I watched Boelcke die

[Canvas Wings 1]

Here's an odd one for you. I have pilot flying with Jasta 2 - or I should say I did. When he reached Sep 18/16, "Today's News" announced the death of Oswald Boelcke. He was actually killed on Oct 18 –and that was the date on the"Newspaper" –it popped up a month early. (I have noticed the "today's news" date doesn't always match the actual date the pilot is flying; could be an installation glitch or maybe a result of using the time advance feature – dunno)

 

At any rate, as I was waiting to take off, I glanced around the field. To my right, my wing was preparing to go; to my left, the other wing was already taking off. Richthofen's plane trundled off down the field, and the Albatross beyond him became visible – none other than Boelcke. I thought was a little odd, him being dead and all… maybe I was having a premonition. It was too good an opportunity to pass up; so once we were all airborne, I abandoned my wing, fell in behind Boelcke and flew with him. That was easy enough, but once he reached his patrol area staying with him as he tooled all over the sky was some really difficult flying. His Albatross was doing things I just couldn't emulate. If I hadn't had labels on, I would have lost him. Eventually though, just about the time he would have reached the end of his "time over target" I watched from about half mile away as he fell off on one wing on a low pass and crashed. There was no attack on a DH2 and no collision with Boehme (who wasn't even in his flight); that would be stretching the reality capabilities of the sim beyond belief; but still, it was an eerie feeling to know this was the great Boelcke and I actually saw him go down. Felt a little strange, actually; my own little moment of history.

 

So –in addition to all the other little touches that prove there's a "real" little world down there in the mud, you can add this… not only the aces die according to their historical dates… they don't just disappear from the squadron lists and show up as a newspaper obit, apparently they actually fly their last mission and die. At least Boelcke did. I never ceased to be amazed by this sim. One more "salut" to the Devs. Simply phenomenal.

 

My only regret was – since the newspaper announcement was a month early, I wondered if that was just another case of an ace crashing and walking away to fly another day. The thought didn't occur to me until the middle of my next mission, so I never got to check the duty roster to see if Boelcke was still listed in the squadron. Unfortunately my DII was badly shot up by a pack of Nieuport 16s and though I managed to shake them and make a nearby airfield, the left wing was so shot up I couldn't hold it level on the final approach. You know how that goes…. Still, since no one actually shot him down, I'm thinking I actually witnessed Boelcke's final flight.

[Olham 164]

Great stuff, Canvas!

Now, of course, I must enlist in Cappy, at the time, when the great MvR did his last flight!

(Many others will have similar ideas now! Lol!!)

[Dej 17]

Great stuff, Canvas!

Now, of course, I must enlist in Cappy, at the time, when the great MvR did his last flight!

(Many others will have similar ideas now! Lol!!)

 

I dunno, seems a bit ghoulish, following a chap around just so you can have a bally ringside seat at his demise... not quite cricket, what?

 

Be interesting to do all you can to keep him alive and see how he STILL manages to die, though.