Javito1986

So I've thought about starting some serious historical fiction short stories of WW1 aviation theme. Three things inspired this: 1) My various OFF campaign AARs, which are all speedily written and not that great but fun for me to write 2) Reading High in the Empty Blue and marveling at how amazing it is 3) Discovering yesterday how astonishingly simple it is to publish short stories on Amazon via the Kindle for $0.99 - $2.99 a piece. Here's kinda what I'm thinking though. Do you chaps think it's best to write about an actual squadron with historical figures involved? Like a docu-story? Or have a fictional squadron, fictional pilots, but all based on the true events that captures the 'feel' of the time but gives the author more wiggle room?

Speaking of FW190s, seen this?

I read parts of it in High School some years back, it was really great. They had it in the school library. Been meaning to get into it since, I'm thinking it'll be my next book buy after I finish High in the Empty Blue.

No you're right about the green filter Ratat, it does seem like it's gone. Looks great to me. I'd like to try it out sometime for sure

Thanks for the tips guys! Nothing says I can't do both either. We'll see ;-) And I have every intention of following through! Just finishing up finals week at the Uni and waiting on an interview next week to see if I'll have a cush internship over the summer. Plenty of time to delve into my writing again and these Kindle short stories tend to be in the 10 - 30,000 word range tops. Even on a busy day I always put in 500 words on my current project, I'm not too shabby about keeping up with these things. The exciting thing for me was seeing how easy it is to self-publish on amazon. This isn't like "OMG SERIOUS PUBLISHING BUSINESS", I mean I wouldn't put my novel up on there or anything. But it's a great way to get some short story output since god knows no other medium takes them these days.

Congrats old boy. I've been trying to make it to 11/11 since Red Baron 3D, no luck yet.

You can survive a damn long time if you're smart about it. Pick your fights carefully, guard your altitude, keep your head on a swivel (especially with limited or no TAC), keep an eye on your instruments so you don't miss a fuel leak or something silly like that. Also weave your way through flak and pray you don't get assigned to a balloon bust because those are murderous. Just don't lose your head and listen to the chaps around here and you'll reach the 17 hour mark no problem.

Set your TAC to a smaller range, 2MN if I remember right is the SIA standard. I believe the key for shifting it is CTRL>SHIFT>T but someone please doublecheck me because I don't have access to OFF from here to make sure. You get pulled out of warp whenever enemy aircraft are at a certain radius, which is pretty wide so you're very unlikely to spend an entire mission in warp. This is NOT the same as coming in contact though. If you're engaging the enemy every time you go up it's probably because you have your TAC set to its maximum radar, get pulled from warp, then steer your way towards the enemy since you know exactly where they are. Right right? That's how it used to work out for me anyway. I recommend you fly with the SIA standard, check the Survival in the Air discussion forum, you'll be happier. More realistic visibility settings = less contact with the enemy = fewer kills but longer and more satisfying careers.

Guyenmar's Nieuport is gorgeous. Are there any RL pictures? I couldn't find any on google images

High in the Empty Blue arrived today. Dear god it's beautiful, I had no idea it was so... huge! And the cover art is just gorgeous. Oh man I can't wait to open up this baby. p.s. Lou I did as you said with the dryer sheets on Flying Old Planes' smokey smell, worked like a charm. Now it smells actually rather nice heh.

Yes yes that forum is all good, but we're BIPLANE pilots with silk scarves. We don't get along with those jet age chaps with their tinted visors and fancy pants g-forces.

I was thinking that this has been a pretty crappy decade all around. I recognize it's not rational and there were many issues that plagued us, but in my mind the real "beginning" of this last decade's crappiness was 9/11. So part of me hopes this marks a symbolic end and we can start to move on. Wishful thinking?

It's definitely hell. Qur'an has fun things to say about terrorists, not much positive. Also the 72 virgins thing is a myth brought about by mistranslation ;-) Point is, UBL = very dead. Whoot

As a researcher of Muslim studies at the school, this guy has done more harm to Muslims around the world than anyone else in recent memory. Hope he enjoys hell. Also as an American who knows people lost on the planes on 9/11 and soldiers lost in Afghanistan... again, hope he enjoys hell! Some people find it bad form to celebrate the death of someone. But those individuals have never left their safe Midwestern abodes. Speaking as a well traveled individual who's "seen some s***", I can safely say there are very bad people out there who deserve a good killing. UBL is at the top of the list. Cheers

Cats are lovely. My best friend growing up was one. Cleverest little fellow you ever met.

Just scored High in the Empty Blue for $40.99, free shipping Auction here for gloating purposes: (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&rt=nc&nma=true&item=290558765733&si=86D1eVOKF4b3LtPU4KeV4TMgPNE%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT) Time to go dance!

Will do Lou! Wouldn't have found this book without your sagely advice

I believe there's a clock in the instrument panel. Z key for sure has one.

Here's a few of my claims made during Arras: 4/5/1917 8h45 Flanders Vert Galand Balloon Defense Flying: SE5a Hispano-Suiza. On this day claims: 1 Alb DIII . Largest air battle yet, at least 20 aircraft involved. We threw ourselves into the thick of it, I landed strong hits on an enemy machine and he was seen smoking and plummeting to earth. I was hit myself shortly after made a forced landing with a fuel leak . Witnessed by: Edgar Epps Status : Confirmed . 23/5/1917 6h42 Flanders Vert Galand Reconnaisance Flying: SE5a Hispano-Suiza. On this day claims: 1 DFW CV . We bounced these DFWs on the way home from an escort flight. I hit this one and he keeled over into a nose dive and crashed into the trees in the middle of German artillery fire. . Witnessed by: Jack Bostwick Status : Confirmed . Here's a rejected and accepted one from Passchendaele: 5/8/1917 7h26 Flanders Liettres Patrol Behind Friendly Front Lines Flying: SE5a Hispano-Suiza. On this day claims: 1 Alb DV . I struck him with a series of deflection shots. The Albatros was damaged and incapable of maneuvering so I finished him off with a strong burst of gunfire to the engine area. This was likely the leader of a group of Jasta 3 pilots who attempted to bounce us as we took off from Liettres this morning. The Albatros crashed about two miles south of Liettres. . Witnessed by: Jack Bostwick Status : Rejected . 6/8/1917 8h38 Flanders Liettres Patrol Enemy Front Lines Flying: SE5a Hispano-Suiza. On this day claims: 1 Alb DIII OAW . We encountered a flight from Jasta 12 at approximately 10,000 feet. I pursued this one through a dense cloud and shot him down in flames. . Witnessed by: Jack Bostwick Status : Confirmed . Here's my favorite from my last campaign just because the air battle was so big, there were at least 15 - 20 Fokkers and 10 - 20 of us all in the same battlespace: 25/;8/;1918 ;11h;50 ;Flanders ;Remaisnil ;Patrol Behind Enemy Front Lines ; Flying: Sopwith Camel. On this day claims: ;1 ;Fokker DVII . ;Shot his wing off during the massive air battle of 8/25/18. 148 assisted AC and 17 in an engagement with approximately 15 DVII craft. I shot the wing off this one, then was hit myself by his wingman and had to set down in a field. . Witnessed by: Elliot White Springs Status : Confirmed ;

I find the way these books go out of print and become scarce very sad. Hopefully e-book technology will swoop in and allow them the light of day someday soon. I've been reading PDF files on my new kindle and have found it very convenient, I imagine on something like the IPad they play even better. Never a replacement for the actual copy of course, but I hate hearing about great books being so hard to find and out of print. Inexcusable!

I find it sad that I was able to find No Parachute! at my High School library in 2005 but nowhere since. Weak. I'll add it to my Ebay list, I've been itching to finish it for six years now.

1 more day until my Ebay auction ends. I'm watching it like a hawk, still no bids since day 1 but I have no doubt some crafty fellows will show up in the last 10 seconds or so... I'll be ready!

No offense at all. Seen worse to be honest, at least a lion takes you quickly. It never ceases to impress me how swiftly, quietly and indeed casually things can go wrong. My father did lifeguard work once upon a time and he'd always say that that the hard part was learning the signs of someone in trouble because drowning happens very fast and above all quietly. Not even a hint of the thrashing and yelling you see in movies. They took a risk with meeting Christian again but... y'know honestly I'd probably do the same. I've never had a lion obviously, but I've bonded incredibly with dogs I've raised and will freely admit to trusting them implicitly... with myself, mind you. Even with the nicest one I'd never be so fool as to leave alone with a child he's unfamiliar with (like one of my nephews), and I was careful introducing him to the wife, just recognizing that he was a big fellow and quite capable of doing damage to any perceived threats. Hell that's one of the things I loved about him, amazing guard dog and extremely protective. But when someone unknown would come to visit you bet I'd send him out back. So with Christian the lion, them having raised him since babyhood, I can see standing there and trusting him. I get that. I'd have been a bit concerned when his woman showed up though

I hear that. Their kind is indeed an enigma... and so damned emotional! You just want to yell "Get a hold of yourself woman!" but then she just cries more because you're not comforting her. I say, it's tiresome to be a 'soft touch' all the time. Ahhh well. Keep on trucking Sopwith. I recommend creative pursuits! I find my artistic endeavors improve tenfold when my personal life is a mess. ps. That or retrogaming. I've been playing Star Control 2 and it's very calming and reassuring to pretend it's 1992 again.

Funny how humans and lions can get along so well when they take the time to get to know each other! Alas we're usually too interested in taking their territory and they're usually too interested in eating us