pilot's veterancy will stack on top of it, up to heroic rank.

Vehicles Available for Pilots

Pilots can occupy all of the game's factions' (GLA, China, USA) vehicles, but can only re-emerge from destroyed US vehicles again thanks to their superior driver protections.

• Pilots cannot enter non-combat vehicles such as Construction Dozers or Supply Trucks.
• Pilots cannot enter vehicles that are already at heroic rank.
• If a Pilot enters a Chinook, Combat Chinook, Ambulance, Troop Crawler, Assault Troop Crawler, Listening Outpost, Attack Outpost, Helix, Assault Helix, or Battle Bus, he will be in passenger seat instead.
• Pilots can enter ECM Tanks, which normally can only gain veterancy by running over infantry.
• Pilots cannot enter Scout Drones or Bomb Trucks.
• If a Pilot enters a Combat Cycle, he can grant veterancy to its driver, even if the latter is a Terrorist or a Saboteur that normally cannot earn veterancy.
  • Pilots cannot enter the Combat Cycle if it's driven by a Worker.

Upgrades

	Chemical Suits	Upgrade makes the Pilots more resistant to toxins and radiations, which means that they can survive longer. This gives them a higher chance of reaching a vehicle.	Purchasable at any Strategy center in Zero Hour for $1000
	Advanced Training	Allows the vehicles to gain veteran status twice as fast.	Purchasable at any Strategy center for $1500

Important Note: These upgrades apply to the pilot only in the patched versions of the game.

Counters

Being unarmed and poorly armoured, any attack likely kills the pilot, in spite of the fact that they are fast runners. Quad Cannons, Humvees and Gatling tanks can easily chase down and slaughter pilots before they get a chance of entering another vehicle, or even kill them while they are still in the air. Killing an enemy pilot is a smart move, as he can transfer his veterancy to his next vehicle.

If the ground vehicle is destroyed by powerful anti-infantry attacks such as Fire, Nuke, or Toxin, the pilot will also likely die before he can even start running. Pathfinders can also snipe pilots right when he emerges.

In general, the Pilot's nature means that if the vehicle is destroyed in the middle of an attack force or near the player's base, he can easily escape and find another vehicle to jump in, but if he is alone or isolated, he will likely perish.

Selected Quotes

Videos

C&C Generals — Pilot Audio

Pilot quotes

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Trivia

• A pilot's health and speed depend upon his rank.
• There can be only three pilots in one vehicle.

Behind the Scenes

The pilot is voiced by Quinton Flynn, who also voiced the Humvee, Missile defender, Raptor and Pathfinder.

v·d·e United States of America First GLA War Arsenal

Units Infantry Ranger Missile Defender Pathfinder Colonel Burton Pilot Vehicles Construction Dozer Crusader Tank Humvee Ambulance Paladin Tank Sentry Drone (Zero Hour only) Avenger (Zero Hour only) Microwave tank (Zero Hour only) Tomahawk Launcher Construction Dozer Laser Tank Humvee Ambulance Sentry Drone Avenger Microwave tank Construction Dozer Humvee Ambulance Sentry Drone Avenger Microwave tank Tomahawk Launcher Construction Dozer Humvee Ambulance Sentry Drone Avenger Microwave tank Tomahawk Launcher Vehicle drone upgrades Scout Drone Battle Drone Hellfire Drone (Zero Hour only) Aircraft Chinook Raptor Stealth Fighter Aurora Comanche Chinook Raptor Stealth Fighter Aurora Comanche Chinook Combat Chinook King Raptor Stealth Fighter Aurora Comanche Chinook Raptor Stealth Fighter Aurora Alpha Comanche Special CIA agents • C-130 Hercules • B-3 bomber • Spectre gunship • A-10 strike • B-52 Stratofortress • Amphibious Transport • POW truck • Patrol boat • Battleship • Aircraft carrier Cut content Navy SEAL • Supply truck • Leopard tank • Guardian drone • Repair drone • Mammoth tank • Medical drone • Sniper drone • Starlifter transport • Repair vehicle Structures Production & tech Command Center Cold Fusion Reactor Supply Center Barracks War Factory Airfield Strategy Center Supply Drop Zone Detention Camp (Generals only) Defenses Patriot Missile System Fire Base (Zero Hour only) Particle Cannon Laser Defense Turret Fire Base Particle Cannon Patriot Missile System Fire Base Particle Cannon EMP Patriot System Fire Base Particle Cannon Cut content Wall • Guardian Control Center • SDI Uplink • American Battle lab • Cruise Missile Silo • Tomahawk Storm Support Powers & Upgrades Support powers Spy Satellite Intelligence Particle Cannon Spy Satellite Intelligence Particle Cannon Spy Satellite Carpet Bombing Intelligence Particle Cannon Spy Satellite Intelligence Particle Cannon Upgrades Control Rods Capture Building Flash-bang Grenades TOW Missile Sentry Drone Gun (Zero Hour only) Rocket Pods Laser-Guided Missiles Countermeasures (Zero Hour only) Bunker Busters (Zero Hour only) Chemical Suits (Zero Hour only) Composite Armour Advanced Training Drone Armor Supply Lines (Zero Hour only) Mother Of All Bombs (Zero Hour only) Control Rods Capture Building Flash-bang Grenades TOW Missile Sentry Drone Gun Rocket Pods Laser-Guided Missiles Countermeasures Bunker Busters Chemical Suits Composite Armour Advanced Training Drone Armor Supply Lines Mother Of All Bombs Control Rods Capture Building Flash-bang Grenades TOW Missile Sentry Drone Gun Rocket Pods Laser-Guided Missiles Countermeasures Bunker Busters Stealth Comanche Upgrade Chemical Suits Advanced Training Drone Armor Supply Lines Mother Of All Bombs Advanced Control Rods Capture Building Flash-bang Grenades TOW Missile Sentry Drone Gun Rocket Pods Laser-Guided Missiles Countermeasures Bunker Busters Chemical Suits Advanced Training Drone Armor Supply Lines Mother Of All Bombs General's Promotions Level One Paladin Tank Stealth Fighter Spy Drone Spy Drone Stealth Fighter Spy Drone Emergency Repair Level 1 Spy Drone Stealth Fighter General's Promotions Level Three Pathfinder Para Drop Level 1 Para Drop Level 2 Para Drop Level 3 A-10 Strike Level 1 A-10 Strike Level 2 A-10 Strike Level 3 Emergency Repair Level 1 Emergency Repair Level 2 Emergency Repair Level 3 Pathfinder Para Drop Level 1 Para Drop Level 2 Para Drop Level 3 A-10 Strike Level 1 A-10 Strike Level 2 A-10 Strike Level 3 Emergency Repair Level 1 Emergency Repair Level 2 Emergency Repair Level 3 Pathfinder Para Drop Level 1 Para Drop Level 2 Para Drop Level 3 Spectre Gunship Level 1 Spectre Gunship Level 2 Emergency Repair Level 2 Emergency Repair Level 3 A-10 Strike Level 1 A-10 Strike Level 2 A-10 Strike Level 3 Pathfinder Leaflet Drop Para Drop Level 1 Para Drop Level 2 Para Drop Level 3 A-10 Strike Level 1 A-10 Strike Level 2 A-10 Strike Level 3 Emergency Repair Level 1 Emergency Repair Level 2 Emergency Repair Level 3 Spectre Gunship Level 1 Spectre Gunship Level 2 General's Promotions Level Five Fuel Air Bomb Leaflet Drop (Zero Hour only) Spectre Gunship Level 1 (Zero Hour only) Mother Of All Bombs (Zero Hour only) Fuel Air Bomb Leaflet Drop Spectre Gunship Level 1 Mother Of All Bombs Fuel Air Bomb Leaflet Drop Spectre Gunship Level 3 Mother Of All Bombs Fuel Air Bomb Spectre Gunship Level 3 Mother Of All Bombs Generals Generals General Townes • General Alexis Alexander • General Malcolm Granger • General Ironside (not seen) Cut General Bradley • General Griffon • General Thorn All subfactions (Laser, Air Force, and Superweapon) are exclusive to Zero Hour.