Who is the Oldest?

[Damned_Major_Mayhem]

I have seen a lot of squadrons claiming to be the oldest virtual/online squadron. I belong to the Damned and we formed in the late 1980's (1987/88) as did the Gunfighters who I think are still around and active. The Damned is active in Aces High III, DCS World, Il2 and non flight sims like Arma III, SW:Squadrons, Star Citizen, and SW:TOR to name a few.

However the Question remains; Who is the oldest online virtual squadron or gaming group that is still active today?

If a Squadron was formed after 1988 it cannot be the oldest.

More than likely since Air Warrior is the oldest MMO Combat Flight sim the oldest squadron would more than likely originate in that game, but that also has me asking who is the Oldest gaming group in all Genre of multiplayer video games?

Edited June 18, 2023 by Damned_Major_Mayhem

[Stab/JG1_Klaiber]

@Damned_Major_Mayhem - JG1 was founded in March 1992: https://jg1.org/

 

Our contemporaries are the Wing Walkers and the Arabian Knights.

 

As a group, we have never claimed to be the oldest online squadron.  However, our place in the "oldest active squadron" ladder has changed as we learn about other groups from the period who are still operating.

 

Like the Wing Walkers, we formed in the Red Baron Online community.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Stab/JG1_Klaiber

[WWCraven]

Wing Walkers are still active, like our brothers in JG1 we never claimed to be the oldest, rather one of the oldest active squadrons still enjoying our time in the air.

[6./ZG26_Loke]

RAF662CFSG was formed in January 1999, but today only fly DCS. 

The group was founded on M$ CFS 1, and initial was an World wide based group. It made the first carrier for CFS1, the Ark Royal. 

Over the years they used all the CFS titles, and emigrated to original Il-2. 

Group almost died after many years in IL2, but survived to be mainly American based DCS group today. 

 

We did meet several times in real life, at the Flying Legends Air Show in Duxford, England. 

 

Those were good times. 

Edited July 1, 2023 by 6./ZG26_Loke

[Praetor]

I remember a few of these back in aces high in the late 90s/early 2000s

[354thFG_Leifr]

On 6/30/2023 at 7:30 PM, 6./ZG26_Loke said:

RAF662CFSG was formed in January 1999, but today only fly DCS. 

The group was founded on M$ CFS 1, and initial was an World wide based group. It made the first carrier for CFS1, the Ark Royal. 

Over the years they used all the CFS titles, and emigrated to original Il-2. 

Group almost died after many years in IL2, but survived to be mainly American based DCS group today. 

 

We did meet several times in real life, at the Flying Legends Air Show in Duxford, England. 

 

Those were good times. 

 

Woah, RAF662 rings some bells...

I used to fly with the RAAF453rd_ in the CFS series, ultimately until the point of the Microsoft Zone closing down...

[Chief_Mouser]

On 7/2/2023 at 11:01 PM, JG27*Targ said:

I dunno, 

bragging about Jiri and hyperlobby...

Galen Thurber will set you straight on that

Flight Simulation - HyperLobby Online gaming system FREE - ALERT (flightsimhq.org)

 

?

Classic sim history there. I believe his crusade was due to competing anti cheat software he wrote vs Hyperlobby that JG27*Jiri wrote for Janes. 

25 years later old Galen is going strong. The Original CO for JG27 was JG27*Papabear I believe, he was from UK. I need to pick Aristo's brain on that.

 

Oh I'd forgotten about Galen Thurber. I was newly online and baffled by the whole thing. Needless to say I never had any problems using Hyperlobby.

[JG5_Schuck]

We were a bit late to the party,
But JG5 was formed in 1999, although i'm the only one now who regularly still flies (under JG5),
We're all still good mates, and used to meet at Flying Legends Duxford, some of us met up at Millitracks this year.
And the flying against the EAF in the online wars consumed many an hour.....
I've made many great and lasting friendships over the years, and if there was one thing i am grateful to Oleg and IL2 for, it is this.....

[6./ZG26_Loke]

RAF662's old recruitment video.

 

[reschke]

Seeing this brings back some old memories of when I was part of LJK back in the days of Fighter Ace and before that from Air Warrior and Warbirds and then when I started VF-17 in Ace's High after my old group LJK left Ace's High.

[HazMatt]

I flew with the Muskies in AWdos back in the 90ies and I remember there was another squad that I thought was formed around the same time or slightly before. It was JG-27 and the CO was Souper. I can see if I still have some of their emails to found out when it was founded if wanted.

[352nd_Persecutor]

The 352nd Virtual Fighter Group is old, but not the oldest.  We formed in May of 2000 and have been flying continuously since, starting with CFS, then CFS2, then CFS3 (very, very  briefly), then IL-2 Sturmovik. We also have a presence on DCS having joined in the days of the Kickstarter program.

 

Kudos to squads older than us.

 

Pers

[HazMatt]

.

Edited January 19, 2024 by HazMatt
.

[352nd_Wheels]

On 8/2/2023 at 1:19 PM, 6./ZG26_Loke said:

RAF662's old recruitment video.

 

RAF662
https://youtu.be/zF3Gc8UUo_o
Uploaded to Youtube on February 10, 2007

 

Woah, it has definitely been a hot minute since I saw that video. Still brings chills to the old spine watching it though. 

 

Wheels