Wayfarer

Well I was certainly expecting them then. I had been thinking things were a bit too quiet. I think it might be a combination of where I am based, the fact that I run my missions at roughly a weekly frequency, and the fact that I try so hard to avoid contact with enemy aircraft. I am based at Hesdigneul, in Flanders, with RFC 2. Most of the missions I flew between July and October 1916 were somewhat north of the main Somme battlefields. I was not actually engaged by enemy aircraft between the end of June and Boxing Day 1916, when three Halberstadts forced down my newest pilot on his first mission. I thought this might be due to the degree of air superiority the allies established during that period. I am still flying BE2s at present, but it is pretty hopeless against the newer fighters. I think even the limited field of fire of the observer might be more useful than the fixed forward firing gun. I am presuming that we get RE8s eventually as they are listed in potential aircraft for the squadron. Until then I suspect it will be a hard spring! Olham, it was lucky. The last poor chap was imprisoned for the duration!

You actually saw enemy aircraft by March 1915 (never mind shooting them down)! I didn't see a single enemy aircraft until June 1915. Are you using a mod? Olham, I know what you mean. I've never got any medals, but my first pilot logged over 50 hours and it was kind of liberating, in a way, after he was killed. It meant I could try new things that might prove fatal but weren't going to lose all that time.

Thanks for posting this link Olham. By coincidence I just came across Albatros D.IIs in OFF for the first time, January 1917. I love the way the wooden bodies are skinned - even while they are shooting down all my wingmen and forcing me to land behind enemy lines! (I escaped afeter 19 days - phew)! The pre-V strut Albatros marks never seemed to to be illustrated back when I used to make plastic models and I always find the look of them interesting.

Shiloh, glad they got that warning to you in time. My work is involved with monitoring river levels for flood defence and other requirements. A dam burst is one thing they hope they'll never have to deal with, even with the small ones we have. Hopefully the worst is over for the rest of the East Coast OFFers.

Olham, thanks for posting this link. These are superb. I had come across some of these videos individually but had not realised there was a dedicated site.

Dumb question time ... I'm presuming the jets actually fly. What engines do they use?

So I have just come back off holiday. I have been catching up at work and teaching someone new, and it's been a bit fraught. I just managed to squeeze in one reconnaissance flight in the blinding snow and I have been reading the second hand copy of 'They Called It Passchendaele' I bought on holiday. Under those circumstances anyone could could have written the year down slightly wrong in an email ... and put 1917. Ok ... I may need help.

Thanks everyone! We had an overnight stay in Oxfordshire last night so I only just got back to the forum. I'll post my official thanks on the Barmy OFFers post. I think there are some instructions there about how to display the badge, aren't there? STOP PRESS - just spotted RAF Louvert's PM with the instructions in - so thanks again!

I'd be proud. Demented, but proud!

Hello Bletchley, I tried sending a PM but it didn't want to go. I have just reached January 1917, flying BE2s in RFC 2 squadron, out of Hesdigneul in Flanders, using your mods. The intell describes the overall situation as quiet at present. As far as the air war goes, would 'quiet sector' still reflect the situation for this sector at this time?

Ok thanks. Getting jumpy as April nears!

I remember watching this as a child. We still have my Dad's copy of the book which went with it. I have also seen quite a good documentary on the making of the series. Not sure my Mom was so impressed though. It came up in conversation once, not so long ago. 'I used to watch that,' said my Dad. 'Yes, every bloody week!' responded my Mom. Still, I always remember it as being good!

Yes, thanks to both. I picked up a lot of useful information from Uncle Al's posts when I first started with OFF.

Flying long two seater missions, I have had similar experiences sometimes. I always say I find OFF a good form of therapy.

33LIMA I have never seen that photograph before, thanks ELEPHANT for posting it. Poignant isn't the half of it. I keep going back to look at it. It makes a very deep impression, even on a day of constantly seeing photographs and films of people trashing parts of our city centre.

Of course engine coolant is another matter ... like the leak which caused my engine to seize up and my latest pilot to be killed in a crash landing not 10 minutes ago. I'd have probably been better off at work! (Day off for nephew's wedding).

Flying a British bomber campaign, I haven't concerned myself with personal skins. I always check the fuel level, however. Firstly to make sure I can get there and back on long reconnaissance flights and secondly to give me some reserve when the fuel tank is hit and the stuff starts draining away at an alarming rate! I have only been shot down out of control once, so far (and then ended up hospitalised). All my pilots have actually been lost making forced landings. One was forced down right on the lines and landed nicely, but then ran into some object that killed him, so I like to give myself some chance of reaching a clearer spot. I usually calculate 1.5 times the flight length - then add a load more on for luck! As I mostly don't shoot at anything I suppose really ought to start reducing the ammmunition as well.

Didn't even realise you could go into the hangars! Must try that next time.

This is a just out of interest question. I recently had a run of 'Lone Wolf' missions and have felt quite lucky in avoiding the attentions of flights of enemy aircraft. Made me think, is the AI programmed so that single machines are less likely to be 'spotted' than flights of several machines. Would anyone know?

Well I'm grateful, with three daughters I need to find aid and comfort somewhere ...

One helping at Brownie camp. One on the way to the seaside (we wish we hadn't seen how much booze was loaded into the car). One currently in after driving lesson. Oh .... and one flight of Rolands evaded through clouds ... that was good advice!

Thanks. I have used clouds as cover in the past, more from instinct really. I dropped my scenery slider after a recent screen freeze, so I'll try putting the clouds up to 5. I am just about to start OFF (many daughters out, so not on computer) and was thinking, on the way home from work, I've probably jinxed myself with this post. The next enemy patrol will probably come wailing down on me!