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going to to get on tonight for a bit,there are a few people on the 'flying circus' server that I would like to blast into the next life

My son Thomas and I enjoyed flying with you on wed. Stoopy,it was good target practice even if the bombers were unarmed I should be able to play tonight,if I don't get into the aiming fluid that is,(got a new job nice and close to home) so tonight might be a bit of a party!

Yessir it was really cool to fly with you and your son! Congrats on the new job, party on, I myself am going to lubricate myself up fairly well tonight as it has been a LONG week and cold as hell outside!!!!! If I don't get on tonite (still have yet to get supper), we'll get together tomorrow nite and do some server-hopping, I'd like to work on doing the weave with you, not necessarily a drunken weave either!

- JG300-Stoopy

it has been a LONG week and cold as hell outside!!!!!

Tell it! And the wind hasn't helped much, either.

Off and on snow all this week....but not enough to get a snow day at work, ARRRRGGHH!H!!!

I got on the "Fast Food" server Sunday afternoon before the Superbowl for about an hour. I quite like how the airstarts and close proximity of the opposing airfields have you going hunting for the bad guys. I encountered a pair of pilots working together in a high/low fast/slow combination (SPAD XIII and Sopwith Triplane). After getting bounced by them I kept going back to the same general area and encountered them a couple more times. I got killed 3 times but eventually got 3 kills on them so it was a wash, but working against two of them I think I fared pretty well. Actually the last encounter I got them both and made it back to base alive, after a lengthy back-and-forth chase against the wounded SPAD who was trying his best to duck & run. To deal with the speed and maneuverability combo I'd switched to the Fokker D.VIII, which just might be the FW-190 of this sim.

Horrido!

You guys NEED desperately to see this months issue of Smithsonian's Air and Space Magazine. In addition to a great article, there's a two-page photo of WWI aircraft (OK, replica's and resto's) from the Javier Arango collection at Paso Robles. Huge article, incredible photos. Nineteen of them in the two-page photo on the ground taken in 2005. Awesome!...take my word for it.

Article, with only one lo-res pic.

www.airspacemag.com/hi...c=y&page=1

...and actually, those pics are viewable at the link above, just not very large. The print version is great!

Oh NICE! Thank you!

Tonight is an air race of sorts on the New Wings server. In Dr.I's. I'm going to represent JG300 and see if my pylon racing experience pays off. Winner gets a free aeroplane or other goodie!

Definitely will check out that article in depth but I'll be flying a Dr.! with the paint scheme shown in the article...

Thanks for the link Ascout,that was a great article,sure must be nice to be born rich enough to decide what theme your ww1 fighter aircraft collection will have.From the discriptions given about flight characteristics it sounds like the Sopwith Camel flies a lot better in real life than it does in the sim. I had stuff to deal with last night Stoopy or I would have joind you for some racing action,I'm guessing that either you won the night,got taken out or ate a pylon,in that order.

- JG300-Dan736

I'm guessing that either you won the night,got taken out or ate a pylon,in that order.

Close on two out of three! I won the race, but lost the race....

My time around the pylon course and under the FOUR bridges (three of them with little teensy-weensy archways as you've seen) was apparently the best of the group. Since we all went one at a time and everyone could observe each others run, I appear to be the only one that didn't "blip" his engine when going through the bridge section...full-out all the way, go big or go home, y'know?

However, the event was timed from the start of takeoff roll to the stop of landing roll, and that's where I lost the race. We had agreed that lightly damaging your aircraft on landing, like getting a broken prop, was acceptable, however when I came in for my landing I put it down right on the money but a little too hard, bounced up, ballooned, then held the flare off trying to slow down, pancaked in from about a foot high, just enough to make her slowly tip over on her nose and end up flat on her back. Stupid, considering I shoot touch-n-goes in that damn Dr.I every other night...in hindsight I was looking for ways to bring 'er to a stop quickly, and I gambled and lost.

Of about 13 pilots, 7 finished the course, the other 6 with much better landings than mine (all upright) and 6 guys smacked the bridge, pylons or hangars during their attempt. There were no do-overs.

They were kind enough to not consider my landing a failure as stated by the rules and they went ahead and awarded me the best time and declared me the winner...however it really gnawed at me the whole rest of the day that my landing was so pathetic and not up to the standards of the other fliers who completed the course. Certainly not up to the standards of how I like to represent myself and this squad in front of others. So, I've requested to rescind my victory and that the prize and winner status be awarded to the next fastest pilot (whom I don't remember who it was).

It's the right thing to do given the very hospitable and community-oriented atmosphere over there. I'm kicking myself for not having acted sooner on that decision that evening.

Was fun though and we'll get 'em next time!

- JG300-Stoopy

- JG300-Dan736

I'm guessing that either you won the night,got taken out or ate a pylon,in that order.

Close on two out of three! I won the race, but lost the race....

My time around the pylon course and under the FOUR bridges (three of them with little teensy-weensy archways as you've seen) was apparently the best of the group. Since we all went one at a time and everyone could observe each others run, I appear to be the only one that didn't "blip" his engine when going through the bridge section...full-out all the way, go big or go home, y'know?

However, the event was timed from the start of takeoff roll to the stop of landing roll, and that's where I lost the race. We had agreed that lightly damaging your aircraft on landing, like getting a broken prop, was acceptable, however when I came in for my landing I put it down right on the money but a little too hard, bounced up, ballooned, then held the flare off trying to slow down, pancaked in from about a foot high, just enough to make her slowly tip over on her nose and end up flat on her back. Stupid, considering I shoot touch-n-goes in that damn Dr.I every other night...in hindsight I was looking for ways to bring 'er to a stop quickly, and I gambled and lost.

Of about 13 pilots, 7 finished the course, the other 6 with much better landings than mine (all upright) and 6 guys smacked the bridge, pylons or hangars during their attempt. There were no do-overs.

They were kind enough to not consider my landing a failure as stated by the rules and they went ahead and awarded me the best time and declared me the winner...however it really gnawed at me the whole rest of the day that my landing was so pathetic and not up to the standards of the other fliers who completed the course. Certainly not up to the standards of how I like to represent myself and this squad in front of others. So, I've requested to rescind my victory and that the prize and winner status be awarded to the next fastest pilot (whom I don't remember who it was).

It's the right thing to do given the very hospitable and community-oriented atmosphere over there. I'm kicking myself for not having acted sooner on that decision that evening.

Was fun though and we'll get 'em next time!

What a petty interpretation of the rules! In August of '87, Don Garlits went through the traps backwards, upside down and on fire at Spokane and went on to take best ET of the meet in Swamp Rat 37. 5.51 E.T. @215 mpg. He had several broken bones to show for it.

Funny you should mention the drag racing comparo. During the practice session when the "perfect landing no damage" rule was brought up, I used Kenny Bernstein as an example, regarding a funny car race he won a few years ago crossing the finish line completely on fire from around 3/4 track but his foot still in it. That helped convince 'em to be a bit more lenient.

But the petty interpretation is my own for my own standards only. With no brakes, the landing rollout on these things can take like 15 seconds, and I not only did not have a 'successful' landing, but also significantly truncated my landing time due to the sudden flip. So in essence I won due to skirting around a rule I helped to change at the last minute. Point is, the leader of a fine squad like this should be able to turn in a much better performance than that to declare a win.

Being the only one to go under those tiny bridges without hitting the blip switch at all is the coolest part of that race,well done mon Capitan!Last nights dogfight had us fighting over the water.The other team had a rather large ship sending up a ton of ack ack that was tipping the scale against us,after I got ripped up really bad and knew I was toast I said screw it and was able to plough my crippled fighter into the enemy ship,as I laid on the burning deck with both legs broken watching the flames get closer amid the angry shouts of the enemy sailors I looked up to the heaven's only to see Stoopy's bomber comming over head,I seen his bomb load release and followed them with my smoke burnt eyes and just before they hit I screamed out....SUUUUUWEEEEEEEE!!! A perfect strike!! Stopping the flack and promply sinking the ship which helped turn the tide in the battle as well as saving a squad mate from a horrible end That was too cool,wish I had the video turned on!! did you get any video?I'd love to see it

Yeah that was a cool map and a great fight, can't wait to fly that one again. I saw you doing the kamikaze thing to the ship as I was setting up my bombing run, was hoping you made it away unscathed but at least those pommie swashbucklers didn't get their hands on a fellow wild sau.

I didn't get footage of that segment, alas, but I did have a track of you and I taking off together after that and getting into the thick of things, including me getting sidetracked and failing to back you up as you got into a turnfight with oneeyedog. Those Sopwith Pups are trouble, best turning fighter in the sim!

Yes rgr that about the pups,I actually broke down and bought a few planes tonight including a pup and a Gotha bomber.That pup sure has a lot of personality!and certainly not all good but if you catch someone low and turning you have a great advantage,going to practice up a bit and see if I can give ol oneeyedog a bit of payback,hehe.