Astartes Aircraft Pilots

[The Sovereign]

Are Astartes aircraft all piloted by techmarines? Need to know for modeling purposes. Thanks.

[jgebi]

I think their like assault marines just cooler :P but also some chapter serfs are trained to fly

[Mr.Pickelz]

They're not Techmarines per-say, (the pilots) however they are trained to take care of the vehicle they're attached to. A full blown Techmarine would be able to deal with any and all vehicles, and weapons/gear.

[Nabterayl]

Imperial Armour 2 is explicit that space marine vehicles - from Thunderhawks on down - are all crewed by company personnel, not techmarines.

Personally, I find this the most plausible explanation. The 5th edition codices included hard numbers if techmarines in chapters, and the entire Armory seems to include only two or three dozen techmarines for the entire chapter. It also fits with the general codex structure, in which the line companies routinely draw on the reserve companies for support personnel.

The 6th and 7th companies are noted as being particular specialists as vehicle crews, so it makes sense that more pilots would come from those companies than any other. That also tends to fit with the theme of flyers being especially rare, since 6th and 7th companies would be among the most veteran in the chapter. That said, according to IA2 all marines are trained to operate all vehicles in the chapter armory, so a pilot COULD come from any of 1st through 9th companies.

All of this sort of clashes with the fact that Citadel continues to put out crew members with techmarine iconography. The best synthesis I've seen (come up with on this forum a few months back) is that when a battle brother is made a custodian (the technical name for a vehicle crew member), he likely modifies his armor with machine cult markings to honor the spirit of the machine he has just been partnered with. After all, (i) the power armor interfaces directly with the machine, and (ii) being assigned to a vehicle is like being entrusted with a prized warhorse. Given that, it seems not unlikely that the marine would modify his armor for the duration of the assignment, kind of like they do when seconded to the Deathwatch.

[ilan.inglis]

Nabterayl is correct. I try to have cog wheel pauldron on all my crew, and any way, paint them red. even on rhinos and land speeders.

[The Sovereign]

Okay, thanks for the clarification, guys. I play Space Wolves, and was considering whether to use the cog and skull pauldron for my Storm Eagle pilot, or just model him with the generic pauldrons of his squad (grey hunter) and company (Logan Grimnar). I may just give him the generic pauldrons, then. I already modeled my land raider multi melta gunner as a regular grey hunter, so it would at the very least be consistent.

Much appreciated!

[Koremu]

What follows is head-canon, but generally fits with the setting as far as it's been explained by GW:

In what I've written as backstory for my Space Marine Company, I've generally alluded to Brothers being given vehicle training & duties as the first stage of assessment and training on the path to being sent to Mars to become a fully-fledged Techmarine.

It starts with those who show particular aptitude for complex features of the standard Heavy Weapons or Bikes, who are then given special training rites on how to pilot and repair the Rhino and/or Land Speeder. From there, they progress to the slightly more complex and difficult vehicles (first Razorback then Predator); then into the Ordnance vehicles, before the final test - their compatibility with the awesome power of the machine spirit.

If they succeed in a tour of duty as a Land Raider (or Storm Raven) pilot, they get sent to Mars.


I kind of envisage two "tracks" of training;
Rhino > Razorback > Predator > Whirlwind > Vindicator > Land Raider
Tornado > Typhoon > Tempest > Stormtalon > Stormraven

[droozy]

I thought many of the flyers were piloted by servitors or is that more if a general imperial thing?

[Nabterayl]

The aircraft (from Thunderhawk down) are piloted by battle-brothers, though some do have servitor assistance (such as the gun servitor in a Storm Raven turret). Starships (from rapid strike vessel up) are crewed by servitors, serfs, and battle-brothers, with there being more servitors than serfs and more serfs than battle-brothers.

[Lord Lorne Walkier]

This might help a bit...... http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/doom-flight-ebook.html

[The Sovereign]

Cool, thanks Walkier. I'll just make my pilot a wolf guard then.

[Tynskel]

What follows is head-canon, but generally fits with the setting as far as it's been explained by GW:

In what I've written as backstory for my Space Marine Company, I've generally alluded to Brothers being given vehicle training & duties as the first stage of assessment and training on the path to being sent to Mars to become a fully-fledged Techmarine.

It starts with those who show particular aptitude for complex features of the standard Heavy Weapons or Bikes, who are then given special training rites on how to pilot and repair the Rhino and/or Land Speeder. From there, they progress to the slightly more complex and difficult vehicles (first Razorback then Predator); then into the Ordnance vehicles, before the final test - their compatibility with the awesome power of the machine spirit.

If they succeed in a tour of duty as a Land Raider (or Storm Raven) pilot, they get sent to Mars.


I kind of envisage two "tracks" of training;
Rhino > Razorback > Predator > Whirlwind > Vindicator > Land Raider
Tornado > Typhoon > Tempest > Stormtalon > Stormraven

Fun background.