Editing Pilot

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Center|For the armor permutation, see [[PILOT-class Mjolnir]].}}
{{References}}
{{Wikipedia|Aviator}}
A '''pilot''' is a person who can operate and maneuver an airborne or space-borne [[vehicle]].

== UNSC ==
[[File:Pilot With Hornet.jpg|thumb|250px|A UNSC pilot next to a [[Hornet]].]]
There are pilots in all main branches of the [[United Nations Space Command]] armed forces: the [[UNSC Air Force|Air Force]], [[UNSC Navy|Navy]], the [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine Corps]], and [[Spartan Operations]]. Large crews of Navy crewmen operate and maintain UNSC starships; the command and control of the vessel is carried out from the [[bridge]]. Many UNSC [[Template:UNSC Aircraft|aerospace craft]] can all be operated by just one pilot, as can [[Bumblebee]] lifepods. During the [[Human-Covenant War]], human pilots typically had significant tactical advantages and often outnumbered their Covenant equivalents in early engagements, though were often moot against the technological superiority of Covenant fighters such as the [[Seraph]].<ref name="WFSeraph">'''[[Halo: Warfleet – An Illustrated Guide to the Spacecraft of Halo|Halo: Warfleet]]''', Strikecraft, p. 58-59</ref>

The Pelicans of the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} were seemingly exclusively operated by pilots from [[23rd Naval Air Squadron]], while the Pelicans of the {{UNSCShip|In Amber Clad}} were operated by Marine pilots.

=== Uniforms ===
UNSC Air Force pilots wear [[fatigues]] with teal-toned camouflage and white chest armor. The suit lacks the additional armor plating worn by most Army troopers or Marines on the knees and shoulders due to space constraints in their vehicles' cockpits. On missions in a vacuum, the suit can be sealed off and an enclosed [[CH252 helmet|standard combat helmet]] is worn with it.<ref>'''[[Halo: Reach]]''', campaign levels ''[[Tip of the Spear]], [[Long Night of Solace (level)|Long Night of Solace]]''</ref>{{Ref/Note|Since it has been specified that Falcons in ''Halo: Reach'' are part of UNSC Air Force units such as [[AMX-4]] and [[AMX-42]], it can be assumed that the pilots, who wear outfits distinct from other UNSC units in the game, are part of the Air Force.}} Additionally, [[UNSC Air Force Pilot helmet|a type of helmet]] has been specifically developed for UNSC Air Force pilots. This helmet is presumably used in normal missions while the combat helmet is worn on operations where direct combat, such as [[Naval boarding|boarding action]], is expected.

While only select UNSC personnel operate space-borne and airborne craft, all marines of the UNSC Marine Corps are seen to demonstrate prowess in operating all UNSC ground vehicles - [[Scorpions]], [[Warthogs]], and [[M274 Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle|Mongooses]], and even the Covenant {{Pattern|Karo'etba|Ghost}} as well. ODSTs also operate their own [[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle]]s.

In [[2552#September|late 2552]], Marine dropship and Falcon pilots wore ballistic helmets with a golden visor and an [[Integrated Helmet and Display Sight System]] for remote-control of on-board weaponry.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]'''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo: Fireteam Raven]]'''</ref> The rest of the outfit is the [[UNSC Marine Corps Battle Dress Uniform|same]] as that of the Marine infantrymen. In [[2552#November|November 2552]], Marine pilots were seen wearing similar body armor to that of a Marine but with a [[TALON-class flight helmet]].{{Ref/Game|Id=HI|HINF|Armor customization (Halo Infinite)|Armor Hall|Detail=Talon - Helmet Description|Quote=The latest models of the venerable TALON flight helmet are fully compatible with Mjolnir neural interfaces and vehicle cyberlink standards.}} The chest armor is also equipped with an additional control panel.

More modern craft such as the [[F-41 Broadsword]] feature full cyberlink interfaces for augmented pilots, inertial compensators to negate the effects of high-G maneuvers and targeting fotware compatible with [[VISR]] interfaces.<ref name="WFBroadsword">'''Halo: Warfleet''', Fighters, p.28-29</ref> [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] has seen several different pilot-centric armour configurations, with the Mark V and GEN2 platform hosting a compatible version of the [[PILOT-class Mjolnir|air force pilot helmet]]. Then [[GEN2]] platform has seen a larger variety of suits intended for pilot use, with the [[AVIATOR-class Mjolnir|AVIATOR]] designed for compatibility with a wide range of UNSC aerospace craft. Other variants include [[FOEHAMMER-class Mjolnir|FOEHAMMER]], which induces full-body paralysis similar to that observed by Covenant Seraph pilots, [[ICARUS-class Mjolnir|ICARUS]], [[VALKYRIE-class Mjolnir|VALKYRIE]] and [[VECTOR-class Mjolnir|VECTOR]]. The [[STINGER-class Mjolnir|STINGER]] variant was also designed for in-built compatibility with the [[AV-49 Wasp]].

=== Named UNSC craft with mentioned pilots ===
[[File:HI DH FirstPerson.png|thumb|Fernando Esparza, acting pilot of Echo 216 in May, 2560.]]
*[[Bravo 001]] - Flight Officer [[Mitchell]] - [[KIA]]
*[[Bravo 022]] - KIA
*[[Charlie 217]] - Lieutenant [[Rick Hale]] - KIA  
*[[Delta 331]] - Captain [[B. Wallace]]
*[[Echo 136]] - [[Lieutenant Peterson]] - KIA
*[[Echo 206]] - [[Sheila Polaski|Petty Officer, Second Class Polaski]] - KIA
*[[Echo 216]] - [[Fernando Esparza]] - Alive
*[[Echo 419]] - [[Foehammer|Captain Carol "Foehammer" Rawley]] - KIA + Lieutenant [[Frye]] - KIA + Crew Chief [[Cullen]] - KIA
*[[Kilo 023]] - [[Hocus]] - Active service
*[[Victor 933]] - Active service although Pelican was destroyed 
*[[Knife 26]] - most likely KIA

== Covenant ==
[[File:Flight Elite.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Sangheili]] [[Flight harness]] is optimized for combat pilots.]]
As an enormous spacefaring empire, the [[Covenant]] hosts a large number of client species capable of piloting crafts. Groups of [[Jiralhanae]] or [[Sangheili]] can operate a spaceborne Covenant ship, such as the {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} or the {{Pattern|Varric|heavy cruiser}}, by operation of [[holography|holographic]] consoles at the control [[bridge]] of the warship. As with all Covenant technology, the [[Huragok]] assist in the technical maintenance of warship systems.

A single Jiralhanae or Sangheili can pilot a single person attack [[Space fighter|fighter]] as well as [[Phantom]] and [[Spirit]] dropships, with the pilots of the Seraph fighters drawn from the ranks of the [[Obedientaries]].{{Ref/Reuse|WFSeraph}} To Sangheili, strikecraft such as the Seraph were considered war chariots used to attain personal glory, with any military purpose considered secondary. These Sangheili, hope to accumulate enough acclaim to be allowed to serve on the ground, with the vehicles themselves not worthy of recognition, simply tools to be expended in battle. Sangheili pilot training emphasises cooperation and mutual support, though Sangheili pilots have the tendency to split off and hunt individual targets without assistance.{{Ref/Reuse|WFSeraph}} In battle, Seraph pilots were organised into Talons of eight or more pilots. Each Talon was then split into hunting pairs while on a mission.{{Ref/Reuse|WFSeraph}}

On the other hand, Jiralhanae pilots have a different relationship with their machines, with pilots jealously guarding those they had claimed and giving them secret names. [[Pack|Clan]] sigils and [[Forerunner]] glyphs are hand-carved into the hulls to signify battle honours and damage scars, and the pilots of each ship formed close-knit packs that ate, fought and died together. Brute pilots were not afforded the training given to their Elite conterparts, but their human pilots soon learned to fear them the most.{{Ref/Reuse|WFSeraph}} Though uncommon, [[Unggoy]] are also known to be able to pilot Banshees, albeit clumsily.<ref name="gruntpilot">'''[[Halo: The Flood]]''', ''page ??''</ref> 

Covenant strikecraft pilots connect to their flight systems using direct [[neural interface]]s, which employ very minimal safety cutouts or filters. The pilot's body is rendered immobile to prevent self-injury and agony is inflicted in exchange for superior control of the ship. The Sangheili enter battle-meditation before completing the machine link protocols to control the pain, while Jiralhanae pilots embrace the interface burn to trigger their own focus.{{Ref/Reuse|WFSeraph}} In addition, the Sangheili-developed [[Flight harness]] also features a hyper-wave link for cleaner craft interactions and a mouth piece that retains a multi-port for use with older {{Pattern|Keljiric|Tarasque}}s and {{Pattern|N'weo|Gigas}}. The more compact deltoid armor has less of an impact on the elite's range of motion in the cramped compartments of subluminal space craft and reduces overall fatigue in multi-phase interdiction missions. The less cumbersome cage utilizes aligned composites to postpone the onset of fatigue and the explicit primary environment multi-port is less restrictive than older helmet multi-port.<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', ''armor description''</ref>

Sangheili often disliked piloting of dropships such as the Spirit, preferring to leave the task to [[Kig-Yar]] and [[Unggoy]] instead.<ref name="WF74">''Halo: Warfleet'', Troop Carriers, p.74-75</ref>

==Trivia==
*In ''Halo 3'', the UNSC pilot helmet is not sealed properly, which can be seen when the player looks underneath their helmets.
*Pilots in ''Halo 2'' wear helmets strongly reminiscent of the Cyborg's helmet from Bungie's earlier ''[[Marathon]]'' series of first-person shooter games.
*If a VTOL pilot is infected by the [[Flood]] in ''Halo 3'', they will take on the appearance of a standard Marine, not a pilot variation. This is because there is only one model for Human Combat Forms.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:UNSC-Pilot.jpg|The UNSC pilot outfit in ''Halo: Combat Evolved''.
File:Bumblebee pilot - CEA.jpg|A Bumblebee pilot in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''.
File:H2 MarinesScorpion.jpg|A group of Marines, one of them wearing a pilot uniform in ''Halo 2''.
File:H2 PelicanPilots.jpg|Two Pilots in ''Halo 2''.
File:H3 Marine Pilot Concept.jpg|''Halo 3'' concept art for a UNSC Marine pilot.
File:H3-UNSCVTOLPilot.png|A UNSC VTOL pilot from ''Halo 3''.
File:UNSCPilot-scantransparent.png|A transparent scan of the UNSC pilot of ''[[Halo 3]]'', from the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]''.
File:Pilot on Hornet.jpg|Two [[UNSC]] pilots, one riding on the [[Hornet]]'s wing, the other piloting the aircraft.
File:H3 Pilot helmet.jpg|A close up of a UNSC VTOL pilot's helmet.
File:Boarder.png|A UNSC Army pilot boarder in ''Halo: Reach''.
File:HR Pilot Helmet Icon.png|The UNSC Air Force pilot helmet adapted to the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR armor]].
File:H4-SO-UNSCPilot.jpg|Render of a pilot for ''Halo 4''<nowiki />'s ''[[Spartan Ops|Halo: Infinity]]'' CGI series.
File:Halo 2A Marine Pilots.jpeg|Two Marine pilots flying a [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelican]] in ''[[Halo 2 Anniversary]]''.
File:HINF-PIlothelmet.jpg|Renders of a pilot helmet for ''[[Halo Infinite]]''.
File:HINF-Pilothelmet1.jpg|More renders
File:HTV-Pelicanpilots.png|Pelican pilots in ''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''.
File:MEGA NMPD Pilot Blue.jpg|A pilot of the [[New Mombasa Police Department]].
</gallery>

==Notes==
{{Ref/Notes}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

[[Category:UNSC combat occupations]]