razorramon31

I am also on MK2's gaming group and let me tell you all that when he plays a game, any game it's all 200% involvement! I have never in my life played with anyone as dedicated or "clutch in the trenches" as my good buddy, MK2. Just for the record, I am playing DelVechio and Raymer (for the American and French forces respectively) during this campaign. Balloon runs are the most horrifying experience in Dawn Patrol. Right now as it stands the record for surviving passes at a balloon are four by Del Vechio. Just to give you an idea: Imagine flying in at 2500 ft, the Balloon is at 800 ft.. You start your run 3600 feet away. first turn, you max out the throttle and your within 2300 feet but the balloon realized your coming in and just lowered to 650 ft. Now is when the "fun" begins. As you dive like a Hawk swoping down on its prey right into the mouth of the dragon, You come under fire from 4 AA guns blazing all around you, you get within 200 ft of the balloon you get a healthy dose of "burning onions", surviving that, you face off agains 4 machine gun nests, all waiting to bring your craft down in a hail of smoke and flames... The plane takes not one, not two, but three engine hits!!! (realize that your plane can only take 6 engine hits).. now rolling on the critical table with a six sided die (a 7 or 8 is basically death). you roll and get an 8! now you roll on the critical table which on an engine is devastating. you only have basically one chance on that chart to survive ....you roll a.....6! amazingly enough, your carburator gets shot to hell causing smoke to come out! So you manage to survive that and then you open fire. You lay out a full "long" burst, and the hail of bullets explodes the balloon so you bank left just in the nick of time, of the devastating explosion, while you feel the searing heat!!! (only a bank lets you survive as anything else sees you engulfed in flames) You then turn your craft and head home victorious knowing that you have hampered the enemy from gaining important recon information of your Allies postion and reinforcements. Now take a breath, and imagine that instead of destoying the balloon, it survives, and you dare to make another pass at it! Now imagine doing that two more times!!!! Brave? No its actually suicidal! But when your a Cocky American pilot and you have 13 missions under your belt and no confrimed kills, sometimes it just seems like the thing to do!!! As the old sayig goes..."It seemed like a good idea at the time..."