RAF_Louvert

. Yes, but Olham, you have to understand... .

. Well, if we're all getting on the Thank You Bus, I'm along for the ride too. Many thanks to be sure. .

. Sound advice Olham. I follow that same course and I agree, it is a great feeling to bring them back alive. .

. I hope you all are remembering there is a difference between extremism and terrorism, as the lines are getting a bit blurred in this discussion. You can be an extremist without being a terrorist. You can have extreme views, (be they religious, political, societal, or whatever), and never commit a violent act against another in the course of your beliefs. Terrorism on the other hand relies on violence and killing as a justified extreme means to an end. There are thousands of extremist groups worldwide, but only a few dozen recognized terrorist groups that have been active in the last decade around the globe. If you are interested, here is a relatively up-to-date list of them by country. AFGHANISTAN 1. al Qaeda ALGERIA 2. Armed Islamic Group (GIA) 3. The Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC) CAMBODIA 4. Khmer Rouge/The Party of Democratic Kampuchea CHILE 5. Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front (FPMR) COLOMBIA 6. National Liberation Army (ELN)—Colombia 7. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) 8. United Self-Defense Forces/Group of Colombia (AUC-Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia) EGYPT 9. Al-Jihad a.k.a. Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Jihad Group, Islamic Jihad 10. Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group, IG) GEORGIA 11. Zviadists GREECE 12. Revolutionary Nuclei (RN) a.k.a. Revolutionary Cells 13. Revolutionary Organization 17 November (17 November) 14. Revolutionary People's Struggle (ELA) HONDURAS 15. Morzanist Patriotic Front (FPM) INDIA 16. Al-Ummah IRAQ 17. Abu Nidal organization (ANO) a.k.a. Fatah Revolutionary Council, Arab Revolutionary Brigades, Black September, and Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims 18. Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO) a.k.a. The National Liberation Army of Iran (NLA, the militant wing of the MEK), the People's Mujahidin of Iran (PMOI), National Council of Resistance (NCR), Muslim Iranian Student's Society (front organization used to garner financial support) 19. Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) ISRAEL 20. Kach and Kahane Chai JAPAN 21. Aum Supreme Truth (Aum) a.k.a. Aum Shinrikyo, Aleph 22. Chukaku-Ha (Nucleus or Middle Core Faction) 23. Japanese Red Army (JRA) a.k.a. Anti-Imperialist International Brigade (AIIB) LEBANON 24. ‘Asbat al-Ansar (The Partisans’ League) 25. Hezbollah (Party of God) a.k.a. Islamic Jihad, Revolutionary Justice Organization, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, and Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine NORTHERN IRELAND 26. Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) a.k.a. Continuity Army Council 27. Irish Republican Army (IRA) a.k.a. Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA), the Provos 28. Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) 29. Orange Volunteers (OV) 30. Real IRA (RIRA) a.k.a. True IRA 31. Red Hand Defenders (RHD) OCCUPIED TERRITORIES 32. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade 33. Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) 34. HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement) 35. The Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) PAKISTAN 36. Harakat ul-Ansar (HUA) 37. Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM) 38. Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) (Army of Mohammed) 39. Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) (Army of the Righteous) PERU 40. Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) 41. Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) PHILLIPPINES 42. Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) 43. Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) 44. New People's Army (NPA) RWANDA 45. Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (ALIR), a.k.a. Interahamwe, Former Armed Forces (ex-FAR) SIERRA LEONE 46. Revolutionary United Front (RUF) SOUTH AFRICA 47. Qibla and People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD) SPAIN 48. Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA), a.k.a. Euzkadi Ta Askatasuna 49. First of October Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO), Grupo de Resistencia Anti-Fascista Premero de Octubre SRI LANKA 50. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Other known front organizations: World Tamil Association (WTA), World Tamil Movement (WTM), the Federation of Associations of Canadian Tamils (FACT), the Ellalan Force, the Sangilian Force SYRIA 51. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) 52. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) TURKEY 53. Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) 54. Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) a.k.a. Devrimci Sol (Revolutionary Left), Dev Sol UNITED STATES 55. Jamaat ul-Fuqra UZBEKISTAN 56. Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) Give fearful people a holy cause to fight for and a means to wage war and...well, you know the rest. .

. Ooops. WM beat me to the answer, but just barely. .

. That's a beauty Widowmaker, well done Sir. Hasse Wind, the French Navy operated 17 Tripes during WWI, and WM's skin looks to be representative of one of those. Cheers! Lou .

. No offense taken my friend. I am careful to allow a large degree of latitude in such multi-cultural exchanges. As to your request: From where would you like to start and what objective do you wish to fly to; what time of year and hour of day do you wish to begin; which Albatros model do you want to fly; and which Allied planes would you like to have intercept your flight? (actually, I'll just suprise you with that last bit) .

. Actually, by 1918 some of the German scout pilots were also using parachutes, (not just the 2-seaters). The practice was to sit on top of the parachute rather than wear it, which meant they had to put on the chute before they could jump. Loewenhardt had a chute with him the day he died, but jumped too late for it to fully deploy. .

. Oops, my bad Olham. I was quite tired when I posted last night. I should have said how beautifully this sim has been crafted by our artisan devs, AND how beautifully the add-on Gothas have been crafted by Seacondor and Winters. I still love flying at sunset though. .

. Congratulations Creaghorn! All the best to you and your family, and a life full of blessings for Raphael. Cheers! Lou .

. Evening All, Got home tonight after a long road trip and decided to unwind with a quiet escort mission across the channel. Thought I'd share a few screenshots that show just how beautiful this sim has been crafted by our artisan devs. I love flying at sunset, especially over the water. Off to bed now for me. Cheers! Lou .

. hee, hee...my pleasure WM. Enjoy! Olham wrote: Coffee, and coffee, followed by coffee. And for a nightcap, coffee. .

. What'cha gonna do with all that hype? All that hype about your Snipe? I'ma gonna get, gonna get your Tripe, Get your Tripe with my awesome Snipe. My Snipe, my Snipe. My Snipe my Snipe my Snipe. My Snipe my Snipe my Snipe. My lovely killer Snipe. Check it out. fo shizzle ! .

. Widowmaker, I was in the local the other day and who should walk in but the lovely Miss Elke Jeisen. I recognized her immediately from the photo you posted, and being ever-quick to take advantage of such situations when they arise I asked if she might be up for a reshoot in front of a Sopwith Snipe. After a couple of pints of OSH she sweetly agreed. So, I flew the plane in, landed it in front of the pub, and... Died and gone to heaven indeed. .

. I love the Shuttleworth Collection. I enjoyed it many times back when I lived in England. Thanks for sharing, Tonyo.

. Some great new screenshots, Gents. More super wallpaper for the desktop. Ras, I love that flightline pic of MvR. Cheers! Lou .

. Greetings All, I purchased another old WWI aviation book that was for sale online this weekend. It is "Stepchild Pilot", and is the memoirs of German pilot Joseph Doerflinger. First published in 1959, (and apparently the ONLY published edition of this work), it tells of his being drafted into the German Army, his days in the trenches, and his later transfer to the Air Service, where he flew with several Jastas, including MvR's. After the war he worked as an instructor for the French Air Service, and in the 1920's moved to the U.S. where he became a commercial airline pilot. While doing some research on him I came across his obituary, dated October 23, 1970: I also ran across one of Bob Pearson's profiles showing Joseph's D.VII in Jasta 64: I am really looking forward to the arrival of this book, and am betting it will be a very interesting read. There are so few books printed in English that give firsthand WWI pilot accounts from the German perspective. Cheers! Lou .

. Great pics Olham, and thanks for the info. War is a strange happening indeed. BTW, here is a link to a copy of Joseph's book available for $30: "Stepchild Pilot" at AbeBooks .

Oops, sorry Ras. Went to make a correction and ended up deleting the post you responded to. More coffee..STAT!

. Hasse Wind, I am a luck bastard! Olham, thanks for creating the pic for the OFF files. Also, what is the title of your von Schleich book? Shredward, it is wonderful that Joseph will now be included and honored in this excellent sim. Dej, a copy of Hawker's bio signed by his brother is super, no matter what the condition or edition. You're a luck bastard too. I began reading Joseph's memoirs last night, and what an amazing story he has. The book begins thus: "I was born Alsatian. And I am proud of it, though mindful that this accident of birth caused me a great deal of trouble." He grew up in Muelhausen and played at the nearby Habsheimer aerodrome as a child, which is where he first became enamoured with the thought of flying, (I found this quite serendipitous as Habsheim is where my current campaign pilot Paul Blum is stationed). Joseph applied for the Air Service at the beginning of the War but was turned down as he was only 16 at the time. He wound up in the machine gun corps instead and spent the next three years fighting on both the Western and Eastern fronts. In December of 1917 he was finally transferred from Galacia to Hanover, Germany to flight school. By late summer of 1918 he was assigned to Staffel 10 of the Richthofen Squadron, and flew with Loewenhardt. He was with the flight and witness to the accident that claimed Loewenhardt's life. By early October of 1918 he had been assigned to Staffel 64, primarily because he was one of only two non-commissioned flying officers in Richthofen's group, and the regular officers did not what them around, (they felt they were "slumming" having to be in the company of these two men). Staffel 64 was made up entirely of NCO pilots. When the revolution came in Germany at then end of the War he was released from service, and due to being born in the Alsace, (which had now reverted back to the French after being part of Germany since the Franco-Prussian war), he was told he should leave Germany right away as he was no longer "German", (this of course is what he was referring to in his opening line of the book). Can you imagine how he must have felt, after serving faithfully with the German Army since the beginning of the War, now being told he was no longer welcome in the country he fought for. I am about a third of the way into the book. Joseph has joined and served with the French Air Service as an instructor at Istres for three years, has not renewed his contract, and instead has taken on a job with a newly-formed airline service in North Africa. It is the summer of 1922. Despite the section of this volume concerning WWI being relatively short, it is rich with little tidbits of information. For example, he describes how engine speed was controlled on the rotary-powered Halberstadts, (remember the numerous discussions we've had in this forum concerning rotary engine "throttle" control). Here is the excerpt: "Our machines were Halberstadt trainers, small sensitive biplanes powered with 80 h.p. Obersol (rotary) engines. They were different from any other training planes in that their motors could not be made to idle like other engines. The motor was controlled by a contact button on top of the stick. Pressing this button shut off the ignition and killed the engine. Therefore, in landing, we had to kill and release until the motor was running at correct speed. It had to be pressed many times in making a landing. I took thirty-five initiation flights with Heinze as the pilot. Even now, I blush to think of how dumb I must have been. On the thirty-sixth flight, I took the controls. I got off all right and was able to fly straight courses, circles and curves according to instructions. Then came the order I dreaded most, to make my first landing. I released the button at the wrong time. The plane heaved, its nose went up and it stood on its tail. Heinze corrected my mistake and we taxied to the hanger. He was bitterly disappointed. "If you can't learn to concentrate, you'll never learn to fly," he said. I was crushed. For three days Heinze avoided me. I was despondent. My friends tried to cheer me. They told me how Richthofen had all but "washed out" a plane on his first landing and how the Baron had failed twice to pass his pilot's test. It was small balm. Finally the third day, Heinze ordered me into the plane. That simple, innocent button on the end of the stick leered at me with its one eye. As I scowled at it, it seemed to laugh back. To think that my flying career could be ruined by that simple little button. I would not allow it. On that third day, I was the master. I landed perfectly. When I got out of the plane my right thumb pained from pressing that button so hard and so often. As Heinze nodded approvingly and told me I was ready for solo, I looked at my thumb. The outline of the button was pressed right into the skin." I am sure the remainder of this book will be equally enlightening and entertaining. Cheers! Lou .

. My latest addition arrived in the post today at lunchtime: I was more than pleased to discover that it is in it's original dust jacket and the entire volume is in near-perfect condition. From the looks of the inner binding it has never even been read, (which I find a pity actually). Another treat awaited me when I opened it: It is a signed copy! The sale listing did not mention this fact or the near-mint dust jacket, which makes the price I paid for this book ridiculously cheap. shredward, since you asked Sir, apart from the above photo of the author in 1959, here is another of him during his flight training: I am truly looking forward to sitting down this weekend and reading Joseph Doeflinger's recollections. Cheers! Lou .

. Beautiful shots Olham and vyrago. Really nice. Cheers! Lou .

. Start by bringing it flowers, then share a nice bottle of wine with it. And be sure you're punctual. Now if it's a colon...well...that take's an entirely different approach. .

. Don't forget that half of all pilot losses in the Camel were due to crashes during training. It was a beast to learn if you were ham-fisted. .

. Congrats vyrago on your first official award. This of course means you buy the drinks tonight. Si, you are quite correct that it should be the Military Cross as the DFC did not come along til mid-1918. I change the entry in my pilot logs to show the MC when I'm presented the DFC before it's available. .