Olham

Here is some great colour footage filmed with RAF squadrons, which had Czech pilots as well as pilots from other nations in them. This is not only interesting for the reason that there were Czech and other nation's pilots in these squads; you can also see how the fighter planes were made ready for their sorties in good detail here. Here is the note from the uploader: Rare, original coloured movie from GB 1942/43, but this movie have not original sound. So, If you are boring repetitive sound, please change music off. Movie from 310(cz). squadron, 312(cz). squadron and 313(cz). sq. In cz. squadrons (1940/45) were also pilots from another nations: 46 british (Best: J.J. Jefferies-Latimer 6 victories), 18 jews (Best: O.Smik 10 victories), 3 canadians, 1 american, 1 irish, 1 polish pilot and 5-10% of Slovakians (best J.K.Ambruš 2 victories). The best of Czech, who fighted in Czechoslovak squadrons was A.Vašátko 15 victories. Czech Pilots in RAF Service - Part 1 Czech Pilots in RAF Service - Part 2

Well, I guess the footage I posted was filmed by some RAF personnel or a film crew they ordered to. After all they had to get at the airfield, which - I think - would be a closed military area. Might also be, that one of the Czech pilots just filmed it without asking for allowance - and without getting caught.

Browsing through the Albatros skins, I found no ace skin for Jasta 8 - not one? Were there no aces in that Jasta, or are their skins just not known?

No problem, Shredder - seems nobody had missed those skins yet; not even I did - Jasta 8 is one of those Staffeln I have never flown with yet. If they will be in OFF II that'll be fine for me. As for the 2 weeks - I'm glad you didn't postpone the release!

It isn't, Dej. It is only held as the exemplar for the Fokker Dr.1's manoeuverability.

Okay, thanks, Ted. I have sent a PM to forum friends and asked, what they have. If they have them, I may have to reinstall.

... but it was ugly as a soap box!

Had the Fokker Dr.1 entered full service as she should have, late summer 1917, she would have been very dangerous; but the wing failures forced Fokker to withdraw all craft, and so they were only really serviceable in spring 1918. What made the craft so special was the overall "instability", it seems. The craft didn't do anything you did not do with the stick; it wouldn't settle in the air and fly straight; you had to hold it - but it would do almost everything you performed on the stick. The ability to perform a "flat turn" must have been such, that the craft could almost fully turn round without even banking; still flying horizontally! (It had no tail fin to make her fly straight - only a moving rudder). Werner Voss made great use of that in his famous fight, and hit all 5 S.E.5a, as far as I know. The Dr.1 sure was an extraordinary turn fighter - with great turnability in both directions; not only to the right like the Sopwith Camel. The Germans used it with good effect in combination with energy fighters; like the Entente did with Nupes and SPADs for example. But like with all fighters - it always depended on the abilities of the pilots, to make real good use of a craft. .

For all bomber pilots operating below 500 feet: Bomb the sheds - do NOT bomb the toilets!

Pips, I guess you could be right, the Pfalz D.IIIa might have been the better fighter. The sturdy dive alone would have let me prefer it to "my beloved Albatros" in real life. The vision is at least equal, if not better in the Pfalz. What she may lack in turn-ability, she could balance with safer energy/vertical fighting. Her better climb is a big plus! As far as I know the German ace Erich Löwenhardt from Jasta 10 flew the Pfalz, like many other aces (Carl Degelow, Josef Jacobs). Maybe the Pfalz was only more difficult to build and couldn't be made in such numbers as the Albatros? Now you may ask yourself, why I still fly the Albatros mostly. Well, I know the Fokker Dr.1 or the D.VII even more, would get me better successes. But it's the beauty of the Albatros, which I fell in love with. No other plane makes me fall for it like she does. Love isn't rational... .

Thank you, Shredward. Here is what I see - could it be, that the number of skins in the skins folder is limited? In other words - if I add many personal skins, other skins get dropped out? Just an idea?

Fw Mahlow is still part of the action of the Battle of the Somme, and the fighting is fierce on both sides. He can hold his own in the Halberstadt, but there's rumour that they will receive a much better fighter very soon - the Albatros D.I will come to service. He must survive until then...

Well, I didn't mean to demonstrate so much the assistance of foreign pilots for the RAF, Jonathan; first of all I thought, this footage might be interesting for all who are interested in fighter squadrons, and how they prepare for their sorties. I had never seen so much material about the RAF flight preparations.

Never seen a dog making such noises - but women can make you do the strangest things...

I guess hardly anyone knows this man - Shredward may be? But I post mostly totally Topic, so now I take the freedom to do something as "off-topic" as could be. Searching through YouTube, I was amazed, how many Procol Harum live videos I found there. Amazed, and then a bit - well, not sad, but moist eyes, you know, about the old days, and to realise how long ago all that is. I then searched Google for Dave Ball, who was the guitarist of Procol Harum after Robin Trower had left. Ball didn't stay very long and is not to be heard on any studio album. But he played a wonderful electric guitar on the Super-Album "Procol Harum live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra & the Da Camera Singers". Later he became a programmer for IBM, went to Australia, and 2011, just for fun, he made some videos about his retirement; he even plays guitar in one or two. Of course I don't mean to say, he was the best musician. Gary's vocals are hauntingly special, his piano classic; B.J. Wilson was a great special drummer, perfect for the band; Matthew Fisher's organ 'celestial'; Robin Trower's guitar so well infected by Jimi Hendrix, and and and.. A very special gang... If you now ask yourself, what all this is about, since you don't even know "Procol Harum" - then forget about it; it was just one of the sentimental moments - or you could go and get some of their records; or have a look into YouTube. Here's one of their rockers - beware - dirty language: .

Seems Robin is still touring with his own band (though not the original trio anymore). At least he had been in German TV program "Rockpalast" in 2005 - see here:

Davy, I have Robin's albums too, and like "Twice removed from yesterday" and "Bridge of Sighs" most. I also love Robin's contributions to the Procol Harum albums; especially to "Broken Barricades" a lot. Great guitarist!

The film "Dark Blue World" is not all about air combat; if you want to know more, see Wikipedia about it: http://en.wikipedia....Dark_Blue_World But someone has put the air scenes into YouTube, and I have found all four - for all who haven't seen it. Enjoy! (PS: A pity they only had the Hispano-Suiza version of the Bf 109 - but the Spits are great!) Dark Blue World - Air Combat 1/4 Dark Blue World - Air Scenes 2/4 Dark Blue World - Air scenes 3/4 Dark Blue World - Air Scenes 4/4

JFM, I like your "nitpicking" details, cause they are well researched. Especially that bit about the wind direction and speed was mostly overlooked in the documentaries, it seems. As for the word "far" - 3 miles is not far into enemy terrain, when you fly at an altitude, from which you could even glide a damaged kite back over the lines. But as you said, low as he was flying (almost hitting a church tower!) - I find it far.

Mmuahahahahaaaaa!!!!!!

Sure that number could send me thrills down the spine, Lou, and it was the song I made my first slow dance to, ever. It was in a German-French holiday camp, and her name was Marie-Therése... Memoires de la jeunesse... Sid, "A Salty Dog" would probably be the one album I would pick out of all, if I could only take one of each band to the island - although it would be a tough choice; I also love the first one a lot, and the "Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra...", and, and... Von Paulus, you are a man with taste - The "Edmonton..." live album is such a great album, and IMHO the best album any rock band ever made with an orchestra and choir. Just in case you don't know the also very great "King Biscuit Radio Show" recordings of Procol Harum live with Orchestra & Choir 1973 at the "Hollywood Bowl" - have a listen in Procol Harum's website. Although it was a bootleg for a long time, they have now made it available here. The 'Encore' song "TV Cesar" ends brilliantly with a blending into "Rule Britannia" - phantastic! Just scroll down and click the line at the bottom: "Listen to the concert live here" http://www.procolharum.com/hollywood.htm

Yuppers, correct - it was even written on the Lozenge fabric. I wonder, how different OFF II will be regarding the co-ops in ground offensives, and the battle flyers/Schlachtflieger.

I never know wether it is reassuring, or rather frightening, that most other nations had similarly sinister ideas about warfare as the Germans had. Simple as that, eyh? Dooohhh!!! I often wonder where my brain may be, when I sit here without it.