Who are we now?

[avlSteve]

Great posts, guys.  Thanks.

 

Speaking of dogs, my avatar is my sweetie, an 8 year old mutt rescued at ~ 9 weeks from the pound.  She points, can carry 3 stuffed animals at a time, can dig a hole big enough to sleep in, and is the world's sweetest dog.  Great with people, other animals, almost annoyingly friendly.  Except in the car or at the house.  Then for some reason she has to be a cross between hyena and hellhound.  But that's her!

Edited November 7, 2014 by avlSteve

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

Aww sweet dog, here is my co pilot.

[Yakdriver]

That looks like a properly happy son of a gun!
*headbang*

[oneeyeddog]

The last few days have been sad at my house as my good old one eyed dog, Geli, died. She was smart, loyal and my constant companion. She will be missed.

[Gort]

got a greek dog off the street myself.

lived on a 5ftx30ft balcony for his first year of life - barely could take a 5 minute walk to take a crap.

never wears a collar, never wears a leach. not on the street, and only pro forma on the bus.

and runs for half a day without rest.

Tassos is peaceful and 60 pounds of pure black gold.

 

back in greece - 18 pounds

 

 

 

Handsome fella, he seems to be asking, "Is it OK to eat these cows?"

[Yakdriver]

nah, he only greets them - nose to nose and such.

always happy to meet anyone - cows, sheep, dogs or the evilest of creatures...

i find it amazing that he has not lost his faith in humanity at all.
best thing i did in my entire adult life.

[JimTM]

The last few days have been sad at my house as my good old one eyed dog, Geli, died. She was smart, loyal and my constant companion. She will be missed.

Very sorry to hear that Pete. Take care and I hope to fly with you again when you feel up to it.

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

 

 

Handsome fella, he seems to be asking, "Is it OK to eat these cows?"

I think he's saying "Holy crap thats some huge dalmatians! " 

The last few days have been sad at my house as my good old one eyed dog, Geli, died. She was smart, loyal and my constant companion. She will be missed.

Sorry for your loss. They become part of the family and all.

[Lusekofte]

Hi 

48 years old, moved out of my parents house at age15 and started a career as a sailor , now I operate heavy duty cranes in several building sites

flown aviation games from coin machine stuff in 1980, got my own pc in 1996 and started up my first real combatsim when MCFS came when the release of IL2 came I got addicted.

I am a admin over at www.1946sas.com and have in a few occasions banned our friend Hawker Typhoon from there

I got 3 kids and spend my flytime right now like this 

BOS 60% 

DCS 20%

IL2   10%

DCS  8%

COD  2%

[Yakdriver]

i deserved it... was even more of a jackbutt than today.
 

you named DCS twice, 20 and 8%.

WTH?

[79_vRAF_Friendly_flyer]

I have a wife like a fox and 2 sons like a rabbit!  Well, not sure this expression is common in other country, but We normally use this kind of conceit.

 

LOL! No, I don't think that expression is found outside your region, but it's a great one anyway!

[Lensman]

I'm from England and I live near Cambridge these days ... I work there too for a very big international e-commerce company but that just pays the bills ... not a lot of passion for it sadly.

I'm 50 and your typical rebellious rock & roll kid who ended up with a career in IT, a mortgage and no hair (I can cope with all but the last!).

As well as hugely enjoying flying sim aircraft for most of the time computers have made it possible I own and play a variety of rather good electric and acoustic guitars (and I attempt a 5 string bass). I play a fair old electric blues lead (it says here).

I've flown a TigerMoth briefly, but it WAS out of Duxford (a front line WWII RAF and USAAF airbase) and there was a Hurricane taking off next to the aircraft I was in (I took the controls at altitude, loved it but couldn't hear a damn thing my instructor said over the intercom because of the wind and engine noise). I spend a  lot of time at Duxford because the aircraft museum is fascinating. Hundreds of planes and a land warfare hall too. They've got an He-162 and the only SR71 in Europe to name but two (static). I always know it's spring when Spitfires start appearing in the sky over my house (seriously).

I've been in Japan 3 times and love it there ... great people and a really great attitude to life, detail and aesthetics ... except their opinion of fish (if it moves: EAT IT! I'm a vegetarian).

I'm not telling you my real name because I'm forced to use it for multiplayer (lets not got into THAT issue here) and I'll only prove how bad I am at aiming ...  ;-)

Edited November 7, 2014 by Lensman

[DD_bongodriver]

 

 

I've flown a TigerMoth briefly

 

How long ago? I fly the Tigers at Duxford but have only been doing it since august.

[kissklas]

I've flown a TigerMoth briefly

 

Awsome! We saw some TigerMoths flying over our city (Hamar, Norway) during an airshow a few months back. Norwegian airforce colours as well. Great show:)

[Lusekofte]

i deserved it... was even more of a jackbutt than today.

 

you named DCS twice, 20 and 8%.

 

WTH?

DCS online 8% Offline 20%

[Lensman]

How long ago? I fly the Tigers at Duxford but have only been doing it since august.

 

1st of May 2009.

This one, me in the front seat obviously:

 

 

No doubt you've flown that aircraft many times and I envy you!

[dburne]

Man I just wish I had the time to spare to spend as much time with my sims as I would like.

 

However, with winter months coming which means no yardwork, no boating trips, no poolwork, I will have more time to be able to sim at least on the weekends. ( travel a lot during the week, ugh).

 

I imagine my winter weekends will be full with the following, in the following order, from most use to least use:

 

1: TF Cliffs

2: IL2 1946 HSFX7

3: DCS ( namely finish learning the systems/weapons on the A10C, maybe some Black Shark 2 as well)

4: ROF

 

And really not sure I will be able to do that much.

[chris455]

sorry for sort of off topic, here is a more recent pic of the same 262

 

warmuseum2009-014avc.jpg

 

Cheers Dakpilot

Thanks Dakpilot,

Is that perhaps violettebraun dappled in with the gray?

Edited November 7, 2014 by chris455

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

Not try to run it off track but I'm with Lusekofte, if DCS had more online ..what's the technical term..stuff. I'd go on line more with it. The other day I took a Dora up flew around a town and got shot down by a SAM! Next flight a Eagle targeted me with a missile and I thought really? Mixing up WW2 and modern in the same map..yeah not good. The BFG on the A10 can make easy work of a dora though!.

[DD_bongodriver]

 

 

No doubt you've flown that aircraft many times and I envy you!

 

Funny you say that, the yellow one RM (romeo mike) is really popular with my colleagues, they always wan't to fly it, but it's the most gutless of all 3, I haven't flown it as much as the 2 silver ones.

[Lensman]

Funny you say that, the yellow one RM (romeo mike) is really popular with my colleagues, they always wan't to fly it, but it's the most gutless of all 3, I haven't flown it as much as the 2 silver ones.

Well I liked it ... :-)

(but I never did find the weapon controls.)

Edited November 8, 2014 by Lensman

[Lensman]

Actually DD_bongodriver, the thing that impressed me most about the flight was that once at any significant altitude, when you can't see any people, no ground vehicles and the roads almost vanish, then the Cambridgeshire countryside looks just like I presumed it would in the early 1940s. It was very easy to imagine that I was flying 70 years earlier. Really atmospheric (no pun intended).

[DD_bongodriver]

 

 

but I never did find the weapon controls.)

 

Here's a bit of useless trivia for you, the extensions of the tailplane that run forward on the fuselage (anti-spin strakes) are a left over from when the Tiger was trialled for being armed with bombs.

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

 

 

I think he's saying "Holy crap thats some huge dalmatians! "

Nobody got that?.. big black and white cows er dogs..I thought it was funny. I guess I crack myself up. 

[DD_bongodriver]

 looks just like I presumed it would in the early 1940s. It was very easy to imagine that I was flying 70 years earlier. Really atmospheric (no pun intended).

 

it's interesting to see the remnants of many of the WWII airfields, Bassingbourn (Memphis Belle's base in the war), Bourn...etc, did you go and have a look at Madingley?

[Lensman]

Here's a bit of useless trivia for you, the extensions of the tailplane that run forward on the fuselage (anti-spin strakes) are a left over from when the Tiger was trialled for being armed with bombs.

Quite miniscule ones no doubt. Possibly hand grenade sized.

it's interesting to see the remnants of many of the WWII airfields, Bassingbourn (Memphis Belle's base in the war), Bourn...etc, did you go and have a look at Madingley?

Sadly not.

[-NW-ChiefRedCloud]

Ok, why not ..... Everyone between Rise of Flight, Cliffs of Dover and now BoS know me as ChiefRedCloud or Chief. My real name is Michael and I was born September 1947 and am 66 years old.

 

My Dad was in the Army Air Corp and stationed among other places at the head of the Burma Road in southern China during the WW2. They flew Air Cobras from the base. He switched to the Air Force when it was created the month and year of my birth. He was in for about 26 years before he retired. I have one uncle who served in the Navy in the Pacific during WW2 and several uncles in the Army also. One which dropped over Normandy during D day.

 

I decided to join the Air Force at a young age and finally entered in August 1967 completing 20 years as a Military Police Officer before I retired. I grew up in the country in south Georgia USA. I was born in Florida but raised on my granddad's South Georgia tobacco farm. I now live in North Georgia near a small town of Waleska.  

 

I've always had an interest in aircraft and lord knows I've guarded enough of them. In law enforcement I think I've about done it all. I've been stationed in Viet Nam, took part in the Grenada incident, lived in Thule Greenland for a year and been stationed in England at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath for eight years. Loved every minute of it to. No one can make a cup of tea like the English. An elder gentleman and his wife there became my good friends. They lived through the Blitz and bombing of London.

 

I've played a variety of games in my life but have always gravitated to war simulations as far back as Avlon Hill board games. I dabbled in military miniatures in England and was a member of the British Military Miniatures Society. A younger member introduced me to table top waregaming with miniature tanks and such. Fond memories.

 

In my latter years I returned to Flight sims via MS Combat Simulators 1, 2, & 3. I bought IL-2, the original when it first came out and was hooked. I joined a group called the CPS (Casual Pilots Squadron)  and flew IL-2 for quite awhile. Good days. Later down the road I discovered ArmA 2 and eventually 3 and was hooked on Military sims (again). This lead me to try Rise of Flight when it was a timed demo. And I was hooked on it right there.

 

While trying to start my first Rise of Flight plane I met a couple of chaps who were putting together a group to help NEW pilots in RoF. I joined them after they helped me start my plane and get it in the air. The group became know as New Wings Virtual Flight Training, and some of you may have heard of us. I've been with the group for several years now and love flying and helping new pilots. I'm not one of the best pilots in our volunteer corp but I am enthusiastic and make a darn good target if your lucky. I have a ball flying with pilots like yourself.

 

Oh I am married, 2nd time around just celebrated our 21 anniversary. Our oldest son is a Capt. in the US Army as is his wife. I have two grandchildren and three kids total.

 

That's about it ..... other than New Wings hopes to participate closer in BoS as it progresses along.

 

Chief

[chris455]

Chief,

I've always regarded you as one of the more colorful folks in the community since I saw your sig/ read your posts-

Glad to know you finally-

S!

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

Chief,

I've always regarded you as one of the more colorful folks in the community since I saw your sig/ read your posts-

Glad to know you finally-

S!

Me too Chief, Your AF so your family(even if you were a SP )..Been to San Antonio, keesler and Ellsworth and a lot more. I loved to watch the BUFFS take off. The sharks were fun to watch, but loud! They would got to the notch..(i don't know if that's spelled right),,go right to full throttle... right after take off..afterburners hurt eardrums!  I do hope NW gets a server in BOS, ya'll do great in ROF and I think would do just as well in here. Thanks for sharing. 

[pilotpierre]

OK, real name Pete, born Jul 1946. Married twice, first time 25 years, 20 years so far this time.

Father served in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during WWII in the UK. He flew Wellingtons initially then DC3's (cargo and paratroopers). Finished the war as a Warrant Officer.

A couple of years after the war he Joined the Australian Army and served 26 years, paid off as a Warrant Officer.

I served in the Royay Australian Navy Jan 63 to Jan 83 and was lucky enough to get 10 pleasure cruises to Viet Nam over the years 67,68,70,71 and 72. Paid off as a Warranr Officer.

So between the 2 of us we made WO in all three of the Australian Armed Services - a rare event methinks.

After the RAN I spent 5 years managing a factory with 2 male staff and 25 to 30 female staff. Man, was that an eye opener, up until then I thought sailors had the monopoly on crudeness.

Following that eye opener I spent 22 years with the Australian Submarine Corporation planning maintenance and refits for RAN Submarines. The department I was in had 105 personnel, 88 of which were ex Army, Navy and Airforce WO's and sergeants, ergo it was like being back in the circus but without the uniforms.

An uncle served in the Australian Army in Darwin during the bombings then New Guinea.

Another uncle served in the RAAF but never left Australia.

First Father in law seved in the Australian Army during WWII in both Tobruk and New Guinea. He carried schrapnel in his leg til the day he died and it would tell him 24 hours in advance when it was going to rain.

Second Father in law was taken from Poland at 16 and sent to germany as slave labour but was lucky enough to be sent to a farm where the family treated him as one of their own - a life long friendship was the result.

When I left the RAN I tried parachuting, motorised hang gliding. ballooning and Gliding whilst doing my pilot training (with the intention of doing aerobatics). Had my first aerobatic lesson the day I got my PPL. Got Aero endorsement and that was it, just aeros from there on in as I found the cross country flying bloody boring.

Got into flight sims with Falcon on an Atari 500 then had a bit of a break until I read an article about the original IL2. Bam there went 10 or so years.

Purchased Clod on release and, well in no longer resides on my PC.

Got RoF when it was released and had many hours of pleasure until Bos Early Access came out.

I have been playing BoS exclusively since and think its the closest thing to real flying yet (regargless of what Bongodriver thinks).

Unlocks are the biggest mistake the Devs have made and I hope for the sake of the future common sense prevails sometime soon and they dump the bloody things.

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

Bugger all? Sorry I'm not from here.. does that mean what you think has got F#%King what to do with me?  Yeah?

[FlatSpinMan]

This is very interesting.

 

I'm Jude. While I'm waiting for Japan vs NZ Maori All blacks to kick-off (followed by New Zealand vs England!!!!) I may as well kick in with a rambling, semi-coherent (if I'm lucky!) account of the story of me (to be continued).

 

Somehow I am find myself to be a stately and distinguished 38 years old, though frankly I find that quite hard to believe as mentally I am still 26 (as is every other adult, I suspect).

I was born in Apia, Western Samoa. My Indian nanny used to part my hair with coconut oil so I'd look more Indian, and when my parents announced they were returning to New Zealand, asked to keep me.

Strangely my parents rejected this request and so, when I was 2, we returned to the South Island of New Zealand, where I stayed throughout my formal education. At university in Dunedin, I wasted inordinate amounts of time shooting the shit with friends, started a couple of rugby teams as I was too hopeless to join a proper one, and somehow found myself majoring in French language and literature of all things (I have not touched a French novel since, but am otherwise a fan of reading) then, upon graduating, promptly moved to Japan, a country about which I knew nothing, and certainly nothing of the language. I started teaching English in one of the big chains of languages schools that used to exist here. That was a really good experience, and through it I met my future wife, plus a ton of interesting people. Teaching English isn't always the most lucrative career path, but there sure are some interesting people you encounter. It makes you great at dealing with people, too.

 

After a couple of years, I thought "I hate teaching and I hate Japan" and went home, pausing only briefly to have my appendix rupture in Los Angeles while visiting my GF/future wife. About two nanoseconds after returning to NZ I realised that I actually quite liked Japan and that teaching suits me, so I started the process of getting back over here. It took about a year and a half, in which time I taught in a language school full of Chinese, Koreans, Japanese and Thai students. That was great fun - I was lucky to work with a bunch of people who all just meshed - NZers, Brits, Canadians, Americans. It's happened to me a few times so far and it makes going to work such fun. I guess in teaching you tend to find people who are by nature quite personable and expressive, I dunno. 

 

Anyway, I came back, was happily reunited with my GF/FW in Tokyo, then we moved back to Kobe, which is relatively cosmopolitan but a bit more human-sized than Tokyo.

Around 2004 I bought Il2 Forgotten Battles, with the help of a USAF seviceman, Cajun76, who helped me find the game and a joystick in Japan, AND sent to me for nothing, and that was pretty much me for the next several years. I made campaigns, played campaigns, and enjoyed meeting everyone on the forums. There was such a good spirit in those days. 

 

I kept teaching, did some study, ending up with a Master's in Applied Linguistics. Along the way the GF/FW became the W, and two lovely, lovely little girls appeared. The absolute joy of being a father blindsided me. I had agreed to kids rather grudgingly, I must say, but the second I saw my daughter's arm emerge (from whence I, as a gentlemen, shall not say) everything changed completely.

Kids are awesome - there's no if's or but's.

 

These days I live on a man-made island in Kobe harbour (practically begging the Fates to send another earthquake or tsunami my way) and teach in a rich, private girls' school. Until recently I'd only taught adults and had no desire whatsoever to teach teenagers, but it turns out that this is what I was supposed to do. There are really annoying days of course, but the energy and enthusiasm of the kids when you hit upon something that interests them just keeps blowing me away. As with most of the important things in my life, I never saw this coming when I was younger.

Among the many benefits of teaching in this school is that it's near enough to bike to, so for the past few years I have been cycling 20km a day, and whenever I get freetime, cycling in the surrounding areas. It started as a get-fit measure (which really worked) but now I'm pretty into it. I can't bring myself to buy all the cycling gear as I still think it looks kind of dorky, but I am about to pull the trigger on a pretty decent bike.

 

So, the game is nearly on. I think I just have time to run to the conbini for a beer before it starts.

 

Anyway, nice to meet you all.

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

Wow fsm so you came 360 on your career,not a job if you love it... And have girls..good for you. I got two myself 24 and 18 now  but i wish they were 7 or 8 again..I do miss that..Daddy I flushed the tv remote now the tv wont turn on. If your going to bike..well get the best one you can. Ride on fsm ride on. Thanks for sharing.  And a big hand to Chris455 for starting this. 

[DD_bongodriver]

Ah what the hell!

 

The names Craig, about to turn 44, a Brit but born in Africa, yes I'm a pilot by trade, flying for 20 odd years now with 3500 hours (not much for 20 years to be honest), about half of it as an instructor.

I'm not married, long term GF (11 years), with no kids that I am aware of.

 

We all have some stories to tell, we all exist due to circumstances, one of the strangest circumstances I owe my existence to is a dud round in a Luger pistol.

 

I started flight siming when I owned a Spectrum ZX81.....funny to think how amazed I was when I saw my first flight sim, if only I could see what would come, between the Spectrum and my first PC I owned an Atari ST and Amiga 2000, tried sims on all of them.

The first combat sim that really made me aware of how realistic things might become was European Air War on the PC, by that time I was already working as an instructor and it was the first time I ever saw spin characteristics attempted to be accurately modelled.

For the most part I am an offline flight simer, my first forays into the online world were with original IL-2 on Hyperlobby, the usual routine was spawn in and die in 20 seconds at the hand of god knows who, I vowed never to go online again, I tried getting friends into flight sims but none of my pilot friends are gamers and all my non pilot friends just aren't into flying so LAN party was never going to be a solution.

I ended up being found as a stray simmer by the Danger Dogz and they welcomed me into their pound, weird bunch of people.......if they try to recruit you run....just run.....those poor sheep.

[FlatSpinMan]

Blackwolf, mine are only 5 and 7 and already I am sad that they are so nearly flying the nest. I'm trying hard everyday to enjoy the pure joy of having little girls. As for biking, fear not. I will bike on or I won't get to work. That has been the key. I like exercising, but equally, I like to have a reason for doing it, otherwise I feel like a hamster on a treadmill.

 

Yes, wasn't it a great idea to start this?

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

Bongo one of your squad mates is in my group he came from the DD as well. I don't recall what his in game name was.

FSM wait until the tween/teen years, if you have any hair left you will pull it out! And teaching to drive..yup lots of hair pulling there as well! Its all good though. I used to ride BMX, MX never got into the road bike stuff. My dirt bike had 2 speeds off or full. I could sling a 125 around a track back in the day. Now I'd just look at it and say are you crazy? I could break a hip! 

[-NW-ChiefRedCloud]

Chief,

I've always regarded you as one of the more colorful folks in the community since I saw your sig/ read your posts-

Glad to know you finally-

S!

 

Thanks Chris -good to know you and the others too.

 

Me too Chief, Your AF so your family(even if you were a SP )..Been to San Antonio, keesler and Ellsworth and a lot more. I loved to watch the BUFFS take off. The sharks were fun to watch, but loud! They would got to the notch..(i don't know if that's spelled right),,go right to full throttle... right after take off..afterburners hurt eardrums!  I do hope NW gets a server in BOS, ya'll do great in ROF and I think would do just as well in here. Thanks for sharing. 

 

I got a few buff (Big Ugly Flying Fossil) stories. Some crew member left the auto track on in the rear gunner position one night and as I walked past I looked up and noticed the guns following me. Creepy. And those old birds pumped out a lot of kerosene fumes didn't they?

 

Chief

[1./KG4_Blackwolf]

My house was at the end of the flight line so the B-52s looked like they were coming right at you but they were a mile off and already higher than the house. My dad was visiting, we were setting on the front porch enjoying a beer as a B-52 was taking off..blowing smoke and looked like it was heading right at us..My dad looked at it, then at me and at it, moved off the step and said "Should we move over some"?  Best chuckle I had In years. My pictures were never straight in the house thanks to the buffs. But it was good times. 

 

 

Some crew member left the auto track on in the rear gunner position one night and as I walked past I looked up and noticed the guns following me.

Yeah that would freak me out. 

[Rama]

Blackwolf, FSM, I also have 2 daugther. They are 32 and 22, also have a grand-daughter 3 years old and a grand-son born in August this year.

 

I suppose I should talk about me now...

I'm Laurent, 52 (yeah... quite young for a grand-father), living now in the most foggy region of France, Picardie (North of Paris).

 

As lots of boys in the sixties, I was passionated by aviation, building and collecting models and hanging them on my ceiling of my room... to the despair of my mother, hating those dust-collecting plasting things...

Seventies were also feeding the passion, with TV series like "les faucheurs de marguerite" or "Baa Baa Black Sheep". There were also some nice documentaries made by Daniel Costelle (that can be bought on DVD now, I highly recommend them), at the time when some aviation pioneers who tested the first planes, and some WWI pilots were still alive, and were interwieved.

 

So there was no doubts in my mind I was going to be a pilot.... but my poor eyesight performance decided otherwise. I consoled myself with gliding, a hobby that was sponsorised by the gov for young peoples, so quite cheap if you were below 25. After my ingeneer studies I decided to climb a little higher, and became specialized in satellite remote sensing.

Quickly I took opportunities to check how the word was outside France, and worked 2 years in Burkina Faso and 5 years in Niger. Then I worked 5 years for the french Space agency, and after that 2 years in Indonesia, managing a mapping project. Back in France, in the early 2000, I begun to work for the military geography, something I did until early this year, with a short intermediary 1-year water mapping project in Egypt. At the same period I could spend some money in the flying hobby, got a PPL and fled in clubs, then switched to ultralights (as fun as small planes, and cheaper).

 

I started the fly simulation hobby in Africa, with titles like "Their Finest Hours", SWOTL, "Aces of the Pacific", "Red Baron" (first edition). In 1994, I discovered the tactical wargames with ASL, and this replaced the flight simulation hobby until the early 2000... when I started again with the fly simulation, in MP this time, with CFS2, and then IL2 when the demo was launched. The IL2 period was the better time I had with this hobby, belonging to some good squads (now dead) the TUX, the Pegases, then the VireVoltes (with which we did some nice virtual team stunt). That was also the time I started to participate to map builder teams, leaded by Ian Boys or others (we did Norway, Burma, Desert, Bessarabia maps and some little others for IL2).

In 2005, I contacted VikS who participated in the early development of "Knights of the Skies" (that became later RoF), with the Gennadish team, and proposed to help with the western front map. Since then I helped for all RoF and BoS maps... and became a moderator here when the French sub-forum was added.

 

Now I'm managing the French aerial survey department (so... went back down from the satellites to the planes...) and have very little time for everything else... including fly simulation. So i'm not sure I'll stay around.

[falstaff]

Some interesing posts...nice to see people loosen up a bit....