The Absolute Beginner's Guide to SoG

So, you've downloaded the game? But wait. Don't go out there yet. If you want to have a complete plane and a good kill-death ratio, read this guide. However, do not expect to become a top player after you read this. Becoming one takes time, effort and practice.

First things first
It is strongly recommended for you to do the tutorial, then you will know the aspects of flight and the camera controls. If you are familiar with iDevice plane gaming, such as F.A.S.T. and Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X., you'll probably be fine without doing it.

You probably will not want to stick with the default plane, the P-40-II. Many beginners buy the Zero-III, the best plane avaliable. I do not recommend this, because the Z3 is a plane with very "twitchy" handling characteristics. Instead, buy a more forgiving plane, such as the Fockewulf-II ($1.99) or the Bf-109-II ($0.99). Both can be unlocked through the Battle of Britain pack, in missions 1 and 7 respectively. If you have no long-term plans to buy planes, do the tutorial and mission number 1, after which you receive the P-40-I, a decent plane. Remember, your guns are fixed and you can only aim by flying your plane towards your target. When your target is off the screen, a yellow arrow points to it. Fly towards the arrow to get your target. The arrow flashes red when the target is firing at you.

Controlling your plane
Tilting your iDevice upwards makes the plane pitch down, downwards makes the plane pitch up, and left and right causes the plane to roll in the respective directions.and the metal pedals on the bottom of the screen causes your plane to yaw. If you are not sure what these terms mean, refer to the diagram provided. You have the option to select your weapons at the plane selection screen. This can be done by tappping the "Weapons" tab in the top right of the screen and then tapping either "Rockets" or "Machine Gun" in the "Secondary Weapons" section. The next section teaches you how to effectively use them. Bombs are of no use right now.

Using Your Weapons
Refer to either of the sections below for your respective weapon selections.

Machine Gun
Look on the bottom-left and bottom-right corners of your screen. You will see two bullet icons. The one on the left is the slow-firing cannon and the one on the right is the fast-firing machine-gun. Tap and hold to fire. The bullets hit right at the targeting reticule (The round thing with a cross in it in the center of your screen) and are most effective when the reticule is red. Holding them both down for maximum damage. Now try killing the single plane. When you hold the two icons for an extended time, you will see a red disc forming around them. That means your weapons are overheating. Stop firing and let them cool down. Normally, your weapons can fire for 5 seconds before becomming jammed.

Rockets
If you select this as your secondary weapon, you will see a single machine-gun icon on the right and a rocket icon on the left. Tap the rocket icon to fire a rocket. Note that the target of the rocket is slightly above the reticule, so always keep the reticule a little below your target. Rockets reload approximately 5 seconds.

Your First Flight
So, you got all that into your head? No, no, no. Don't head into multiplayer. Do a dogfight mission and get used to the controls and weapon selections. Try shooting down the opponent. Succeeded? Anyways, refer to the bottom section, which is extremely important. Extremely important.

Bailing Out
So, your plane is smoking and the little parachute icon saying "Bail Out" displays? This happens when your health bar, the green thing at the bottom of the screen, drops to about 20%. Shake your iDevice up and down vigorously to bail out. You'll know you have succeeded when you see a little guy danging from a parachute. Note that your plane blows up only 3 seconds after you bail, so somebody can kill you even after you bail, so it is best to bail while flying low.

Congratulations!
You now have knowledge about the basics of flight and are now ready for multiplayer. Observe the top players and their flying styles to improve your skills, or go to some of the links below and chat with them, most of which are happy to help you. You can now go on to basic tactics.