Grand Flight
- "Looking for a challenge? I should have guessed as much. Show them what you've got."
- ― Frederick Burford, if the player goes down the more difficult route
Grand Flight is the 15th campaign mission in Ace Combat: Joint Assault.
Briefing
Burford: 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 Olivieri, a recent big shot in the business community. He is said to be an eccentric man. Give him as smooth a ride as possible.
Objectives
The primary objective of this mission is to transport Andre Olivieri safely through the map. Shortly after the beginning of Phase 1, Antares is forced to fly through a ravine in order to avoid a missile attack. Although large, the 747-200B is considerably stable and is responsive to pilot commands - however, one may be potentially disoriented by its size, and thus demands greater attention to focus on the current flight path. Opposition during the initial voyage consists of gunboats and AH-64 helicopters.
Escaping the ravine initiates Phase 2, where Antares must escape an enemy ambush by helicopters and self-propelled artillery and flee the mission area. Several fighters will chase the airliner at this point, forcing OLI1 to focus on their rear and continuously evade missiles on the way to the northern map border. Reaching the escape area successfully leads the mission to end in a landing minigame.
S-Rank
Clear the mission under 6 minutes 10 seconds.
Aces
- F-117A Nightowl: Appears in Phase 2 after escaping the ravine. Requires a second player to be shot down.
Debriefing
Burford: 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 operation in our hands. Valahia forces have been located transporting nuclear fuel. We need to join up with the attack party.