SW's insructions are right on. The blue map markers show the location the pilot 1st landed in the water. They drift the same as lifeboats, but the contact on the map stays in it's original location. I've not found consistancy I can depend on when it comes to the age of the contact though I suspect it's meaningful. I've seen new contacts not pop any smoke, and old contacts still putting out smoke an hour later. I go for the smoke as finding them without it is almost impossible.
The TBT provides the most magnification so once I get close to an area where one or more pilot contacts show on the map, I use the TBT and keep moving along possible contact locations until I spot the smoke, then ahead full to get close to the pick up location before the pilot goes "poof." It takes about 6 pickups to satisfy the mission. The smoke is a little less visible night so you have to be a little closer to it but not that much compared to day.
One of the challenges is your pilots are dropping like flies so you have a lot of chances to fulfill the mission all the while the area is thick with enemy aircraft because it's an air battle area. Funny how we were able to win the war with a friendly to enemy aircraft loss of at least 10 to 1. Just joking. The devs are giving us lots of targets so we can fulfill the mission, but very unrealistic.
-Pv-
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