NS13Jarhead

Only four more ejections and the pilot gets to be an enemy ace.

looks interesting. But you could go "old school" and pick up a copy of the nearly 40 year old Avalon Hill boardgame "Richtofen's War" It was one of my favorites as a youngster. I didn't realize how complex it could be (it even models torque effects on turns). I'm pretty sure that still have it somewhere in a box in my basement.

Wow, that's a tough one to narrow down. I guess I like both physical comedy as well as "wordsmanship". As with others, in no particular order: The Three Stooges Mel Brooks George Carlin Peter Sellers Abbot and Costello

What do you think of the silhouette of the Albatros D.III. It looks like it's got Taube wings!

Don't get them wet or feed them after midnight. Oops, sorry wrong small furry creatures. Unless....

Looks like a great set of paintings on the calendar. Unfortunately, I doubt that I could use it - the holidays are all wrong. No Thanksgiving, Independence Day (although the 4th of July is there) or Labor Day, but it's got an extra holiday called "Boxing Day" (why would I want to get into a fist fight with someone that close to Christmas?). I might get it anyway as a collector's item since it is in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the RFC.

Of course it's real. Just like this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImdOewVhoS4

Way back in the mists of time (during Phase I and Phase II) we had a very vocal proponent for the D.VIII, a lovely young lady by the name of WomenFly2. I can't help but notice that she was more successful at getting her way using her feminine charms than Widowmaker has been with all of his hinting about the Snipe. Time to put on a dress and bat your eyelashes, mate.

Sounds to me like a Windows Vista attack.

Thanks for remembering, Olham, Unlike Flyby, 9-11 hits me personally in a number of ways. 10 years ago, I worked at the Navy Annex, about 1/2 mile uphill from the Pentagon, so when the fire alarms went off, I got to stand in the parking lot and watch the Pentagon burn. It turns out that the plane that hit it, flew almost directly over my building and missed it by only 30 feet vertically. The worst part was a feeling of helplessness. I felt that there was something I should be doing, but I didn't know what to do. The fire departments and EMTs had the site as under control as it could be, besides, I don't have that kind of specialized training. So I just stood there, feeling helpless, until I could get a ride home (it took more than 3 hours to go less than 15 miles). As a result, I got to take two trips to the Middle East, courtesy of the US Marine Corps. Oh, and did I mention that September 11th is also my birthday.

Carrick, Every time I see a blimp, diridgable, or Zeppelin used as an aircraft carrier, I'm reminded of an old Micro$oft prodcut, Crimson Skies. It's an alternate history where airships were the main mode of transportation and were being used as mobile bases by air pirates. Pretty cheesy, and the flight dynamics are laughable, but as you can see in this clip, it does have "biplanes" and at the end you can see a hook up and landing in a Zeppelin.

And don't forget that almost everyone fighting in WWI was born BEFORE the invention of powered flight.

What a week in Virginia first an earthquake then a hurricane. What's next, locusts? Flaming hail? Seriously, though, I'm glad to hear that everyone is OK. We had a some rain and wind and thunder in my part of Virginia. A couple of trees fell on the road, but nothing major.

And if you listen for and look for Archie, that's usually where you'll find enemy aircraft. The hard part is when you spend 15 minutes closing in on a 1 pixel speck only to find out that it was one of your mates from another flight/squadron who just happened to be in the area.

I haven't flown either of those, but I did give Mediterranean Air War (MAW) a go. I loved the scenery and variety of planes/skins, but I had to stop because I do so hate the stock CFS3 interface. If either BoB or ETO (or PTO for that matter) have a lovely interface like OFF, I might be interested.

Olham, My sincere condolences on your loss. I wish there was something I could say to make everything better. I want you to know that everyone here on this forum considers you a friend and that we all mourn alongside you.

You are absolutely right. The folks at Gettysburg are trying to do a lot to get the battlefield to a better condition. 11 years ago they knocked down a huge tower that had been built next to the cemetary where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. Yes, it was an eyesore, but it was also the only place that you could see the entire expanse of the 3 days of battle.

Well, I guess I've got to try and hijack this one with the virtual tour of the USMC Museum in Quantico, VA. I was the Operations Officer there for the last 6 months of construction and for the first 9 months that it was open, I was OpsO and Deputy Director. http://www.virtualusmcmuseum.com/LG_1.asp?strLR=a Now we need to get the Navy and Army to post some pics from their respective museums.

I've got Lafayette Escadrille's mascots, Whiskey and Soda stuffed and sitting by my fireplace. Since they're almost identical, I could be talked into parting with one.

Have you seen Dam Busters set to the voice track of the original Star Wars Death Star trench run? Or the Star Wars Death Star trench run with the Dam Busters voice track?

There are so many worthwhile stories to draw from. I'd like to see something on the Cactus Air Force (Marine pilots on Guadalcanal). Joe Foss was quite a character and would be good subject matter. Another story that's already been made into a full-length movie (all CGI) is the story of the Gladiators of Malta: Faith, Hope and Charity. What an amazing story! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=205252973949369270#

I've got a book "Memories of a Black Sheep Squadron Fighter Pilot" by one of the pilots from VMF-214 (Frederick Losch, callsign "Rope Trick") that says pretty much the same thing. In the intro to his book Losch starts by saying "I'm sick of so-called historians writing articles about WW II that are error filled...especially those relating to the famed Black Sheep Squadron. I hope to correct some of them. You see, I WAS THERE." Unfortunately, there are no more first hand interviews to be had of WW I personnel and the key players in WW II are also mostly gone, and those who remain are going at an accellerated rate. That means we'll soon have nothing to rely on but the error filled articles written by so-called historians.

The phrase "Don't tread on me" goes back to (as far as I know) the Navy during the American Revolution. The others "Fortitudine" was the original motto of the Marines and means with fortitude or with endurance. The motto was later replaced by "Semper Fidelis" - Always Faithful. "To the Shores of Tripoli" is part of a line from the Marines Hymn and refers to the Marine raid on a pirate fortress in Derna, Tripoli in 1805. "By Land By Sea" speaks for itself as the areas that Marines traditionally fight - It may also be related to the motto of the British Royal Marines: per mare, per terram. finally, "Gung Ho" is a Chinese phrase that means working together. It was adopted by Col Evans Carlson for his 2nd Marine Raider Battalion during World War 2. As for standing/posing for the print. It took less than an hour for me. Mr. Dietz had a camera and took about 100 photos. I think he took a shot from every possible angle and then got close ups of the sword, belt, medals and cover (that's what Marines call a hat). It was a great honor to be a part of the painting. I've got a copy of it on my wall, as well as one for my mom and for each of my kids. Believe it or not, they also turned the painting into a 500 piece puzzle!

Jim Dietz is a great artist. I had not seen those paintings before. Based on what I've seen on his website, I had thought he was doing nothing but modern paintings lately. It's good to see that he's getting back into the WW I themes that made him famous. As some who have been on this forum for a while might remember, I actually got to meet him and pose for one of his painting. It's called "You Will Not Fail Us". I'm the one at center left with the blue uniform, with sword. The sergeant to the right of center is Jeremiah Workman who received the Navy Cross (2nd highest US award for heroism) during the 2nd battle for Fallujah.

I was on vacation to Kitty Hawk (home of Wright Bros 1st flight) and saw this shirt at Kitty Hawk Kites. I almost bought it, but couldn't quite justify the $60 price tag. I did, however get my daughter a flight helmet and goggles so she can get into the spirit of things when she does her report on Amealia Earhart next school year.