PURPOSE & LIMITATIONS OF AI PILOTS
PURPOSE OF AI
AI Pilots are one of five AH features that are intended to make it possible for AH users who want to fly large AC to progress to that reasonably quickly without resorting to paying $10,000,000 for hauling a Skylane full of cabbages 200 NM.
AI are a means to an end, i.e. a cash generating mechanism, thinly disguised as trash-hauling aviation operations. That aspect of AH is not intended to be highly realisitic because the AH design philosopy included a conscious objective for it not to become the main focus of AH. While AI operations may not be rigorously realistic, they are plausible and effective. AI pilots are a reasonably reliable generator of cash, but have a dark side which will pull a 35 inch vacuum on your company's bank account if not managed with reasonable care. That's as realistic as it was ever intended to be.
LIMITATIONS OF AI
1) Single Mindedness: You may load up an AI Pilot's scedule with multiple jobs which will be handled singly in the order they are assigned. Jobs may be un-assigned and re-assigned to the same or different pilots, but in any event, each job is prosecuted to completion before the next one is begun, even if more efficient sequencing or inter-mixing of jobs might seem obvious. AI are incredibly single-minded and don't even become aware of job #2 until job #1 is complete. Do not expect AI pilots to pick up return cargo between the legs of a multi-trip job, even if it is available - they are utterly incapable of such an operation.
2) Full Fuel: AI always fly with full fuel tanks. Their AC cargo capacity is limited to the AH Cargo Capacity statistic for the aircraft, which derives from...
AH Cargo Capacity = MTOW - (Empty Weight + Weight of full fuel)
3) MTOW Limit: One of the visible attributes of AI Pilots is their MTOW Limit. AI Pilots cannot be assigned to an AC with an MTOW that exceeds the pilot's MTOW Limit. The MTOW Limit can be found on the Pilots screen. MTOW Limit increases with pilot rank, which increases from time to time based on the number of jobs completed.
4) Runway Lengths: When an AI pilot is assigned a job, AH compares the assigned AC MTOW rating and the length of the longest runway at the job destination airport. If the runway length is insufficent for the AC, in accordance with the Runway Lengths table (elsewhere in this thread) then AH will not permit the job to be assigned.
5) AI Pilot Rating: AI Pilots possess an attribute "score" expressed as a percentage (with a related number of stars), which is visible in the Pilots screen. Each Pilot's Rating is a composite of four non-viewable attributes, each with a weighting factor associated. The Rating is a weighted average of the pilot's current scores in those four attribute areas. Among the attributes are two that may roughly be thought of as "flying ability" and "work ethic". There are two others about which even less is known. Each of the attributes affects the pilot's performance in certain aspects of carrying out his assignments. A pilot's attributes will change over time with experience.
6) Reputation: AI pilots do not gain reputation for jobs completed, however they can cost you reputation for jobs failed. The positive benefit for which AI are intended is the generation of cash. The offsetting negative effect is that, if not carefully managed (and occasionally even if they are), they can cost your company money and reputation.