Grand Flight

Grand Flight is the 15th mission of Ace Combat: Joint Assault. This mission is famous for its solo difficulty, as well as for the fact that it marks the first moment in Ace Combat history where a player can man a Boeing airliner, in this case the 747-200B.

Plot
Andre Olivieri, CEO of Olivieri Life Insurance and one of the IUPF's major financial backers needs to cross through territory controlled by the Valahia, and has requested the IUPF to dispatch their best pilots, the Antares Squadron, for the job. The particular area Andre needs to travel through is a region in the mountains of Turkey where the Mora radar jamming site was located.

Mission briefing
"One of the IUPF's major backers must cross territory currently under Valahian control. He has personally requested that the IUPF's best fly his Boeing 747. In other words, you. The area in question is where the Mora jamming facility was. Valahia remnants still linger there. As you will be unable to counter-attack, you will have to use all of your piloting skills for evasion. Your callsign for this operation will be "OLI1." I understand these are irregular circumstances, but even the top brass cannot deny this man. You will be personally piloting the personal jet of Andre Olivier, a recent big shot in the business community. He is said to be an eccentric man. Give him as smooth a ride as possible."

Phase 1
(TURKEY. 16:26hrs., 14 Apr. The camera follows Antares One's 747 as it flies over the mountains of Mora. As the camera slowly zooms in, Andre Olivieri begins speaking.)

Andre Olivieri: (on a phone) Hah, you gotta be joking. Listen, we're not selling them an insurance plan. We're selling them the whole darn war damage insurance business! There's no way we can sell it for pocket change. Do you recall the figure I proposed? It's 400 billion. Four zero zero billion! Not one Euro less. And make sure they pay in cash! You get that? One more thing. I'm not going tohere to negiotiate. I'm going there to sign on the dotted line! It must be cash. Capiche!? (short pause) Huh! Well if you got all that then what are you waiting for? (angrily) Get going! Idiot!

(Fade to black. Gameplay.)

[Mission start]

Olivieri: Hey, can't we go any faster!? Since we're going through Valahia territory, I thought it'd be a good idea to hire an IUPF ace. But nothing's happening. What a waste of money.

(The 747 is locked onto by missiles. Andre hears the warning alarm.)

Olivieri: Huh!?

Hazawa: SAM detected. Watch out. You're completely surrounded.

Burford: OLI1, emergency descent! Escape into the valley ahead!

(Antares dives into lower altitude as a group of missiles harmlessly pass over them.)

Olivieri: (frightened) Uwah! Uwaaaaaah!

(Fade to black. Phase 1 ends.)

Phase 2
Burford: OLI1, are you still with us? We've recieved attack by SAMs. We'll have to stay low in the valley until we find the means to escape. Keep your altitude under 3200. Go any higher and you risk being targeted.

(OLI1 passes over a Valahian gunboat opening fire. As the airliner passes through, a formation of Valahian AH-64 helicopters enter in hot pursuit.)

Burford: OLI1, hostile choppers on your six. OLI1, you're unarmed. Focus on evading enemy fire.

(OLI1 keeps moving onwards. Several seconds later, the plane runs into a large bridge.)

Burford: There's a large bridge ahead. Be careful not to crash into it.

(Antares One maneuvers through the bridge. Shortly thereafter, an explosion is heard and the pursuing Apaches disappear from radar.)

Burford: Hostile helicopters crashed into the bridge. Excellent flying, OLI1.

(Afterwards, OLI1 continues down the valley. Eventually, the 747 reaches a curve.)

Burford: OLI1, the ravine curves up ahead. Stay calm. Watch your flight path.

(Moments after bypassing the curve, the 747 reaches a fork in the valley.)

Burford: Look ahead. The ravine divides into two. The right-hand route is the shorter of the two, but looks to offer heavier hostile resistance. The left hand route is something of a detour but will protect you from concentrated hostile attack. OLI1, I will leave the decision to you. Select a route.

Right path
(As the 747 maneuvers through a curve, it is spotted by Valahian gunships.)

Valahian soldier: Fire, fire! Get them out of the ravine!

Burford: Watch out for hostile gunboats, too.

Burford: Looking for a challenge? I should have guessed as much. Show them what you've got.

Olivieri: You're telling me that this is the ace pilot of the IUPF? Can't he fly any better than this?

(OLI1 runs into another bridge.)

Burford: There're hostile forces on the bridge. Watch out.

Hazawa: Confirmed hostile armed helicopters coming in from the front at gunboats from below.

Burford: They've been lying in wait. OLI1, do whatever it takes to get through this place. You have hostiles along both the top and bottom of your flight path. You'll have to weave through them.

Olivieri: Hey, hey, hey! Tell the pilot I'm not going to pay him if anything else like this happens!

(Antares One manages to fly through the Valahian forces, and eventually manages to escape from the ravine into the Mora plains,)

Hazawa: Cleared the ravine area. No bogeys on radar. Removing altitude limit.

Olivieri: Oh, so he's shaken the Valahia off? Finally! Haha, they weren't much of a threat at all! They should have just followed my original plan. Founding a country? Progress? They're nothing but a bunch of dogs caught in futile illusions!

Nicolae Dumitrescu: Haha, allow me to correct your assessment of us.

Olivieri: What!? This voice-- Dumitrescu!? We have been out of touch for too long, Mr, Olivieri. You thought us dogs, held by a leash of money. How unfortunate. We are wolves, wolves who can chew through any leash!

Burford: Halfway to combat zone border. (to Hazawa) Situation report!

Hazawa: Missiles incoming! A lot of them!

Olivieri: What now? Is it them again?

Hazawa: You're surrounded by armed helicopters!

Burford: OLI1, it's an ambush! Head to the escape zone ASAP! Hostiles are desperate to shoot you down. Everything relies on your piloting skills.

(Upon approaching the destination marker)

Burford: Almost at combat zone border! We're counting on you!

(Antares One manages to fly through the Valahian hail of fire, and reaches the destination to escape Mora.)

Hazawa: OLI1 has reached combat zone border.

(Fade to black. The 747 is now at 10,000ft., flying out of Mora.)

Burford: Hostiles appear to have given up. Well done, OLI1.

Olivieri: Are we in safe territory? So, we managed to escape? I had my doubts about the IUPF ace for a moment there, but I guess he's worth what I paid him for. (to a phone) Olivieri here. Yes, yes, it's been a while. Now, about selling that insurance--

(Fade to black. The panoram changes as OLI1 prepares to land at a friendly airport.)

Ally Soldier: Antares, please perform a landing check. Initiating landing guidance.

(OLI1 lands at the airport. Fade to black.)

[Mission end]

Mission debriefing
"You made it safely through Valahia territory. Good work, especially in a seat with unfamiliar controls. Mr. Olivieri was also impressed with your skills, although he sounded like he was quite busy. But was the relay with the Valahia member real? The attack was awfully fierce for a mere civilian target. In any case, we have an emergency operationin our hands. Valahia forces have been located transporting nuclear fuel. We need to join up with the attack party."