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Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:55 pm
by Cowboy
You know, that's not a bad price. I'll keep it on my wish list!

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:20 pm
by Cowboy
Sparky wrote: Sun Jul 15, 2018 11:52 pm except "Chako" sounds like "Jacko" which is the radiotelephone proword for "disregard the following transmission" :Peace
Yeah, there has been some confusion with the name and since it's not a 1940's RAF nick name I've decided to change it to "Cowboy". Seems there was a U.S. pilot that joined the RAF in the war effort so it seems a good fit.

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:27 pm
by Sparky
There were many US pilots that joined the RAF, some through the RCAF, and at least a dozen fought in the 1940 Battles of Norway, France, and Britain in RAF squadrons. Billy Fiske was the first to die in August 1940 some of them subsequently served in the first RAF Eagle Squadron, flying Hurricane Mk. IIa and later Spitfires IIa and later models. The Eagle Squadrons entered combat after the Battle of Britain had ended.

American Bill Dunn tried to enlist in the RCAF but was turned down and served as a Canadian infantryman in Calais, France (briefly) and then is credited with shooting down two Ju-87s with a pintle-mounted Lewis Gun during an air raid on his base. He'd been stunned by a bomb blast and the Lewis Gun AA crew killed or disabled and he was angry so he ran to the gun and the Stukas tried to light him up, apparently. Dunn said, "Others were shooting at them too" but he was the one credited with both a/c destroyed.

After fighter pilot losses in the Battle of Britain troops with flying experience were allowed to apply and Dunn was accepted, commissioned, and send through a very abbreviated training in Miles Magister and little or no time in Hurricanes before posting to No.71 Squadron, the first Eagle Squadron. He was the first US ace of WWII (beat another pilot by a few minutes) and shot down six German aircraft before being wounded the first time.

He flew fighters again but like most US-born pilots he was subject to pressure to switch to the USAAF when America entered the war. Many RAF pilots didn't care for the idea but there was pressure since the US needed combat-experienced leaders like Don Gentile and Donald Blakeslee who would lead their former Eagle Squadrons in Mustangs deep into a death struggle with the Luftwaffe. Of the one American pilot who flew in Norway (hospitalized during the Battle of Britain) and the eleven who are authorized the Battle of Britain clasp, seven were killed in action in the RAF or the USAAF.

William "Poppy" Dunn's Fighter Pilot is a well-written story of his service in the Canadian infantry, the RAF (Hurricanes and Spits), USAAF (P-39s, Thunderbolts, Mustangs) in WWII, The Chinese Civil War, and the US war in Vietnam.

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:57 pm
by Reggie
Chako wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:20 pm
Sparky wrote: Sun Jul 15, 2018 11:52 pm except "Chako" sounds like "Jacko" which is the radiotelephone proword for "disregard the following transmission" :Peace
Yeah, there has been some confusion with the name and since it's not a 1940's RAF nick name I've decided to change it to "Cowboy". Seems there was a U.S. pilot that joined the RAF in the war effort so it seems a good fit.
Chako, you have 2 options - I can change your forum name for you, or you can re-register. Let me know which you would prefer. If I change it - you will have to log in with Cowboy after I have changed it.

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2018 4:44 pm
by Cowboy
Thanks Reggie, we got it worked out.

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 2:47 am
by Fritz
Greetings all -

I submitted an application about 2 weeks ago, and haven't received any response. I'm beginning to wonder if I might have put an incorrect email address in the app, and am just curious if someone could check. The "Preferred RAF Name" I chose was James Eduard Bucholtz (there's a history there) if that helps, otherwise I can provide other details if needed.

I am US time zone, and I know that you guys hesitate usually to admit pilots from the states due to time conflicts, but I can easily make the Sunday flights, and can probably make Tuesday training flights as well.

Thanks!

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:14 am
by Reggie
Bucholtz wrote: Tue Sep 18, 2018 2:47 am Greetings all -

I submitted an application about 2 weeks ago, and haven't received any response. I'm beginning to wonder if I might have put an incorrect email address in the app, and am just curious if someone could check. The "Preferred RAF Name" I chose was James Eduard Bucholtz (there's a history there) if that helps, otherwise I can provide other details if needed.

I am US time zone, and I know that you guys hesitate usually to admit pilots from the states due to time conflicts, but I can easily make the Sunday flights, and can probably make Tuesday training flights as well.

Thanks!
My records show that I did forward your application to the training team on 2nd September - so they should be in touch. It may have crossed over holiday periods and been accidentally missed. Tom if you need me to resend please let me know. :Thumbup

By the way - the e-mail address you put on was cerebus06@ the google place we all know and love. If that first part looks wrong let us know.

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:25 am
by Tom
Odd as I did send an email thought it expressed reservations about the time zone. I’ll double-check later.

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:15 pm
by Fritz
Reggie wrote: Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:14 amBy the way - the e-mail address you put on was the google place we all know and love. If that first part looks wrong let us know.
Okay, thanks - what's what it should be.
Tom wrote: Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:25 am Odd as I did send an email thought it expressed reservations about the time zone. I’ll double-check later.
Strange indeed. I've been diligently checking all my folders as well as the spam folder just in case it got dumped in there, but so far I haven't received anything.

Thanks Tom.

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:12 pm
by Bunny
Hi Peter.
We fly ops missions on each Sunday at 9pm UK time. So I would say your available time slots seem to.fir it well.
Bunster

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:20 pm
by Dutch
Hi Peter,

At the moment we're flying the 109 E7 on ops, although I think in OTU they fly a Russian a/c - maybe the Lagg?

(We swop sides every so often between Russian/German)

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:33 pm
by Silk
Not sure what Merlin is using for OTUs at the moment - I've done four sets of missions for it - summer and winter for Lagg3 and Bf-109 (possibly the F2?).

Welcome anyway :)

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:39 pm
by Tom
18thEastern wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:23 pm I suppose I’ll keep bopping around in my hurricane for now then
We're swapping sides to enjoy all facets of the game. That means it is very likely that in the future we will be Soviet, LW, RAF and possibly USAAF.

If folks don't want to explore everything that is absolutely fine, but they probably won't be a good fit with us.

Cheers

Tom

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 6:55 pm
by Tom
18thEastern wrote: Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:49 pm That doesn’t bother me. I just like to do a ton of reading on the front end of my mounts before I jump into the cockpit.
Oh dear that might make you too intellectual for Bunny. We tend to just jump in and hare around until the engine pops.

Re: Welcome Guests.

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 7:17 pm
by Sparky
We learn the campaign aircraft well. Currently flying 1941 Operation Typhoon Jabo missions in Bf-109E7 with extra armor and even after dropping bombs those empty racks slow you down. MiGs are faster. We'll do some work in Bf-110s. Aside from manual radiators and coolers and throttle limits IL2 doesn't require much detailed a/c book knowledge. It does require lots of practice with our new a/c each campaign to get it right. You can't fight these E models like the G models we flew a couple campaigns ago.

After 12-15 missions/weeks we'll move to the 1941 Soviet side and MiGs and I-16s.