The Tangmere Pilots extend a warm welcome to visitors in the Guest Room. Please feel free to register, drop by the Guest Room to say hello. If you are looking to join a squadron, we are currently recruiting. You can browse the rest of our site to see if The Tangmere Pilots fit what you are looking for.

Welcome Guests.

A place for all Tangmere guests to come along and say hello, have a pint and get to know who we are, and what we are up to.

Moderators: Bunny, Tom

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Sparky
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Sparky »

110s are great fun.

Yeah, but I'm glad we don't have to learn a phone-book thick Dash-1 manual and balance fuel between tanks and have partial bus failures and have to know what's AC and what's DC because AC lies and DC dies and I'm glad we can slave controls to HOTAS rather than clickable cockpits (the early P-38 is a nightmare for this in real life) where we have to reach under the seat and out of sight to actuate a control necessary to prepare for combat when the enemy is sighted.
Pilot Officer, Press Officer

"No smoking within twelve hours of mission brief. No drinking within fifty feet of the aircraft."

"The mission...is...to fly and to fight, and don't you forget it."

"You have to go out. You don't have to come back."
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Fritz
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Fritz »

Hey Peter -

I can attest to the fact that TP has no issues with signing up pilots from the U.S. as long as you can make the training flights and the Sunday ops (and after OTU, either the Tuesday fun flights or Friday night flights). In in the same boat - my schedule makes it easy for me to make Tuesdays and Sundays.
James "Fritz" Bucholtz

"The duty of the fighter pilot is to patrol his area of the sky, and shoot down any enemy fighters in that area. Anything else is rubbish." - Manfred von Richthofen

"Some friends are better shots than are casual enemies." - Eddie Rickenbacker

"Who's the best pilot you ever saw?" - Mercury Astronaut Gordon Cooper
T-rex

Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by T-rex »

Hullo guys,

rediscovered my IL-2 Stalingrad when my VR Rift arrived several moons ago, which makes quite the difference.

I'm an old guy living in the netherlands and have flown flightsims for decades, started with MSFS, did some IL-2 a very long time ago (must be the first I think), came to DCS A10-C, now FA-18, waiting for the mavericks there to be implemented, and now a couple of months back rediscover a very beautiful IL-2 in VR (there are only a couple of proper VR titles).

Anyway, saw your server (the only one) on the server list one night, and since you're apparently on european time, thought I might see what it's like. Any chance I could tag along one evening (at the back of the mission or as a gunner perhaps and I’ll install teamspeak) to see what it’s like so to see if I want to enter your recruitment?

I flew VR with 1st the Yak, now the Bf 109 F-4 which I like more (easy on the throttle), have buttons for map on/off and labels on/off, added the canon, kill 1 bogey and then go strafe a train (I need to remember to add a bomb) and then some cars .. :)

Landing is still a bit bumpy, but at least I figured out the taxying. All settings auto, unlimited ammo, and including time acc to shuttle me to the next engagement. I’ve done many years of FSX(P3D) virtual airlines, I know about flying when I’m in the air, not so much the team dogfighting I see you guys do.

Hope to hear from you.

Marcel, very near Schiphol.
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Hunter
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Hunter »

T - I must be the first to see your post. Glad you decided to contact us. I'll leave the official welcome to 'The Brass', but I hope to see you in the skies.
"Let them eat cake." Johnson.

Only dead fish swim with the stream.
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Tom
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Tom »

Hi T-Rex

see here - http://www.tangmerepilots.co.uk/recruitment.htm

To take part in official ops you have to get past OTU. During OTU you are more than welcome on a Tuesday or Friday evening from 20:30 GMT or so onwards.

You may well have seen just our server if you had mods enabled.
In selecting the motto... 'all for one and one for all'... I have done so because it expresses what should be the creed to every Fighter Pilot. Never forget that you are an essential cog in the wheel, and if you break or fail it will let down your brother pilots, and the grimness of war allows for no such weakness.

Air Vice Marshal Saul in the foreword to 13 Group's 'Forget-Me-Nots for Fighters'

"They fly Hurricanes, isn't it? Them's shit planes for remtards on free dinners..."
Armstrong & Miller Show
T-rex

Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by T-rex »

Will do
thx
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Sparky
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Sparky »

T-Rex, if you get involved now you've picked a good time. Once you complete the OTU flights it'll be time for the I-16 and MiG 3 campaign and then all the shiny new Battle of Bodenplatte aircraft should be released and will occupy our campaigns for a while with Tempests, P-51, P-47, P-38, Bf-109K-4, Doras, 262's Spit IX and others.
Pilot Officer, Press Officer

"No smoking within twelve hours of mission brief. No drinking within fifty feet of the aircraft."

"The mission...is...to fly and to fight, and don't you forget it."

"You have to go out. You don't have to come back."
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Jacko
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Jacko »

Hello T-Rex welcome and thanks for taking the time to check us out. When you say you only saw our server I guess you have selected Mods enabled which cuts out servers running un-modded. You don't need mods to run VR.
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Barmy

Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Barmy »

Hello Chaps,

Thinking of signing up after Christmas (away from home a lot until early Jan) and wanted to get a better idea of what is required for OTU. Do you guys actually do training (spring chicken to shitehawk and all that) or is it more a test to see if your flying is good enough?

I've got IL2 BoS, BoM and BoK but not yet got Bodenplatte (all direct from 1C/777 not Steam). I have a CH Fighterstick and simped pedals and can takeoff and land okish (biggest issue is groundlooping on some of the fighters eg Spit, 109 and La5) and do basic flying and shoot down AI but my knowledge of tactics, formation flying is rather patchy to say the least. I also tend to get over-enthusiastic on strafing and hit the ground a lot.....

Anyway my questions are:-

What level should I get my flying to before joining OTU? What skills in particular would be handy in advance?

What aircraft do you guys ask recruits to fly on OTU?

Will I need to get Bodenplatte right away to join in ops post OTU (assuming I pass that is)?

Thinking of getting Track IR and a headset as have neither, assume these would help as looking around with a hat switch is a pain, as is comms on a webcam microphone.

Cheers

Jon (aka Barmy)
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Silk
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Silk »

Merlin would be better placed to answer some of those questions, but generally I would say that the following:

Main skills: Listening to what you're told. Spotting and identifying enemies (ground and aerial). Engine management. Listening to what you're told (see what I did there? :Wink )

Aircraft: At the moment I believe that it's either the Bf 109 F4 when we're flying as Germans or the LaGG-3 when we're flying as Russians

Bodenplatte is nice to have for midweek fun, but won't be necessary for Ops for quite a while yet (or at least that's the current plan).

TrackIR and Headset will be far better for you once you can afford them but are not totally compulsory. Some of us actually fly in VR too, which is quite cool but not by any means a requirement.
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Sparky
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Sparky »

Hi Barmy,

(I wrote this as Silk was posting. He's a better authority than I. Take his as gospel. Take me with a pinch of salt, for example, OTU aircraft selection.)

You won't need Bodenplatte for a while although you might want it if the rest of us are putzing around in P-47's or Spit IXs some practice night but you can always climb into something else. The new campaign begins in January and your BoM has the aircraft we'll fly. Like you, I always buy from the IL2 company and I never through Steam.

You would need to be able to fly Sunday night ops at 9, Brit time and it helps to fly practice nights at 9 Tuesday and Fridays. Many of us show up all those nights at 8 to warm up, have fun.

I flew a 109F4n in OTU so there was really no engine management to worry with. After OTU your campaign aircraft may require oil and water radiator management, etc., but for OTU, I didn't have to.

On OTU, my 109F4 had wheel brakes and a locking tailwheel for taxiing. I think my OTU's began on the runway but to be safe do quick missions where you begin parked to practice taxiing. Just set the power with the throttle. Per Silk, I'd practice with both 109F4 and the LaGG.

I use VR as do some others. I think many use track IR but there a cheaper alternative available in the UK that one fellow uses and he rates it better than TrackIR. They want 'push to talk' comms so if you have background noise it won't muddle our comms. With up to two dozen folks on comms (usually half that on one channel) they like to insure no background noises. You can map a mic button to your joystick.

Flying skills shouldn't be a problem if you spend time on IL2 career for great formation practice (select 'never lead squadron') and instant mission for ground handling and aTa. Don't worry so much about landings and ground loops. There are specific tips on each aircraft that can help immensely that we can give you along the way. I've flown tailwheel aircraft in real life and have no problems but some BoX a/c groundloop on me until I discover their technique. The Spitfire, for example, ground looped on me every time in the final portion of my landing rollout until the guys clued me in.

It doesn't sound like skill nor equipment nor owning Battle of Moscow would be a problem. If you're interested I'd submit an application to the email address on the website.

You'll never find a better bunch of guys. The mission designers are superb, the fellowship and flying is first-rate, the jokes are funny and we get to fly!
Pilot Officer, Press Officer

"No smoking within twelve hours of mission brief. No drinking within fifty feet of the aircraft."

"The mission...is...to fly and to fight, and don't you forget it."

"You have to go out. You don't have to come back."
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Tom
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Tom »

Barmy wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 3:09 pm
Thinking of signing up after Christmas (away from home a lot until early Jan) and wanted to get a better idea of what is required for OTU. Do you guys actually do training (spring chicken to shitehawk and all that) or is it more a test to see if your flying is good enough?
Partly. A bigger part is whether or not you "fit". I wouldn't worry about that side of things because you either slot right in or you don't. And you should see some of the chaps we've let in...
Barmy wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 3:09 pm... but my knowledge of tactics, formation flying is rather patchy to say the least. I also tend to get over-enthusiastic on strafing and hit the ground a lot.....
Sounds like you'll fit right in! At least you don't say you crash on landing all of the time otherwise it'd be like you're already here.

Actually I cannot recall the last pure landing accident. Probably because now we have a "cock-up" scoring system you gets points for stuff like that, and accumulate enough and Bunny shoots you.

Often the debrief is more about who Bunny gets to shoot rather than who killed what...
Barmy wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 3:09 pm
What level should I get my flying to before joining OTU?
Give it a try now. It is very rare that we suggest somebody practices a bit before coming back.
Barmy wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 3:09 pm
What skills in particular would be handy in advance?
Bailing out. That and the ability to excuse a truly embarrassing mistake otherwise it may follow you around for ever.
Barmy wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 3:09 pm
What aircraft do you guys ask recruits to fly on OTU?
LaGGs, Yaks and 109s. We use the whole range on our nights though.
Barmy wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 3:09 pm
Will I need to get Bodenplatte right away to join in ops post OTU (assuming I pass that is)?
No. After Christmas we will be in Migs and I16s i.e. Battle of Moscow plane set. However, it will restrict your ability to join in the fun on other nights if, for example, we're all trying to figure out the P47 and you're buzzing around in a Yak.
Barmy wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 3:09 pm
Thinking of getting Track IR and a headset as have neither, assume these would help as looking around with a hat switch is a pain, as is comms on a webcam microphone.
Track IR is great. I think that those with VR will never go back to it, but it is still marvellous. You absolutely must get the profile right though. We can help with that.

See here http://www.tangmerepilots.co.uk/recruitment.htm and hit the volunteer section. Then you'll see what it's all about.
In selecting the motto... 'all for one and one for all'... I have done so because it expresses what should be the creed to every Fighter Pilot. Never forget that you are an essential cog in the wheel, and if you break or fail it will let down your brother pilots, and the grimness of war allows for no such weakness.

Air Vice Marshal Saul in the foreword to 13 Group's 'Forget-Me-Nots for Fighters'

"They fly Hurricanes, isn't it? Them's shit planes for remtards on free dinners..."
Armstrong & Miller Show
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Sparky
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Sparky »

Tom wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 5:00 pm ... the ability to excuse a truly embarrassing mistake otherwise it will follow you around for ever.
There. I fixed that for you. :Thumbup
Pilot Officer, Press Officer

"No smoking within twelve hours of mission brief. No drinking within fifty feet of the aircraft."

"The mission...is...to fly and to fight, and don't you forget it."

"You have to go out. You don't have to come back."
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Reggie
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Reggie »

There is one vital requirement that has been left out - you must shoot Tom down at least once in your first 5 missions - even though you are on the same team as him. That is a pre-requisite - we even have a special club. Once you shoot him down you get to wear a choice of 2 badges, 1 is a sheep because Tom is Welsh, the other is a Doberman biting a lawyer - because Tom is a lawyer. Take your pick :Wink :Huh :Lol
Reggie - website and forum dude.
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Sparky
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Re: Welcome Guests.

Post by Sparky »

Reggie wrote: Sat Nov 24, 2018 10:32 am ...because Tom is a lawyer.
It also counts as public service.

I've never shot Tom down. I don't want the stock price of KFC to collapse.
Pilot Officer, Press Officer

"No smoking within twelve hours of mission brief. No drinking within fifty feet of the aircraft."

"The mission...is...to fly and to fight, and don't you forget it."

"You have to go out. You don't have to come back."
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