First, lets lay down some definitions.

Transport squad - this is a locked squad consisting of as many pilots as there are transport choppers.

Air cav squad - this is a full squad consisting of an officer, a pilot, and most likely a 2 medic 1 rifle 1 LAT squad.

Benefits of transport squads:
- Carries a full squad to the battle, ie 6 men, as opposed to an Airborne squad of 5 men.
- Enables transport capability to be brought to the entire team
- Direct CO -> Pilot contact
- Potential for small-scale uses - eg HAT distribution, Spec ops insertion/extraction
- Possible higher skill level, certainly with the squad leader as he has to volunteer to create the squad
- Possibly enables a relative rookie pilot to be instructed by a more experienced one?
- Issues regarding whether the choppers are for anyone's use are clear

Drawbacks
- Requires communication - SL -> air squad or CO -> SL and CO -> air squad
- Invariably involves hot pickups as infantry squads tend not to spawn at the main base


Benefits of Air cav squads:
- Streamlines command for the CO
- SL has direct control over when he wants to go, instant evacs when necessary
- Voip allows for last minute changes or assessment of the LZ

I think the basic, informal SOP is essentially that of the infantry squad, with the chopper either circling overhead or returning and hovering a safe distance away.

I saw limited use of an airborne squad tonight, and as an idea that has never really been pursued before I took an interest in it. It made things considerably easier for me as a CO, especially on maps like Qwai valley, where mobility is such a crucial factor.

I think that anytime I see a TG pilot I can trust to help pioneer this with, I'll be making Air cav squads as opposed to my signature Infantry ones in order to hopefully expand on it further.

EDIT - In addition, choppers in their present capacity are often simply not used correctly. Without a CO it requires effort from a SL to make an air transport squad effective, and all too often there's a transport squad just circling the map aimlessly while everyone else goes on foot.