itifonhom 6 Posted September 20, 2009 Hello fellow pilots! As maybe you remember, I am a newbie in this sim. Therefor my pilots died even before their few claims been accepted. But not anymore!! My latest lad, Herr Erich Mainfeld from Frankfurt, who joined Jasta 2 at 16 September 1916 at Bertincourt, flying with an Albatros DI, achieved 7 confirmed victories and got distinguished with a very beautiful Iron Cross!!! I must admitt he´s a little white feathered chicken, got all his victories over FE2b and BE2c but still they count! Avoided successfully any flak or furball, stayed away from troubles but he´s alive after all his adventures and with a medal! So proud of Herr Mainfeld! Let me make a toast for this fellow, hip hip!!! itifonhom. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullethead 12 Posted September 20, 2009 Congratulations Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted September 20, 2009 Sounds like your crew are catching on to the survival tactics. Seems though that once such success is reported on this forum the next report is not such happy news for that flyer. Not to jinx your man but that's how it's been. Congrates and may he win a few more for you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 20, 2009 Prosit, mein lieber Erich von Mainfeld! Prosit! And follow the advice of our veteran Rickitycrate here - be even more careful from now on. So you are in my Jasta 2 now, flying the new Albatros. A great craft with good dive and climb, not as manoeuverable as the Nieuports, but much more stable. Don't turn too tight with the French - learn to hit them from a distance, train some deflection shooting, and follwow Boelke's Dicta. I wish you a lot of success - and more than 17 hours! Prost! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
itifonhom 6 Posted September 20, 2009 Thanks everybody for the good words and advice! I know what you mean, my best pilots died so unexpected exactly when I thought they are almost invincible. But that makes the sim even more immersing. Today, during an artillery spotting mission, being above the No Mans Land and receiving flak, I felt my heart beating quick and really got scared everything's going to end in a fireball!!! But survived the 8th mission. I wonder what my reaction would be if I see a bunch of fighters coming towards me! itifonhom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hauksbee 103 Posted September 21, 2009 Don't let it bother you that your guy triumphed over planes he outclassed; that's why new planes evolve. And, von Richtofen routinely bagged cripples and stragglers. Everything counts. If you don't shoot him down when he's in a BE-2, he'll come back at you in a Camel. Congrats on the Iron Cross. Hoch der Kaiser! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 21, 2009 Iti, I often had pilots, which I didn't dare to fly anymore, cause they had so many hours, claims and kills. What I do with those: I only fly them, when I'm wide awaky and in a very good mood. The tension will grow, the longer they live; you'll see. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zoomzoom 2 Posted September 21, 2009 Soooo true Olham. So true. Just lost my fav and most promising career pilot last night. Spad bastards shot his engine out of his plane and he had to land and spend the rest of the duration eating tea and biscuits. Now I like Tea and Buscuits, so don't get me wrong, but I was playing late and slipped into "gamer mode" instead of the usual focused, "what would I do if this was real" mindframe. I stayed in a fight behind enemy lines too long when new enemies were arriving and I target fixated. DOHHH!! Well, now my new Jasta 7 pilot is off to his new start.....Repeat after me: "I will stay focused...will stay focused.....will stay focused." ZZ. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
itifonhom 6 Posted September 21, 2009 I will stay focused!!! I promise!!! BTW, Herr Mainfeld survived another mission and downed another BE2c, poor guys these BE2c pilots, had no chance really but still they flew! Quite amazing that someone actually did it for real!!! People had real guts those days! itifonhom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted September 21, 2009 I will stay focused!!! I promise!!! BTW, Herr Mainfeld survived another mission and downed another BE2c, poor guys these BE2c pilots, had no chance really but still they flew! Quite amazing that someone actually did it for real!!! People had real guts those days! itifonhom So true iti. That is why I am so fascinated with this sim and the history. Men such as us, under different circumstance did/acheived these things. In my case much better men. Talk of the Be2c did you see the Recon photo's posted by flynn? Taken by his grandfather aboard a Be2c. So high in the sky in a rickety crate with sheer hell below him. That's not playing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zoomzoom 2 Posted September 21, 2009 (edited) Nope, now thats a whole different ball game. And I tender mad respect for ANYONE , brave enough to have done it. ZZ. Edited September 21, 2009 by zoomzoom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
itifonhom 6 Posted September 21, 2009 To be honest, I wouldn't!!! And to be fully honest, I wouldn't take a flight in a BE2c even in peacetime with good weather! Whoever did this for rear had what the Spanish call "cohones gigantescos"! And the fotos that flynn posted are just wonderful, what a lucky guy to have a grandfather like this! itifonhom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hasse Wind 46 Posted September 21, 2009 The tension will grow, the longer they live; you'll see. And when you get one of them to live really long (dozens of hours), you'll start thinking that "maybe this guy is different from the others, maybe this time I can actually make this pilot last through the war", and then you make one mistake, no matter how small, and your pilot dies - then you really feel it. I almost wanted to throw my monitor out the window when I lost my best pilot ever in a couple of seconds and had to helplessly watch as his Alb D.II spiralled out of control over the front. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_Louvert 101 Posted September 21, 2009 Well done itifonhom on your first medal. You are now part of that elite OFF group of "invested" pilots. As others have noted, you will become more and more attached to your virtual persona as your hours climb along with your tallies. I wish you the best of luck Sir, and I hope you won't be too devastated when the end comes for Erich von Mainfeld, (as it has come to us all). “Hurrah for the dead already, and hurrah for the next man to die!" Cheers! Lou Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 21, 2009 Hasse Wind: I almost wanted to throw my monitor out the window when I lost my best pilot... Ahh! The same emotions! I'm not mad - hahaha!!! - everybody has it the same!! - Hihihi!!! - I'm not mad... Arhmhmhmm!! Sorry, gentlemen! It's just so, that I sometimes scream my head off - if there was a flower pot besides the monitor, the plant would sure have died from those terrible experiences. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baldric 42 Posted September 21, 2009 Nicely done on the medal and the survival, Iti. That survival is huge, and well worthy of a toast and tales. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
itifonhom 6 Posted September 21, 2009 Thanks for the wishes guys!! Really appreciate it! BTW, got a quick question but find it pitty to open a new topic only for this: Anybody knows how can I be promoted? Medals need victories, I know that by know but what about promotions? Herr Mainfeld has now 10 missions, 9 victories and a white feathered Albatros!! ;-) itifonhom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted September 22, 2009 Can only guess there, Iti, but I believe, that promotions come sooner, the more you follow your exact orders and complete the mission goals. I rarely ever get promoted, cause when I'm on my way to a railyard attack, I love to get distracted by enemy scouts passing miles away, and I approach them, to make sure, they see and attack me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
