catch

Autopilot does some pretty funky things sometimes. I only use it at a decent height where you can recover if it gets funky. But gosh, never when landing! Good Lord no! I may be crazy but I'm not mad.

No way! You survived against four Halbies in that old crate! Blimey .... I like this idea. Kinda like the Challenge(s) without the stress or winners prize.

Great job Harry just for stayin' alive stayin' alive ah ha ha ha stayin' aliiiiiiiiive! Ahem, sorry about that gents. It does look like Balders has got it by jove with Harry as wingman. To all the participants, jolly well done. Outstanding. Top shelf. Thoroughly enjoyable for me and I hope everyone else. And of course, special thanks to Rick for hosting this memorable event!

Yes that's probably it because I bounced on landing. Speared by my own landing gear! Ouch. I should've payed more attention to the new features.

Not again! You mean bailing out over the green fields of Kent and being taken in by an attractive, lonely widow in Tunbridge Wells, hidden from the authorities, put on gardening duties and paid in kind for services rendered? You get all the luck Troops!

So you mean I have to get not only a t16000m stick but also a 1440p monitor? Blast! And .... If the mission review records such detail, why can't it record claims correctly? And .... Why are they the same chaps at every funeral? I thought I was special.

Don't remind me Rick! We did not engage anyone and the bleedin' DH4's missed their target anyway and did no damage at all (according to intel) so the whole sortie was a waste of time. But such is war. Admittedly, Spiv was becoming a bit jaded and perhaps a little careless but but but still .... my sister actually called me right in the middle of it and I put my mission on pause while we chatted for 1/2 hour or so. I BLAME HER! I'm sorry, I must contain myself. Chin up. Chest out. I'm still unsure myself what happened in that fateful landing. It wasn't particularly bad and as far as I'm aware I didn't collide with anything. So once I'd recovered from the shock, cracked screen and some superlative and descriptive adjectives and nouns, I realised that many perished in "landing accidents" so put it down to WOFF's ability to randomly slot those in. For realism like. Good eh! For the records. here is my log ....

Indeed. Looking forward to Rick's final, final, final 1940 Hurricane challenge what! Hmm maybe I should get that T16000m. Buttons on the old MSFFB2 are rather scarce for these hi-tech kites.

The ranks are thinning. It's up to you and a few others now Balders. Carry on the good fight chaps and punch those ruddy huns in the bally nose! You can keep it. I have no use for it no more. She leaks oil. A lot. British engineering. I think she likes you. Although one can never tell really ....

Entry from Old Naps' diary dated 15-Dec-17 "Spiv was an Australian larrikin from the school of hard knocks. A bit rough around the edges but likeable nonetheless. His flying was unremarkable afflicted as it was with poor gunnery skills. But he did his bit. And one can ask no more than that. On that fateful day, 13th Dec. 1917, some say his machine appeared to shudder momentarily before bursting into flames as he touched down. I suspect his aeroplane was suffering "combat fatigue". I cannot imagine what his last thoughts were! My hopes are that he suffered little. This damned war has taken too many too soon." Entries such as this formed the basis of Napier's Great War memoir "Above The Mud" first published by Goldfish & Steiner in 1922.

It's a real shame about Lou and RL issues. Time is running out and I fear he won't make it into this comp. Perhaps I was right in an earlier spectacular cinefilmography in which I speculated that "Chuffs" had bought it. And then he goes and sells it on ebay!

Ha! Don't forget your hat

Good. Thanks mate. As for that ruddy tree, I am steering well clear of it. I think it's a triffid! The chaps have tried to poison it but it just steps aside?

@Rick Rawlings Hey Rick I need to clarify something regarding the rules of engagement. I have not reported on all missions. At least one was boring and I didn't think worthwhile, one was aborted early due to trackir issues and one was aborted after 4 minutes when I realised I had not loaded coopers for a railyard attack! Is this ok? Spiv still lives of course but I'm left wondering whether he may have died in one of those aborted missions?

That's awfully bad luck Stache. No mans land is no place to land when critically wounded. Another good read Baldric. I heard about the Webley incident. Jolly good show. Mess duty, not so good. I wish you the best of luck with Dorothy. She's a cracker.

11-Dec-17 0746 Hours Mission 13 Four days of foul weather temporarily halt the war for Spiv. He takes the opportunity to acquire french letters, cigarettes and booze other than military standard. However, despite the continuing inclemency, the brass-hats are anxious to move things along. And thus, RE8's are ordered up on a photographic recon mission. It is arranged for B flight to escort and protect them. Weather is still dirty. Like a French peasant girl on the vino. The Harry's slowly cross the lines and head deep into Hunland. B flight follow at 11,000 feet, above and behind, alert for enemy attacks. The recon machines circle their designated objective and eventually head back across the lines. Spiv shivers with relief. Piece of cake. Then the bloody things turn back toward enemy territory. And again circle the same area. The weather worsens and they disappear into thick cloud, reappearing at intervals as Spiv squints through his goggles, his head on a swivel scanning the skies for hostile aircraft. After what seems an age, the Harry Tate's emerge from the misty mountains and proceed in the direction of friendly territory. The weather brightens along with Spiv's mood as B flight follows them across the lines. A final scan reveals no huns about and the dissolving tension is invigorating to body and soul. Well at least for Spiv. And then, inexplicably it seems, the Harry's circle back toward their objective. For the third time. Back across the lines! Archie barks and Spiv jumps. And curses the war with piercing screams of every expletive he learnt in the Melbourne slums. With a few extras thrown in. No-one can hear you scream up there they say. And it is true .... B flight trundles on, unmoved and resolute, intent only on their mission and oblivious of all else. The Tate's continue into Hunland. A flare arcs into the sky signaling successful photographs have finally been taken. The RE8's swing westward, noses down, tails up. B flight follows. It is only when they have crossed the lines that Spiv can relax and breathe again. He can't believe there were no huns about. But the threat was always there. And never knowing when. Perhaps that's worse. B flight lands at Bruay without casualty after over one and a half hours in the air. It is reported that members of 40 RFC scored victories against huns threatening the photo recon chaps. A flight? If that is so, Spiv never saw them. It is a big sky after all. Nervous exhaustion sets in, he closes his eyes and drifts off ....

This happens to me all the time. I'm in formation, look away for a moment, and then they do the Houdini. In combat it's even more befuddling. I don't know if it's my eyesight, my tiny yet faithful old 22" screen or I'm just mimicking many an anecdote that said the sky was full of planes and then suddenly empty. Criminey! Lofty you're an ace now lad. Well done.

Oh no! Get thee behind me Devil's Triumvirate! No need to apologise Lou. I hope everything's okay. I know from personal experience that life throws some difficult curved balls as one gets older. And I'm still coming to terms with certain things and dealing with them as best as I can. Thank goodness for WOFF, the talented community members and other quality flight simulators ... But to the business at hand .... 06-Dec-17 1118 Hours Spiv gets it on and bangs a gong!

That's torn it! The hex has been put upon me by two persons! I have no hope now lol .... I have survived only by immense skill and intolerable bravery whilst filming these heroic exploits on a hand cranked Parvo cinecamera [read: lotta luck and cowardice .... and I lied about the camera too]

Great reports on your last four missions Baldric. Enough to bring a sneer from Blackadder so job done. Knocking that wing off the Pfalz is nice! And is that another bleedin' gong you've got!? You are coming along very nicely. BTW, there's nothing so puckering as a bloody hun on your tail .... I've had some moments.

05-Dec-17 0854 hours Spiv has survived 10 missions with 40 squadron and longs for the embrace of Gwendolen Turdlington. Strictly above board of course. Unless he can get some of them french letters. His 11th mission is a scramble. Nothing to report. Struggles to gain height to reach the nasty hun two seaters. He sees them in the distance tantalisingly out of reach and just can't get to first base. Blast the blighters. He loses B flight and returns to base thinking of Gwendolen. Jimmy Barnes and Quent Rogers go west. Too many stout fellows taken. It suddenly dawns on Spiv that Gwendolen may be related to the CO! That could explain a lot. He decides to definitely acquire some french letters. Right after the funeral.

Me too. There's a few empty chairs in the '40 mess. And the Reaper is never very far away ....

@Rick Rawlings What the heck! Well at least you know you're in exalted company. Flying accidents took many a good chap. One James T. B. McCudden comes to mind. I knew you should have stayed just that little bit longer in the Convent. You know, being "attended" to by the nuns 'n' all .... I will say this though. You were a very popular member of RFC 40. And just look at how many turned up for your funeral. All the girls were there. Please accept my condolences. A very unfortunate demise.

0750 hours 02-Dec-17 The CO reports incoming Huns. Spiv takes off with B flight to intercept.

Bloody hell! (As Inspector Brackenreid would intone in Murdoch Mysteries) .... I aint not got none yet. One lousy kill and no gongs! Good job mandrews. Well deserved.