AIR MOBILITY - Long Winded!

[migeater0]

AIR MOBILITY

A Game for 500 Or More Players

1. Air Mobility is a game of skill played between two teams - the first is
called the 'Army' and is usually represented by an infantry battalion and
the second is called the 'air force' and is selected from part of the RAF
movements organisation. The game is played on a four
dimensional board - to be purchased separately - and involves the
transportation of the first team by the second from one corner of the board
(the departure airfield) to the other corner (the destination). Progress
across the board is the subject to a series of handicaps.

2. Play is initiated by an external agency called 'The Central Staffs' The
unit to be moved and its destination are selected at random and to achieve
maximum surprise and regardless of the actual amount of notice available,
teams are to be informed at the last possible moment to make the move remain
feasible and without regard to any other contrary instructions already
issued.

3. Following the signal of 'play', each team tries to score points off the
other until the destination is reached, the army runs out of troops or the
air force runs out of serviceable aircraft. The Army team can 'resign' from
play by adapting its exercise to the Salisbury Plain Training Areas. Points
are awarded at each development in the play.

4. During basic planning, the Army scores 50 points if it can persuade the
RAF to emplane the unit at an airfield within convenient distance to the
unit being moved. The score is doubled if the airfield is devoid of all
ground handling equipment and normally confined to light aircraft. The Air
Force gains 50 points if the army is compelled to leave from Lyneham or
Brize Norton and bonus points are issued if the road journey to these
airfields exceeds the subsequent flight distance.

5. The payload quoted by the Army in planning should in no way resemble the
freight actually delivered for loading. The manifests however should be so
worded that no formal reproach is possible subsequently between parenting
headquarters. If the Air Force can identify such a discrepancy it gains 20
points and 50 points if the correspondence can be escalated to Brigadier
level.

6. When allocating aircraft to the airlift, the Air Force gains 20 points
for every Hercules it can configure in the full passenger role with a bonus
of 10 points if the journey time exceeds 5 hours. The score will
be doubled if the Hercules are overtaken in flight by VC10s or Tristars
configured in the freight role and carrying the Air Force support personnel.

7. Each team may make full use of conflicting or loosely worded orders and
20 points will be awarded for any change not acted upon for which the
recipients' own administrative service can be found to blame for
ignorance of changes to times and place of departure.

8. It will be appreciated that the time of the Army unit's arrival at the
departure airfield and the actual departure of the aircraft will bear no
resemblance to any published information. The Army may claim 1
point for every minute by which this time interval can be shortened whilst
the RAF can claim a similar score for the unnecessary early arrival of the
army. Both sides may make full use of obscure phrases hidden deep in the
annexes to operation orders saying 'all times ZULU' etc.

9. The Army may be permitted to play a joker by loading freight to the
aircraft themselves and by agreeing to supervision of this activity. The
army will be awarded 50 points for each aircraft loaded on time and
about which the Captain and Loadmaster can find no valid reason for
insisting on reloading or relashing: it will be appreciated that this will
be exceptional. The Air Force will allocate troops to individual aircraft
and so ensure that no plane contains any recognisable sub-unit of the Army's
organisation and may claim I point for each man separated from his company.

10. Each soldier is to be briefed at platoon, company and battalion level as
to his baggage allowance and the list of prohibited articles
This information will be repeated by the Air Transport Liaison Officer and
the Duty Air Movements Officer, as well as the Loadmaster. Ten points will be
awarded to each soldier who exceeds his baggage allowance by more than 20%
and a further 10 points awarded for any man who reaches the aircraft steps
openly carrying a hexamine cooker, butane lighter or Thunderflash
Bonus points will be awarded, for a fastball delivered by MAMS in the FRY,
especially when the objects going through the XRAY camera, are in Hessian
sacks, clearly marked "WEAPONS".

11. En route the Air Force will be penalised for any
unserviceability at Laarbruch or Goose Bay requiring an overnight stop.
Points will be recouped if the aircraft can be declared unserviceable at
Nairobi, Singapore or Hawaii. The Air Force will gain points if it can
persuade the Army to remain in the departure lounge by claiming imminent
departure and these points will be doubled if the aircraft can be declared
serviceable but then delayed for a further 10 hours because the crew has
exceeded its duty time. The RAF can gain a substantial lead if an overnight
delay can be arranged. One point is awarded for every soldier compelled to
stay in transit accommodation and bonus points are added for
each man made to share in excess of the room's normal capacity. The RAF gain
further points if they can allocate an officer to the same room as his
orderly and score 50 points if at the same time, the crew secure hotel
accommodation in the nearest city with points increasing according to the
star rating of the selected hotel. Aircrew will of course gain heavily in
this phase of play.

12. Arrival at the destination offers both sides the opportunity for good
scoring. A prompt arrival is valued exceptionally at 50 points for the RAF.
The Army reduce this score for each piece of baggage mislaid
and this will usually be a weighting to achieve parity. The RAF can claim 10
points if it can announce that the unit commander's baggage was offloaded en
route and 20 points if this proves to be true.

13. On arrival, the scores are compared and if the Air Force wins it begins
the return move with a bonus of 200 points. If the Army win they can opt for
a return by sea. In any event the game will be one of many.

14. It will be perceived that the game is open to infinite variation and can
be played throughout times of peace and hopefully not war

Tropical Destination Variation suggested by Paoli

15. Whereby Army personnel in transit are obliged by the RAF to travel in jacket
and tie because the RAF aircraft will stage through a civilian airport
en-route, but will have to unload their own baggage in 45 degree heat on the
tarmac?

-10 points to the RAF for achieving this on a VC10 flight
-20 points for a Herc (with seats)
-30 points for a Herc (cargo rigged)
-200 points for a parachute op (SAS personnel excepted)

[Pringle]

Brilliant, held on 216 for a while and many stories of this style came out

[Motormouse]

Oh how true....brings back memories of AES at Lyneham

ttfn

Pete