[stormlion1]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

I agree with this - I actually have a "national aviation command" under the command of the national command, but I don't have it collocated.

I figure Prime Base was the Main HQ, the Pentagon of the project. At most it has a small runway and a few helicopter pads for getting around. Even the pilots there have other jobs rather than being pilots alone.

How many teams do you have? If you have a hundred teams then having 16 part-time helicopter pilots is difficult, if you have a thousand teams then having 166 is almost absurd! There are not that many helicopter pilots out there, expecting to draw a bunch of them into the Project (assuming they would even qualify) is a bit of a stretch, as is training them up from scratch.

Never figured it out, just figured the Project at some point found and trained pilots and crews and froze them. Many of the Team Members can also be cross trained as pilots and Loadmasters and such as well. When I was in the Air Force I was cross trained as a Loadmaster on the side even though I was in the Security Police. A little cross training never hurt anyone.

Oh, and there are a ton of small airplanes (bush planes) that can land just about anywhere flatish.

True, but the idea is to keep numbers down. And the more and different kinds of aircraft there are, the longer the logistics chain. I can see them in service in area's though where C-130's cannot operate or at the furthest corners of the logistics chain. They would be the exception, not the rule.

So perhaps 35 Blackhawks? And how do you figure jets? With fusion power, a propeller airplane or helicopter can stay aloft as long as you can keep someone conscious at the controls, jets require massive amounts of perishable, volatile fuel that the Project could not realistically anticipate replenishing. And why does the Project even need jets?

Very few jets, and mostly private ones for moving higher ups around. They wouldn't see much use early on but only when the rebuilding requires someone of import to be there. By that point fuel supplies can be found or they just don't fly or they have Bruce Morrows lovely reactors installed.

Now I'm confused - you said "Regional Hubs have maybe five Blackhawks" and now you say "The Supply Hubs have ... another dozens Blackhawks" - which is it?

I separate the two. Regional Hubs are Regional Command Bases that report to Prime and collect info and dispatch orders. They can in the event of failure replace Prime Bases functions in part. They also exist as a point for extra personnel to congregate to then be dispatched to under strength Teams in the field. There Mini-Prime Bases in charge of the various regions. I kind of figure at most a compliment of maybe a 100 personnel. And even the aircraft there wouldn't have assigned pilots but in fact have a pilot for every two aircraft. Less stress on the aircraft themselves and can be replaced if there is a breakdown. They can also be borrowed by supply hubs for there operations if needed. Call it a Ready Reserve.
The Supply Hubs are outright Supply Bases and Airfields. They exist to be the stockpiled supply's and are the Teams Grocery Store. They like the various Recon Teams, MARS Teams, Medical Teams, etc report to there Regional Hubs who in turn report to Prime Base.