Omicron Galaxy

Aviation Division

17 min read

Aviation Division

Division Profile

Faction: Hell Hosts
Type: Military Aviation Division
Status: Active
Primary Role: Atmospheric and aerospace warfare
Secondary Roles: Transport, reconnaissance, close air support, strategic bombing, combat rescue, electronic warfare
Motto: “We own the skies.”
Unofficial Saying: “We don’t ask for clear skies. We take them.”
Traditional Memorial Phrase: “Beyond the Horizon.”

Overview

The Aviation Division is the primary atmospheric and aerospace aviation branch of the Hell Hosts military.

Responsible for everything from air superiority and strategic bombing to troop insertion and emergency evacuation, Aviation provides the aerial support required for Hell Host operations across the Omicron Galaxy.

Its personnel operate alongside nearly every major Hell Host division.

Where the Doom Corps advances, Aviation flies overhead.

Where isolated soldiers require extraction, Aviation brings them home.

Where enemy aircraft threaten Hell Host forces, Aviation removes them.

The division has developed a reputation for exceptional pilots, aggressive air doctrine, strong squadron culture, and an almost unreasonable willingness to fly into environments other military branches consider impossible.

Its philosophy is summarised by its motto:

“We own the skies.”

Responsibilities

The Aviation Division is responsible for:

  • Air superiority
  • Aerospace interception
  • Close air support
  • Strategic bombing
  • Tactical bombing
  • Reconnaissance
  • Electronic warfare
  • Troop transportation
  • Combat insertion
  • Medical evacuation
  • Combat search and rescue
  • Heavy-lift transportation
  • Atmospheric operations
  • Aerospace operations
  • Pilot training
  • Aircrew training
  • Air-to-ground coordination
  • Carrier-based aircraft operations
  • Drone operations

Aviation personnel may operate from:

  • Planetary airbases
  • Forward operating bases
  • Military installations
  • Orbital facilities
  • Hell Host capital ships
  • Fleet carriers
  • Temporary battlefield landing zones

Aviation and the Hell Host Fleets

The Aviation Division does not command Hell Host capital ships.

Large vessels and fleet formations remain under their respective fleet command structures.

Instead, Aviation personnel operate the aircraft deployed from those vessels.

A fighter launched from the Hell Host Commonwealth, for example, may belong to the Aviation Division while the Commonwealth itself remains under Fleet One command.

This distinction allows Aviation squadrons to be temporarily assigned to different fleets depending on operational requirements.

Fleet Aviation

Assignment aboard one of the major Hell Host fleets is considered prestigious among Aviation personnel.

Fleet Aviation pilots must be capable of operating in both atmospheric and vacuum environments.

Additional qualifications commonly include:

  • Carrier launches
  • Carrier landings
  • Zero-gravity navigation
  • High-speed aerospace interception
  • Fleet formation coordination
  • Emergency vacuum procedures
  • Anti-ship strike operations

Only experienced pilots are normally considered for permanent fleet assignments.

Personnel

Despite its reputation, the Aviation Division consists of far more than pilots.

Its personnel include:

Pilots

Responsible for operating fighters, bombers, gunships, transports and other aircraft.

Weapons Systems Officers

Operate advanced targeting systems, electronic warfare equipment and secondary weapon systems aboard multi-crew aircraft.

Aircrew

Includes:

  • Gunners
  • Loadmasters
  • Flight engineers
  • Navigation specialists
  • Mission specialists

Combat Controllers

Aviation personnel deployed directly alongside ground forces.

Combat Controllers coordinate:

  • Air strikes
  • Landing zones
  • Evacuations
  • Bombing runs
  • Reconnaissance support
  • Emergency extraction

They frequently operate alongside the Doom Corps and other frontline formations.

Ground Crews

Responsible for maintaining, repairing, refuelling and rearming Aviation aircraft.

Ground crews possess a reputation for being fiercely protective of the aircraft assigned to them.

Many pilots joke that damaging an aircraft is considerably less frightening than explaining the damage to its maintenance crew.

Rescue Crews

Specialists trained for:

  • Downed pilot recovery
  • Combat extraction
  • Medical evacuation
  • Hostile-zone rescue
  • Crash-site response

Rescue crews frequently operate under extreme battlefield conditions.

Flight Instructors

Veteran pilots responsible for training the next generation of Aviation personnel.

Many instructors are former combat pilots who accumulated extensive operational experience before transferring into training roles.

Some voluntarily return to combat service during major wars.

Organisational Structure

Unlike ground forces, Aviation primarily organises combat personnel into aerial formations rather than conventional battalions.

The standard structure is:

Flight → Squadron → Wing → Air Group

Flight

The smallest standard operational formation.

A Flight normally consists of several aircraft operating together during a mission.

Flights are commonly used for:

  • Patrols
  • Escort missions
  • Interception
  • Reconnaissance
  • Small strike operations

Squadron

The primary operational unit of the Aviation Division.

Squadrons specialise according to aircraft and mission profile.

Examples include:

  • Fighter squadrons
  • Bomber squadrons
  • Gunship squadrons
  • Transport squadrons
  • Reconnaissance squadrons
  • Rescue squadrons
  • Electronic warfare squadrons

Pilots often identify more strongly with their squadron than with the wider Aviation Division.

Wing

A Wing consists of multiple squadrons operating under unified command.

Wings may specialise in a particular operational role or combine several aircraft types.

One notable example is:

18th Skyborne Wing

which specialises heavily in troop insertion and works closely with Hell Host drop forces.

Air Group

Air Groups are major Aviation formations capable of supporting planetary campaigns, fleet deployments and large-scale military operations.

They may contain multiple Wings alongside:

  • Maintenance formations
  • Logistics personnel
  • Command aircraft
  • Rescue units
  • Drone support
  • Intelligence personnel

18th Skyborne Wing

The 18th Skyborne Wing is one of the Aviation Division’s most notable insertion formations.

Its pilots specialise in delivering troops directly into contested environments.

The Wing frequently works alongside:

GDST

Galactic Drop Shock Troopers

during high-risk deployment operations.

18th Skyborne pilots are trained to operate under:

  • Heavy anti-aircraft fire
  • Extreme weather
  • Urban combat
  • Mountainous terrain
  • Active orbital engagements
  • Collapsing defensive lines
  • Emergency evacuation conditions

Among its known personnel is:

Skyfall

an experienced insertion pilot known for deploying Hell Host soldiers directly into active combat zones.

Skyfall has worked extensively alongside GDST personnel, including:

Hardfall

a GDST Lance Corporal.

Pilot Training

Becoming a member of the Aviation Division does not automatically qualify someone as a combat pilot.

Pilot training is considered one of the most demanding qualification processes within the Hell Host military.

Training is divided into several stages.

Basic Flight Training

Candidates learn:

  • Basic aircraft operation
  • Navigation
  • Atmospheric flight
  • Communication procedures
  • Emergency response
  • Formation flying
  • Basic mechanical knowledge

Candidates who fail to meet required standards may transfer into other Aviation roles.

Advanced Flight Training

Successful candidates progress into:

  • Combat manoeuvres
  • High-speed flight
  • Weapons training
  • Emergency landings
  • Electronic warfare response
  • Advanced navigation
  • Extreme weather operations
  • Battlefield coordination

Specialisation

Pilots then select or are assigned an operational speciality.

Common specialisations include:

  • Fighter
  • Interceptor
  • Bomber
  • Gunship
  • Transport
  • Reconnaissance
  • Search and rescue
  • Electronic warfare

Combat Certification

The final stage qualifies pilots for active military deployment.

Combat certification tests:

  • Decision-making
  • Situational awareness
  • Formation discipline
  • Weapons proficiency
  • Emergency response
  • Stress tolerance
  • Mission coordination

Only after certification may a pilot participate independently in active combat operations.

Advanced Qualifications

Experienced Aviation personnel may pursue additional qualifications.

These include:

  • Aerospace combat
  • Carrier operations
  • Experimental aircraft
  • Advanced interception
  • Stealth operations
  • Heavy transport
  • Electronic warfare
  • Alien aircraft familiarisation
  • Recovered technology operation

Pilots qualified across multiple aircraft categories are uncommon.

Those capable of operating almost any aircraft are exceptionally rare.

Aircraft

The Aviation Division maintains a vast collection of combat, transport and support aircraft.

Different aircraft fulfil highly specialised battlefield roles.

F-21 Reaper Strike Fighter

Role: Multirole Strike Fighter

One of the most commonly deployed modern Hell Host combat aircraft.

The F-21 Reaper is designed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements.

Known for:

  • High manoeuvrability
  • Strong acceleration
  • Precision weapons
  • Multirole flexibility
  • Atmospheric and aerospace capability

The F-21 is commonly deployed during major planetary campaigns.

P7 X-Fighter

Role: High-Speed Interceptor

The P7 X-Fighter was designed around two principles:

Speed.

And:

Destruction.

It sacrifices endurance, armour and payload capacity for extreme acceleration and interception capability.

Standard armament includes:

  • Two directed-energy cannons
  • Four high-performance missiles

P7 pilots are frequently tasked with intercepting hostile aircraft before they can reach Hell Host formations.

T1-0 Stryker

Role: Air-Superiority Fighter

The T1-0 Stryker is an older Hell Host fighter design that remains in widespread service.

Although newer aircraft outperform it technologically, the Stryker remains valued for:

  • Reliability
  • Ease of maintenance
  • Durability
  • Low operating cost
  • Frontier deployment capability

Many veteran pilots remain fiercely loyal to the aircraft.

Arguments between Stryker pilots and younger F-21 crews are extremely common.

H135E IVH “Vulture”

Role: Strike / Interdiction Fighter

The H135E is officially designated as a specialised strike aircraft.

Within Aviation, it is almost universally known as:

The Vulture.

Vultures specialise in hunting:

  • Armoured vehicles
  • Artillery
  • Supply convoys
  • Retreating forces
  • Light fortifications
  • Exposed infantry formations

The nickname originated from the aircraft’s tendency to circle active battlefields before attacking weakened enemy formations.

O13 “Reaper Infantry”

Role: Ground-Attack / Close-Air-Support Aircraft

The O13 is a heavily armed ground-attack platform designed to operate directly alongside Hell Host infantry.

Its unusual nickname:

“Reaper Infantry”

originated from its reputation among ground forces.

Some Doom Corps soldiers describe the O13 as:

“An infantryman that learned to fly.”

The aircraft specialises in:

  • Close air support
  • Anti-infantry operations
  • Anti-armour attacks
  • Defensive suppression
  • Battlefield overwatch

The O13 is particularly popular among frontline Hell Host formations.

B-90 Nightfall

Role: Strategic Stealth Bomber

The B-90 Nightfall is a long-range strategic bomber designed to penetrate heavily defended enemy territory.

Its missions commonly involve:

  • Strategic bombing
  • Fortress destruction
  • Infrastructure attacks
  • Deep penetration strikes
  • Bunker destruction
  • High-value target elimination

Nightfalls are rarely deployed casually.

Their appearance usually indicates that Hell Host command intends to remove a strategically important target entirely.

A common Aviation saying states:

“When the Nightfalls arrive, morning is optional.”

AH-77 Havoc Gunship

Role: Heavy Close-Air-Support Gunship

The AH-77 Havoc provides direct battlefield support to ground forces.

Standard armament includes:

  • Heavy chain cannon
  • Guided missiles
  • Rocket pods
  • Anti-armour systems

Havocs are capable of remaining above active battlefields for extended periods.

Among some Doom Corps formations, they are affectionately known as:

“Guardian Angels.”

VT-9 Valkyrie

Role: Tactical Transport

The VT-9 Valkyrie is one of the Aviation Division’s primary troop transport aircraft.

Designed to deploy soldiers directly into contested environments, the Valkyrie is commonly used for:

  • Infantry insertion
  • Emergency extraction
  • Medical evacuation
  • Supply delivery
  • Special operations

Its combination of speed, durability and battlefield mobility has made it highly popular among insertion pilots.

T46 Heavy Air Transport

Role: Strategic Heavy Transport

The T46 is a large military transport aircraft used to move personnel and equipment over vast distances.

It can transport:

  • Vehicles
  • Machinery
  • Large troop formations
  • High-value personnel
  • Research equipment
  • Robotic systems
  • Strategic cargo

T46 aircraft frequently support major Hell Host campaigns where conventional tactical transports lack sufficient capacity.

RQ-8 Wraith

Role: Reconnaissance / Electronic Warfare UAV

The RQ-8 Wraith is an unmanned aircraft used for:

  • Reconnaissance
  • Target identification
  • Electronic warfare
  • Battlefield observation
  • Signal interception

Wraith systems possess significant autonomous capability but are not considered genuinely sapient artificial intelligences.

444 AID

Full Name: 444 Artificial Intelligence Drone
Role: Modular Autonomous Support Aircraft

The 444 AID is one of the Aviation Division’s most versatile unmanned systems.

Rather than performing a single role, the aircraft uses interchangeable mission modules.

Strike Module

Carries precision bombs and anti-armour weapons.

Supply Module

Delivers:

  • Ammunition
  • Food
  • Water
  • Batteries
  • Equipment

Medical Module

Carries emergency medical supplies including:

  • Trauma equipment
  • Blood
  • Medication
  • Field surgical equipment

Recovery Module

Certain variants are capable of assisting with battlefield casualty recovery.

The versatility of the 444 has made it extremely common during prolonged ground campaigns.

Aviation Culture

The Aviation Division possesses one of the strongest internal cultures within the Hell Host military.

Pilots are commonly stereotyped as:

  • Competitive
  • Confident
  • Superstitious
  • Individualistic
  • Reckless
  • Extremely protective of their crews

Some of these stereotypes are more accurate than Aviation personnel would prefer to admit.

Callsigns

Callsigns are an important part of Aviation culture.

Traditionally, pilots do not choose their own callsigns.

Other pilots do.

This frequently results in names originating from:

  • Training accidents
  • Embarrassing mistakes
  • Personality traits
  • Famous manoeuvres
  • Inside jokes
  • Unusual habits

Attempts to give oneself an intimidating callsign are generally met with ridicule.

Some originally humorous callsigns eventually become legendary.

Aircraft Personalisation

Aviation personnel are granted greater freedom to personalise equipment than many other Hell Host divisions.

Common modifications include:

  • Helmet markings
  • Squadron symbols
  • Aircraft nose art
  • Kill markings
  • Mission markings
  • Cockpit decorations
  • Aircraft names
  • Personal insignia

Personalisation remains regulated but forms an important part of squadron identity.

Aircraft Names

Pilots and ground crews frequently give individual aircraft names.

Official records may identify an aircraft through its serial number.

Its crew may know it as something entirely different.

Pilots often develop strong emotional attachments to aircraft that have survived multiple deployments.

Damaging a veteran aircraft can therefore produce considerably more emotional reactions than outsiders expect.

Superstitions

Aviation personnel are notoriously superstitious.

Common traditions include:

  • Touching the aircraft before boarding
  • Carrying lucky objects
  • Refusing to use certain phrases before launch
  • Keeping fragments of previous aircraft
  • Maintaining cockpit charms
  • Performing repeated pre-flight rituals

Many pilots insist these traditions are meaningless.

They perform them anyway.

Relationship with Doom Corps

The Aviation Division and Doom Corps maintain a longstanding rivalry.

Doom Corps personnel commonly describe Aviation pilots as:

“Arrogant bastards.”

Aviation personnel commonly respond:

“You’re welcome.”

Despite the insults, both divisions maintain enormous mutual respect.

Ground forces understand that Aviation crews frequently enter heavily defended airspace specifically to protect them.

Aviation personnel understand that Doom Corps soldiers often depend entirely upon their support.

The rivalry disappears quickly when lives are at risk.

Cooperation with GDSTs

Aviation works extensively alongside the GDST during rapid planetary insertion operations.

GDST operations may involve:

  • High-altitude drops
  • Atmospheric insertion
  • Hostile landing zones
  • Behind-the-lines deployment
  • Rapid reinforcement
  • Emergency planetary assault

Transport and insertion pilots frequently develop strong relationships with individual GDST units after repeated deployments together.

The 18th Skyborne Wing is particularly well known for this cooperation.

Operation: Crimson Skies

Operation Crimson Skies is considered one of the greatest achievements in Aviation Division history.

The operation occurred during hostilities between the Hell Hosts and Free World Order.

Hell Host forces launched an assault against a major Free World military installation.

As the battle turned against them, Free World personnel began preparing to evacuate the planet.

Hell Host ground reinforcements had not yet arrived.

A single Aviation formation was left with one objective:

Nobody leaves.

The Aerial Blockade

The Aviation force established an improvised blockade over the planet.

For hours, its pilots prevented Free World forces from escaping.

They:

  • Intercepted transports
  • Engaged Free World fighters
  • Disabled runways
  • Bombarded secondary launch sites
  • Attacked evacuation convoys
  • Suppressed anti-air defences
  • Cycled aircraft through rapid refuelling and rearming

Free World repeatedly attempted to break through.

They failed.

Reinforcements Arrive

Eventually, Hell Host reinforcements reached the planet.

The Free World garrison remained trapped.

The Aviation formation had successfully prevented an entire enemy force from escaping long enough for the wider Hell Host military to complete the operation.

Crimson Skies became legendary within Aviation.

The operation is frequently cited as one of the greatest examples of sustained air superiority in Hell Host history.

The phrase:

“We own the skies.”

became inseparable from the operation and eventually became the defining motto of the Aviation Division.

Operation: Black Silence

If Crimson Skies represents Aviation at its greatest, Operation Black Silence represents one of its darkest moments.

The operation involved a large Hell Host force investigating or assaulting an Obsidian Veil installation.

Based on conventional military estimates, Hell Host forces possessed overwhelming superiority.

They expected resistance.

They did not expect a prepared kill zone.

The Trap

Obsidian Veil had studied Hell Host aircraft, communications systems and operational doctrine.

The organisation prepared the battlespace specifically to counter them.

As Hell Host forces entered the engagement zone, multiple systems were activated simultaneously.

These included:

  • Electronic warfare
  • Communication disruption
  • Hidden anti-air installations
  • Automated defence platforms
  • Prototype interceptor systems
  • Targeting disruption
  • Experimental weaponry

Hell Host formations rapidly lost coordination.

Then Obsidian Veil attacked.

The Six Minutes

The most devastating stage of Operation Black Silence lasted approximately:

Six minutes.

Within those six minutes, large numbers of Hell Host aircraft and military vessels were destroyed or disabled.

Squadrons lost communication.

Targeting systems became unreliable.

Pilots struggled to identify threats.

Aircraft were destroyed before many crews fully understood what was happening.

Hell Host command eventually ordered an emergency withdrawal.

By then, enormous damage had already been done.

Aftermath

Operation Black Silence became one of the worst Aviation disasters in Hell Host history.

Unlike Crimson Skies, it demonstrated what could happen when an enemy understood Hell Host doctrine well enough to build an entire engagement around defeating it.

The operation is still studied extensively during advanced pilot training.

Its lesson is simple:

Skill means nothing if the enemy has already decided how you will fight.

Exact details surrounding several Obsidian Veil systems used during the operation remain classified.

Beyond the Horizon

The Aviation Division uses the phrase:

“Beyond the Horizon.”

when referring to personnel lost in flight.

Its exact origin predates many modern Aviation formations, though the phrase gained considerably greater significance following Operation Black Silence.

Aviation memorials frequently list fallen personnel beneath the words:

BEYOND THE HORIZON

The phrase is not considered tragic.

It is considered respectful.

A pilot who has gone beyond the horizon flew their final mission.

Their squadron remembers them.

Lessons of Aviation

New Aviation personnel are commonly taught about both:

Operation Crimson Skies

and:

Operation Black Silence

The two operations represent opposite lessons.

Crimson Skies

Teaches:

  • Commitment
  • Coordination
  • Courage
  • Air superiority
  • Endurance
  • Aggressive initiative

Black Silence

Teaches:

  • Adaptability
  • Intelligence
  • Humility
  • Electronic warfare awareness
  • The danger of predictable doctrine
  • The importance of retreat when an engagement becomes unsalvageable

Together, they form a major part of modern Aviation training philosophy.

Notable Personnel

Icarus

A developing legendary figure within Aviation and widely regarded as one of the greatest pilots currently serving within the Hell Hosts.

Known for surviving engagements and manoeuvres considered impossible by conventional flight standards.

Icarus is qualified on numerous aircraft platforms and has developed a reputation for pushing them far beyond recommended operational limits.

His ground crews have opinions about this.

Skyfall

A pilot attached to the 18th Skyborne Wing.

Skyfall specialises in battlefield insertion and works extensively alongside GDST formations.

Rather than building her reputation through aerial kills, she is known primarily for getting soldiers into active combat zones and extracting them afterward.

Hardfall

A Lance Corporal within the GDST.

Although not a member of the Aviation Division, Hardfall has participated in repeated insertion operations alongside Aviation personnel and is particularly associated with the 18th Skyborne Wing.

Visual Identity

Aviation Division equipment commonly uses:

  • Matte black
  • Gunmetal
  • Steel grey
  • Blood-red visor lighting
  • Red aircraft lighting

Individual squadrons frequently add their own markings and insignia.

Pilots are permitted greater visual customisation than many conventional Hell Host personnel.

Reputation

Among Hell Hosts

Aviation personnel are regarded as:

  • Highly skilled
  • Slightly insane
  • Dependable
  • Arrogant
  • Extremely competitive

Ground personnel may complain endlessly about pilots.

They complain considerably less when air support arrives.

Among Enemy Forces

Hell Host Aviation is feared for its ability to rapidly establish air superiority over active battlefields.

Enemy commanders understand that losing control of the skies often means losing the battle below.

Quotes & Sayings

“We own the skies.”

“We don’t ask for clear skies. We take them.”

“Beyond the Horizon.”

“You’re welcome.”
— Common Aviation response to Doom Corps complaints

“When the Nightfalls arrive, morning is optional.”

“Nobody leaves.”
— Phrase associated with Operation Crimson Skies

Trivia

  • Aviation pilots traditionally receive their callsigns from other pilots.
  • Choosing your own callsign is heavily discouraged.
  • Embarrassing callsigns can follow pilots throughout their entire careers.
  • Aircraft personalisation is more common in Aviation than most Hell Host divisions.
  • Many pilots name their aircraft.
  • Ground crews frequently become as attached to individual aircraft as pilots do.
  • The T1-0 Stryker remains popular despite newer aircraft entering service.
  • The O13 Reaper Infantry is particularly popular among Doom Corps personnel.
  • Operation Crimson Skies is one of Aviation’s proudest victories.
  • Operation Black Silence is one of its worst historical disasters.
  • The worst stage of Black Silence lasted approximately six minutes.
  • Fallen Aviation personnel are traditionally described as having gone Beyond the Horizon.
  • Aviation and Doom Corps maintain a long-running friendly rivalry.
  • The 18th Skyborne Wing works extensively alongside GDST forces.
  • Assignment to a major Hell Host fleet is considered prestigious among Aviation pilots.

Related Pages

Graph View

Backlinks