Shot down after succesfull mission

[CaptainCocaine]

Hi there
Im very new to this game, playing my first campaign since a few days (version 2.4)
Everything was okay so far, but now I have a problem: A finished a mission in southern america and after my firebird takes off, an alien fighter appears and shoots it down after a short time. I cant flee from it because my firebird makes 770 km h and the enemy has a speed of 880 km h. My firebird doesnt stand a chance to the alien fighter. I tried to flee immediately in the other direction after loading again but I made it only to the middle of the pacific.

I have my main base in europe, and two unfinished bases in northern america(small hangar) and on the chinese/russian/arabic border(no hangar)

I dont want to loose 8 soldiers + equip and my firebird, but I cant think of a solution. Unfortunately I dont have another savegame.

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Im very new to this and Ive read a few threads here and learned that I might have made some mistakes regarding the position of my bases and stuff like that but I always wanted to figure out that base and strategy stuff by myself.
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I am thinking about waiting over solid ground so the alien fighter shoots my firebird down and I can rescue my crew but Im not shure how many crew members I can get back that way and I dont know If I get my equipment back, too. (The enemy shot me always over the ocean so I lost my ship immediately.)

Another Idea would be saving it with one of my fighters (interceptor?) but I have a few problems realizing that. First, my stiletto would be too late to help, because its slow and furthermore it hasnt enough fuel for the long distance flight, especially if my firebird flees from the alien fighter and my stiletto has to follow them.
There is a second fighting aircraft aviable in the beginning, I forgot its name, its a long-range jet. But I dont have a big hangar in my north america base and and wouldnt stand a chance, too, because it has less weapons than a stiletto (as far as I know) and even my stilettos have problems getting down a fighter.

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Its my first campaign and its june 28 there. There are more and more enemy ships and missions. I guess I was a little too slow at building new bases and my two new bases arent ectendet very far. I guess I didnt invest enough time and money to research new aircraft technologies, too, concentrating on things for missions like electro rifle and plasma pistol. Im a noob and I will learn it the hard way, I think 

It would be great if anyone has some ideas that might rescue my crew.

[ShipIt]

If you attach the savegame, somebody might take a look and help.

On the other hand - UFO: AI is old scool. You will loose soldiers during the battlescape missions, interceptors in airfights, dropships including the squad and sometimes you will even loose the game. But, unlike in real life, you always have the chance to try again.

So, if the dropship is shot down, just buy a new one, hire new soldiers and keep fighting. Good luck.

[Battlescared]

Take this as a lesson on keeping savegames.  Really.  They're free.

One tactic you might take is try to manually fly back by going opposite directions from where he is intercepting you.  Sometimes the UFO tries to intercept you by circling the globe and taking the longest route possible, actually flying away from you.  It may or may not work.  It might by you enough time to get an interceptor there.