Olham

"In nature, there are neither rewards nor punishments - there are consquences" (R. G. Ingersoll) But in BHaH, there are punishments, and rewards. After Interlocuter and Siggi had convinced me to "fly without crutches", I have just absolved my first flight as a real veteran pilot, and caring flight leader. We were sent out to destroy a ballon in the Marne bend region. All unrealistic help devices switched off, we approached waypoint 2, right at the lines. I had climbed to 6.000 feet, and so still had to check the skies above us. Even worse: all the space below us. You wouldn't see a SPAD in camouflage climb towards you! Heavy thunderheads around - a tense athmosphere. Suddenly, I thought, I had seen a short kind of blink, in front of a slate grey cloud tower. There it was again! And a second dot! They moved left, so I changed direction about 20° to the right, climbing. We flew a wide curve, to get behind them. I sharpened my view, but there were no more specs. When we had an advantage of some 1.000 feet, they suddenly pulled round and dived our direction. They must have seen us all the time. From the dive, they pulled up with incredible speed, growing fast! I ordered split, and attack! And managed to get a half turn to end right behind one. He was hit so devastating, and so often, he seemed to sink away. I let him go. Were are my men; and how are they doing? The three of them were buzzing around the second SPAD, but couldn't seem to get into position. Coming down on it like an eagle, I was careful enough with my wings. He tried to pull up, out of my dive, but got the first burst. I rushed through a cloud of splinters and ripped fabric. Pulling up after him, I lay almost headover, when I fired a second burst. Now he drove downwards, but with no elegance. And he got it right into the cockpit. Pulling up again, I shot into his fuselage from so close, that in pulling away, my right wing touched his rudder. He screamed terribly, and nosed down, down, until the crash. Re-assembling now. I flew two, three circles, until everyone was there. Relief - no one missing! Just when I was about to go on towards the ballon, I saw 4 - 6 fine points moving to the right, away from us. I went on, but kept them in my sight, until they had disappeared. Now I was in a bit of a trouble. If they were SPADs, too, they would be a real danger for my flight. But I still had some 800 - 850 rounds left, and the order was, to down that ballon. So, I went on with my flight. Arriving, we got heavily shelled from lots of AA. I zigzagged towards the ballon, but it got more and more hazardous. Reaching it, I shot it up quickly and pulled away hard. Zigzagging back, we were hidden in black puffs. And then came the one with my name on - Boof!! - and part of my right wing flew away! I tumbled down and made a nasty crash. I must admit, I would have thought, I was dead. But no! I got the claim report, and then a notice, that I had been captured, but escaped after 20 days! That's the reward! Sometimes - but only sometimes - BHaH can be so good to you...

Sometimes, there is a wink of the eye of fate. Or the "Winding Lord"... (Shouldn't it be: Sgt. David Ian Darks - Royal Flying Corps ?)

It happened to me before twice, but is rather rare and random. Use your fantasy, what happened. Like this: Major: "An RFC Sergeant. Were did you find him?" Ltn.: "We watched his plane coming in from the east, getting badly shot up by ground fire. He had shot a German plane down before - they were like mad over there, and he came down, pulling a trail of smoke. He couldn't keep the plane in the air, and crashed into a line of trees. Almost in no man's land. But we could reach him and get him out, Sir." Major: "Well done, Lieutenant! Hmm, apart from his unconciousness, he doesn't look too bad..." Medic: "The nose is broken, two front teeth are broken off, he's bitten into his tongue; but the jaw is intact. I can find no bullet wounds. Lucky guy, I say." Major: "Did you find any papers or a wallet?" Ltn.: "Here, Sir!" Major: "Sgt David Ian Darks, Royal Flying Corps 92 - these youngsters all fight like mad dogs. But this one will be a bit quieter in future. Get him to the hospital." Ltn.: "Sir!" Major hands a small bottle of brandy to the medic. Major: "And you give him this medicine, when he wakes up." Medic: "But his tongue - Major, this will burn like hell in his mouth!" Major: "Yes. But he's a pilot. You will see - those blokes can ignore pain. He'll get it well down himself, I'm sure."

To have enough encounters, you could enter second half of 1917, or better 1918. There are so many planes underway, you could call it "crowded".

Well, your flying skills can't be that "meager", when you downed 3 Albatros D Va in a single flight! But it's funny - your Albatros opponents had advantage of height. When I fly somewere, it's always the Allies, flying MUCH higher than us. Winder?!?!

Instead of wasting money on such gear, you should switch off all the non-realistic devices like target cone, TAC, labels and info text, and instruments. I tried it on my last sortie - it was so immersive. You suddenly see everything again...

Hellshade, you can even fly with "limited fuel" on! All you must remember is, to pull throttle back to 70 - 75 %, before you warp. Also, before you start to a 60 mile roundtrip, make sure you have a tank filling for 90 miles (that's plus 50%). That way, the fuel will be allright. I did that now several flights, and it always worked. And we might have met - I was northeast of Arras and had a dogfight with 6 Nupes. But you know, how far we can see each other - max. 4 miles, I'd say.

Yes, vision sucks on the Halby. I flew it some time ago, but didn't last long against Nupes. But I remember, it climbed pretty good! I'll try it again, when I got better. I have just lost my Albatros DII pilot (Sept. 1916) in a collision - I was too greedy for the kill, again! After that, I had a wonderful excursion into the Marne bend area near my field Bonneuil Ferme. We (I, flying a D Va in April 1918) destroyed a ballon, and flew home again - and all "without crutches" (see that threat of same name). It was so immersive - I'll continue doing that.

Boy, how much deeper the immersion! Why haven't I done this before? Answer: I was afraid to get jumped on! I was afraid to miss the action! I was afraid to get lost! Bulls**t, all! No more afraid! This was a campaign flight, and I just risked it. And it was SO GOOD! Flying that way, I see and watch so much more - I wouldn't even mind so much, if I would get killed in an unforeseen attack; I want to live this as much as possible. My honest advice: switch off your labels, TACs, warnings, instruments and target cones. And SEE, what we there is around you! Interlocutor and Siggi - you have cured me from a "false safety syndrom"! Thank you!

Interesting thought, Siggi - would you say "Guns: hard" means "harder to destroy something"? Cause, I had thought: gun's impact is harder/worse? If "hard" means "harder to destroy something", then I'll pick hard. As my German planes all have two guns, and the Allied planes are easier to destroy. So: my advantage. Interlocutor; flying without TAC could make campaigns easier in one point, I read from your post. An enemy you don't notice passing in a distance of three or four miles, can't lure you to attack him. Less fights, and less risk to get killed. More flights without engagements at all. More flying hours.

Hallo, Wels! Wasfliegst Du zur Zeit? I just made my first sortie with a Bristol fighter, in 1918. We were attacked by 4 Albatros D Va. Our flight, and 3 Albs went towards the deck. Up above only my Bristol, and one Albatros, from Jasta 71. He was really fast underway, and I found it hard to hit him at all. I had taken over the rear gunner position. My pilot turned like mad, and this plane is very agile! He even made an attack twice with his forward guns, and hit the Alb! Me, I got a few rounds into him, but the Albatros is quite tough and didn't show much reaction. He even rammed us, demolishing our right wing tips. Can't say, if he broke off or began to show damage, but he went away, and we made it home safe. If you like helter skelters: this is it!

Wow! Great job, Chris. What program do you use?

Not sure! Impressive, yes; but the pilot seems to suffer almost as much as the enemy? I was never a fan of the big guns. You can't carry many rounds, and the plane maybe heavier overall.

Yes, that sounds realistic. A flight of Dr.1 would have been veterans or aces; and would rip you to pieces in seconds. D VII should be extremely dangerous too. The warping should be left out, because only then, you can decide which alt. to climb to. I haven't installed the patch yet - want to make some more training flights, before it get's serious! But if we now must run away, when outnumbered - how can I fly my Jasta 15 April 1918 campaign? There, I usually way outnumbered, almost every time!

Here is another impressive vid with dramatic music - this one gives you a real good flying feeling. This plane is so impressive and confident looking, I will start a British campaign with it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzhUFePm3n0...feature=related Tttiger, the lowest (and most common) form of humour is malicious joy, IMHO. The highest - according to Caplin - is, when you can laugh about yourself. Maybe, we're all rather low ranking then, cause I find that mostly pretty hard to do.

Imagine Pol sitting with a bowl of popcorn, and Winder with an ice cold beer, reading our countless questions, giggling and chuckling ...

I got mine delivered in Berlin within 14 days. So, Canada should probably be a little faster. But, however long it may take - as soon as you fly it, you'll find any time too long at hindsight. Welcome in a mad community. Hope, your wife/kids/friends are prepared to see you far less soon...

RedDog, if you just put a Nupe skin in as an Albatros, the Albatros 3D model would be rendered with the Nieuport skin - a "shark in a jet's clothing" so to say. I had once been mistaken, and saved an Alb DII skin as a DIII skin. The result was almost pop art. But in QC, you really could create such a German Nupe, and fly it against French or British Nupes.

Olham tries to learn it, really! But it's hard! So I won't yet risk any of my campaign pilots for that. I did some QC fights today. It is extremely difficult to find, were everyone is,without the TAC. But I switched everything off - no instruments at all, no target cone, no labels, no red or blue text data. And I must say, after short time, I enjoyed the pure clean realistic view around. Only, to find those Camels, was hard. I realised, I wasn't making the most of TrackIR before. Now, I had to check 6 much more often, or look around the whole plane, to find the enemies. I got almost dizzy! But it worked much better, than I had expected. I will do more such training, and then start two campaign pilots, who fly after "Dicta Siggi". Promised! PS: here's a picture of the last Camel, I drove into the grass of our field.

If I look at the sky? You mean the REAL sky - outdoors? A friend called earlier today and asked, why I was indoors in this sunny good weather. Me: "Sunny good weather? Bah! Round the Marne bend and Bonneuil Ferme, we have typical April weather - slate grey clouds; it always looks like rain! Since a whole week or more now!" He: "Why don't you go out and have a walk?" Me: "A walk? Are you kidding? Everyone else has 10 or more confirmed kills, and more claims! I have to reach up with them - I got the sim so late! I have duties! The next sortie is in 10 minutes!!! A walk - tch!!!" I promised him though, to have a walk or jogging tomorrow. Now I can only hope, it will rain...

Bah! TTTiger; I don't care so much for the type names - I shoot them down. But you must admit, the names are a bit confusing. And off course I met FE2bs, with my Albatros DII, in 1916. But now you made me curious about the Bristol F2b - I just started a second career in Jasta 11, in April 1917. There, I will meet this plane sooner or later. Have you got any good tips, how to attack it? Or should I do the same like with the Sopwith Strutter - leave it alone?

File Name: Albatros DIII Milan File Submitter: Olham File Submitted: 04 Apr 2009 File Updated: 20 Oct 2009 File Category: Aircraft Skins Skin created from original OFF skins made by OvS/James Romano and Paarma/Arto Karttunen. Click here to download this file

File Name: Albatros DIII early Burgundy File Submitter: Olham File Submitted: 04 Apr 2009 File Updated: 20 Oct 2009 File Category: Aircraft Skins Skin created from original OFF skins made by OvS/James Romano and Paarma/Arto Karttunen. Click here to download this file