[Goose]

While the full utilization of the planes is for air cover at the front lines, could they be used behind the lines to good purpose at low risk while the pilots continue training for combat?   They're going to be targets for Russia whether they are on the ground or in the air.

The main "obvious" use behind the lines would be killing Iranian drones. Jets can do this quite well. The problem is that these operations take place at low altitude and require significant skill at flying "low and slow". With inexperienced pilots a lot of accidents are probable. This isn't "easy duty". Flying at all in Ukraine carries significant risk. It also puts a strain on logistics. Therefore, to do it at all should produce proportional reward. Unlikely that can be done short of combat.

In fact, Ukraine is being give a significant "gift" by having a sanctuary in NATO territory to train it's pilots. It should take advantage of this as much as possible. Nobody should return to Ukraine until they are actually ready to enter the fight. Training pilots is both time consuming and expensive. Despite great pressure to get them into the fight, experience has shown that there are minimum levels of proficiency below which attrition will be prohibitive. Even with such training, "new guys" generally have a significantly higher loss rate despite the fact they are "coddled" early on. The enemy is trying to kill you and the jet is trying to kill you. Many actions have to be automatic and immediate when a problem arises. If the pilots are not well trained, lots of them will die due to the ubiquitous "pilot error". Even if they are well trained, some will.

UPDATE: https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-makin...00277.html
The US has offered to help train pilots if "more capacity is needed". Well, for sure it is. Get these guys to the US and provide them with the normally good desert weather so they can fly every day in the winter. Have enough pilots in one place that they can practice working together. We have the facilities to do this and they are operational. Let's use them!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-makin...00277.html

[Goose]

While the full utilization of the planes is for air cover at the front lines, could they be used behind the lines to good purpose at low risk while the pilots continue training for combat?   They're going to be targets for Russia whether they are on the ground or in the air.

The main "obvious" use behind the lines would be killing Iranian drones. Jets can do this quite well. The problem is that these operations take place at low altitude and require significant skill at flying "low and slow". With inexperienced pilots a lot of accidents are probable. This isn't "easy duty". Flying at all in Ukraine carries significant risk. It also puts a strain on logistics. Therefore, to do it at all should produce proportional reward. Unlikely that can be done short of combat.

In fact, Ukraine is being give a significant "gift" by having a sanctuary in NATO territory to train it's pilots. It should take advantage of this as much as possible. Nobody should return to Ukraine until they are actually ready to enter the fight. Training pilots is both time consuming and expensive. Despite great pressure to get them into the fight, experience has shown that there are minimum levels of proficiency below which attrition will be prohibitive. Even with such training, "new guys" generally have a significantly higher loss rate despite the fact they are "coddled" early on. The enemy is trying to kill you and the jet is trying to kill you. Many actions have to be automatic and immediate when a problem arises. If the pilots are not well trained, lots of them will die due to the ubiquitous "pilot error". Even if they are well trained, some will.

UPDATE: https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-makin...00277.html
The US has offered to help train pilots if "more capacity is needed". Well, for sure it is. Get these guys to the US and provide them with the normally good desert weather so they can fly every day in the winter. Have enough pilots in one place that they can practice working together. We have the facilities to do this and they are operational. Let's use them!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-makin...00277.html