202nd Pilot Basic Training

The 202nd Pilot Basic Courses use a Fallout theme to introduce flight students to very small aviation, starting with drones and working up. Standard General Aviation (GA) training starts with the Cessna 172, a 4-seat aircraft that requires a private pilot’s license. The 202nd Pilot’s Basic Course reverses the order and starts with the smallest aerial vehicles, drones, and teaches flight from a hands-on perspective.

The Pilot’s Basic training is 2 courses;

• 1 course for real-world drone pilots who support the Mojave Ranger weekend airsoft games at Fort Edwards
  • as Fort Edwards air operations expand the real-world courses will expand to include powered parachutes, ultralights and light sport aircraft.
• a Fallout-themed simulator course that teaches simulator pilots to run very small aviation operations in support of the Mojave Rangers and 1st Special Forces Group in the campaigns against the Mojave raiders.

Post-Apocalyptic Aviation

The 2o2nd LARP scenario is based 200 years in the future in the Fallout: New Vegas video game world. Aviation technology has been largely lost although airships, vertibirds and other light aircraft are in use.

The 202nd Aviation Support Battalion uses drones, powered parachutes, ultralights and light sport aircraft to support Mojave Ranger and 1st Special Forces operations in the Mojave Desert. The 202nd is based at Fort Edwards, an NCR fort about 15 miles northeast of the remnants of Edwards Air Force Base.

Live-Action Role Play for Real-World Training

The 3rd SOB is a LARP airsoft club that runs weekend training and games from a 2.5 acre fort on the western edge of the Mojave Desert. 3rd SOB uses drones for safety and over watch during regular airsoft games, which provides an excellent resource for training Ranger UAV teams.

Real-World 202nd flight training works from smallest to largest, starting with the UAV Basic Course, which introduces new pilots to basic flight procedures and flight training. The UAV Basic Course ground school sections also cover about 80% of the ground school needed for the Cessna 172, which is the largest aircraft that might ever be used by the 202nd in the real-world.

Pertinent FAA Licenses and Training, Largest to Smallest

• A Private Pilot License (PPL) allows you to fly solo or with passengers for personal, non-commercial purposes. It requires a minimum of 40 hours of flight training (usually 60–80 hours in practice), along with ground school, a written exam, and a checkride. Costing roughly $15-$25k, it generally takes 3–6 months to complete.
• A Sport Pilot Certificate is an FAA-issued license requiring a minimum of 20 flight hours (15 dual, 5 solo) to fly 2-seat light-sport aircraft (LSA). It allows daytime, VFR flying with one passenger, using a driver’s license instead of an FAA medical certificate. The license serves as a faster, more affordable entry into aviation.
• Ultralight flight training is not legally required in the U.S. for FAR Part 103 single-seat vehicles, but it is highly recommended for safety. Training usually involves 10–15 hours of dual instruction in a two-seat trainer to learn flight basics. While no license is needed, many pilots train under the Sport Pilot curriculum to gain proficiency in flying skills, regulations, and safety.
• Powered Parachute (PPC) flight training typically requires a minimum of 12 flight hours (10 dual, 2 solo) for a Sport Pilot certificate, including 100+ takeoffs/landings, ground school, a written exam, and a practical check ride. Training covers wing layout, engine maintenance, meteorology, and navigation.
• Drone or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) flight training prepares pilots to operate unmanned aircraft safely and legally, focusing on FAA Part 107 certification for commercial operations, hands-on flight maneuvering, and specialized skills like mapping or photography. Training options range from online ground schools to in-person, hands-on flight instruction, with many courses covering regulations, safety, and emergency procedures.
• Ground School is the academic, theoretical portion of pilot training that prepares students for the FAA knowledge test and flight training. It covers essential topics like aerodynamics, meteorology, federal aviation regulations, navigation, and aircraft systems. Ground school is often completed in-person or online, usually within 4 weeks.

Flight Training: Real v. Simulated

Real-world 202nd Flight Training has 4 phases,

• Ground School: In Ground School you’ll learn about our local area near KTSP and about our planes, airports, weather, instruments and procedures and how it all works together.
• Basic Flight Training 1 – UAV: In Basic Flight Training 1 you’ll meet the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and learn all about it. By the end of this section, you’ll have an understanding of the UAV and how it’s used for Ranger and 1^st SFG missions.
• Basic Flight Training 2 – Powered Parachute: In Basic Flight Training 2 you’ll meet the Powered Parachute and learn how it’s used for Ranger and 1^st SFG missions.
• Flight Training 3 – Ultralight Aircraft: In Flight Training 3 you’ll meet the Ultralight Aircraft and learn how it’s used for Ranger and 1^st SFG missions.
• Flight Training 4 – Light Sport Aircraft: Basic Flight Training 4 is the first level with an FAA license for a non-drone. The Zenith CH750 SD STOL is a 2-seat, home-built LSA that can definitely exist in the Fallout world.

202nd flies drone missions to support the Mojave Rangers on weekends at Fort Edwards. As our training, equipment and certifications increase we’ll add more complex air operations.

Simulator Flight Training

202nd Aviation Support Bn uses a combination of video games, flight simulators and online training course to teach simulator pilots to manage the 202nd online game operations in the On Air Company game world.

Based at KTSP in Tehachapi, CA, 202nd Aviation Support Bn’s Ranger Support Pilot Basic Course is an in-house training program for new pilots joining the 202nd family. Our largest passenger and cargo aircraft is the Skyjeep STOL 2-seater and we fly a variety of jobs from tiny mountain airstrips to long desert runways.

The Ranger Support Pilot Basic Course walks new pilots through the basics of flight, a simple Ground School and then basic online simulator pilot training.

• Ground School: In Ground School you’ll learn about our local area near KTSP and about our planes, airports, weather, instruments and procedures and how it all works together.
• Basic Flight Training 1: Ultralight Aircraft – In Flight Training 1 you’ll meet the Ultralight Aircraft and learn how it’s used for Ranger and 1^st SFG missions.
• Flight Training 2: Light Sport Aircraft – Basic Flight Training 4 is the first level with an FAA license for a non-drone. The Zenith CH750 SD STOL is a 2-seat, home-built LSA that can definitely exist in the Fallout world.
• Check Ride: For your final test watch the check ride videos and log your check ride flight(s).

The goal of the simulator training is to give sim pilots the tools for a richer, more enjoyable flight sim game, but to also give real-world flight trainees some beginner tools and games for building their experience. Those playing the 202nd Aviation Support Bn On Air game obviously can’t use the powered parachute or drone operations, and unless students have real-world certifications or are under supervision of an instructor, then they can’t fly the drones, powered parachutes and planes at Fort Edwards, in the real-world.