What? A Rick Rawlings Challenge?

[Rick Rawlings 136]

 

Welcome to the Wings Over Flanders Fields 2021 Edition Final, Final Challenge!

The assistance and camaraderie that you get from something like this or the other challenges and persistent careers offered will help increase your enjoyment of the sim and make you a better pilot as well.

 

We've Actually done this before... a lot...

 

Eindecker Challenge Yes, this was a thing...

Revenge of Der Flieger

Bloody April

SPAD Challenge

Circus Challenge Where we all learned to skin...

Brisfit Challenge

Final Challenge *cough*

Anniversary Challenge

Albatros Dos

Sopwith Challenge

Lafayette Escadrille Challenge

 

For this challenge, you will be flying for Britain in 40sqn. with the SE5a! (What can I say, I like to reload my Lewis gun!)

 

In order to participate in this challenge you must:

1. Declare your interest and intent in this thread on or before Wednesday, May 26, 2021.

2. Create a pilot using the manual squad creation option with a start date of Nov. 11, 1917, flying for Britain in 40 squadron as a 2nd Lieutenant. (We must preserve some dignity…)

3. Commit to flying 3-7 missions per week with this pilot, but no more than one per campaign day.

4. Report at least every weekend in this topic thread with his current successes or failures.

5. Faithfully communicate to your brethren the falling of your avatar when and if such event actually transpires.

6. Having a nice custom paint job is always a plus!

 

Please enter your pilot at this link:

Final, Final Challenge Form

Please update this survey after every few missions, or at least once a week!

 

This is kind of a "Who's Line Is It Anyway" sort of affair where we try to have fun with good people.

Reporting can be by any of the following methods:

-Text is good

-Pictures are better

-Videos are what this sim is made for!

 

This is single elimination, so one death and you are out. Keep in mind that even if you are not playing "dead is dead" in the workshop, at the end of each mission it will still tell you that "Sadly, your pilot has died" if his injuries were fatal so you don't need to switch your settings for this. If you land behind enemy lines with less than DID workshop settings, use these guidelines: in or on the edge of No Man’s Land, you escape. Within 5 miles of the front, 50-50 (flip a coin). More than 5 miles behind the lines, you are captured, war over!

 

When you set up your pilot, click on "Manual Squad Deployment" in the lower right hand corner of the enlistment page. Set up the following screen so it looks like this:

Scoring (I’ll handle this but here’s what’s going on under the hood):

 

Missions: +2 point each

Time survived: +2 points each week

Confirmed kill: +3 points each

Becoming an ace: +5 points (only once)

Promotion: +5 points each promotion

Medals: +3 points each

Survive to end of Challenge: +10 points

Wounding: -8 points each occurrence

 

This challenge will have a have a hard end date of Sunday, June 20. That gives us three weeks and a day. You can have a maximum of 22 missions total (One for Sunday!) Then we can tally the points and declare a winner. You are certainly free to continue to fly your pilot after that if still alive, but for point determination, we need a cut-off date.

 

The Fine Print: (Rules)

You may use whatever aids you are used to using. Wind should be set to “On”. Please set your weather to “Historical Weather.” Flight model should be realistic and you should have weapons jams and limited ammo and all that jazz...

One other point: I think we can all agree that balloons are too easy to take down as it stands, so on your Gentleman’s Honour, you may only claim a balloon if you are on a balloon busting mission and only the one that is the mission target.

Feel free to lead your flights if you want!

Please set kill claims to “Easy”. That way you still have to enter something but folks will be less reliant on luck for credit where credit is due!

The point is to have fun and we had outstanding support and sportsmanship from all fliers last time and we would love to see some new faces!

 

As far as time advancement, please follow these guidelines:

 

Allow time to advance as normal except fly no more than one mission per campaign day (time advance manually as necessary)

For every month of campaign time, you can advance two days on the calendar. (48hr pass to visit mum)

For every promotion, advance five campaign days.

For every five kills, advance 3 campaign days.

For becoming an ace, advance 3 campaign days (cumulative with 5 kills above)

 

*After each mission, please advance forward 2 days. (so you would fly on the third day) This will allow for moving forward in time a little bit further and spread out our collective awesomeness to a more believable level. These missed days will represent non-contact patrols, milk runs to pick up new planes, washouts, etc. Follow all other time advancements as above.

Don't get super hung up on the time advancement, the main thing is that we want to cover a little ground in the war and space out the kill claims to something a little more in line with reality.

At the end of the challenge, I will tabulate the winning pilot overall and declare him king of all things WOFF!

 

For prizes, Louvert has generously offered up a free custom paintjob to the winner, which has always been a big hit in the past as his skills are considerable. I have decided to award either this very mug:

  

or one of it's brethren, for nothing says a WOFF challenge quite like a fresh beverage contained in a vessel emblazoned with a subtle reminder that yes, you are better than everyone else!

Remember though, your first job is to stay alive! You can’t win if you are dead! I have, in fact, died in most of my own challenges!

 

Here's a link to Skinning Tutorial if you need it!

 

Official challenge start time is Saturday, May 29th, whenever that starts local to you, grab some QC time in your birds and we’ll be (W)OFF!

 

I will update this area with pilots and scores as the challenge progresses, so you can always check here for the latest info

List of Pilots:

BuckeyeBob

TROOPER117

Rick Rawlings

Stache

MFair

HarryH

Baldric

Catch

Louvert

rjw

lofty_c

carrick58

trustworthykebab

mandrews_2

CastelEtzwane

 

Strikethrough indicates a pilot's demise, d.n.p. = did not participate, number to the right of the pilot is the final score

 

[BuckeyeBob 34]

Ha, Rick! Why didn't you show your face? Don't be shy! A little "Aimee" at the end, no?

I may just have to enter this challenge, although I am sure to end up dead very quickly.

Thanks for putting this together.

[TROOPER117 146]

Did one of these in WoTR... It was good fun, if I'm not being worked to death I'll surely participate!

[Rick Rawlings 136]

Heh, thanks! I'll tentatively add you guys in, although upon further inspection, it looks like I am a good hundred and twenty posts away from being able to edit the main post, so this should be...interesting...

 

Pilot list:

BuckeyeBob

TROOPER117

Rick Rawlings

[Stache 10]

WooHoo!

Count me in.

Lets see if I can last a little longer than I did in the last one.

Thanks Rick.

[Rick Rawlings 136]

Pilot list:

BuckeyeBob

TROOPER117

Rick Rawlings

Stache

 

I'll get to those 250 posts in no time at this rate!

Edited May 2, 2021 by Rick Rawlings

[Mfair621 34]

Didn’t think I’d miss this one did ye! Count me in! Glad you are putting this together  they are always a hoot!

 

[HarryH 17]

Nice one Rick, thanks for organizing. Sounds like the perfect thing to celebrate the new BHH2 :) Count me in. Here's hoping the SE5A engine doesn't fail quite so often as it did in my last career using it 

[Rick Rawlings 136]

2 hours ago, Mfair621 said:

Didn’t think I’d miss this one did ye! Count me in! Glad you are putting this together  they are always a hoot!

 

Thanks, MFair!

I haven't forgotten the album I owe you, or rather, I've forgotten and remembered it many times, but I do have it on the keyboard ready to mail, so probably only a few years more till I get my act together!

34 minutes ago, HarryH said:

Nice one Rick, thanks for organizing. Sounds like the perfect thing to celebrate the new BHH2 :) Count me in. Here's hoping the SE5A engine doesn't fail quite so often as it did in my last career using it 

R'oh r'oh! I hope not, for all our sakes! Welcome aboard!

Pilot list:

BuckeyeBob

TROOPER117

Rick Rawlings

Stache

MFair

HarryH

[Baldric 42]

I'll toss my cap into the ring too.  Thanks for organizing!

Will give me a chance to surface from late 1916 where I'm currently mired in three DiD campaigns now.  Not got many hours in the SE5 so should be extra exciting.

 

Kind regards,

Dave

[Rick Rawlings 136]

5 hours ago, Baldric said:

  Not got many hours in the SE5 so should be extra exciting.

 

Kind regards,

Dave

Indeed! I'm hoping we get some of those "double flights"!

 

Pilot list:

BuckeyeBob

TROOPER117

Rick Rawlings

Stache

MFair

HarryH

Baldric

Edited May 3, 2021 by Rick Rawlings

[Rick Rawlings 136]

[catch 81]

Hmmm I wonder. Should I ?  I did like the video. 

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Can I believe my eyes?  A Final, Final Rick Rawlings Challenge?!  How can I possibly say no to a final, final challenge?  I can't, of course.

And just on the off chance, and WOFF chance, that you might do something like this, Rick, I held on to all the bits and pieces needed to create the proper accoutrement.  Behold!  Your newest Challenge Participation Medal is ready and waiting for your approval.   

[TROOPER117 146]

2 hours ago, catch said:

Hmmm I wonder. Should I ?  I did like the video. 

Remember what your mother used to say catch... ''stop fannying around and get up there!'' 

(Mother is never wrong)...

[Rick Rawlings 136]

5 hours ago, catch said:

Hmmm I wonder. Should I ?  I did like the video. 

You definitely should!

3 hours ago, RAF_Louvert said:

Can I believe my eyes?  A Final, Final Rick Rawlings Challenge?!  How can I possibly say no to a final, final challenge?  I can't, of course.

And just on the off chance, and WOFF chance, that you might do something like this, Rick, I held on to all the bits and pieces needed to create the proper accoutrement.  Behold!  Your newest Challenge Participation Medal is ready and waiting for your approval.   

Lou, beautiful work as always! I know you are busy with DiD stuff, but would you be willing to throw in a custom paint job for the winner as you did in days of yore?

Pilot list:

BuckeyeBob

TROOPER117

Rick Rawlings

Stache

MFair

HarryH

Baldric

Catch

Louvert

[rjw 48]

Oh Hell, count me in too! It's been too long

[Rick Rawlings 136]

39 minutes ago, rjw said:

Oh Hell, count me in too! It's been too long

Yes sir!

Pilot list:

BuckeyeBob

TROOPER117

Rick Rawlings

Stache

MFair

HarryH

Baldric

Catch

Louvert

rjw

[BuckeyeBob 34]

Rick's skies are beginning to get crowded!

Lou, that is a fine looking medal!

[RAF_Louvert 101]

1 hour ago, Rick Rawlings said:

I know you are busy with DiD stuff, but would you be willing to throw in a custom paint job for the winner as you did in days of yore?

 

Absolutely!  

[Rick Rawlings 136]

Outstanding! I will either put up a prize page eventually or if I ever get to my 250 posts will go back and edit into the main post!

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Rick, as I am a moderator here I can edit your main post for you when and if you might want to.  Just let me know.

[Rick Rawlings 136]

Thanks, Lou! Let's let the pilot list stabilize for a few days and I can get the survey set up and prizes listed so you don't have to do it too much!

[Mfair621 34]

Good on ya Lou! Always the man. 

[lofty_c 9]

I'm in please!