Below recounts my experience during my first two-kill sortie. ACM In AH is AWSOME. The immersion is much better than WB.
And so the story begins...
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The first few sorties I flew online I flew the P-51D. Mostly I was playing around trying to get a feel for how the game/sim works. Trying different configurations, and trying to figure out what to do view wise. I was just getting to the point where my SA was pert good in WB, and the difficulty in figuring out the view in AH was getting to me. You see, I have a Logictech Wingman Force USB that has an 8 Way Hat Switch, now I was down to 4 views.
Well, I stayed home sick from work, and after working on my parents printer (I'm 35 and don't live far, anything breaks, they bring it to me to fix) I logged in.
I again start flying the Mustang in the morning. I started to figure out the view, and prosecuted a couple kills, but I didn't get home. I would chase somebody, and somebody would chase me. And somebody would chase him.
After I had gotten my six waxed a few times, I ended up in the tower. I thought, what the hey, I'll fly the spit.
I selected the two 20mm and four .303 cal option for guns and an 80Ltr Centerline Tank. I started climbing away from F22.
I flew a little southeast, and got into one of the valleys that run toward the Bishops Territory. I kept my spit climbing, and got about tow thirds of the way across the mountain ridgeline, when I saw Kungfu with a Bishop Spit closing on him.
"Kungfu 666" I typed into the text buffer. Then dropped my Belly Tank and went to WEP. I thought for sure that the spit would get Kungfu, but KF made an evasive maneuver, and the spit blew by. I dove down after the spit, which started to turn, and climb back for another pass at Kungfu. I turned hard and watched as the tunnel vision closed in, I was blacking out. If I did I might hit the canyon wall, or top of the mesa, If broke off I might not close on the spit again before he got back to Kungfu. I stayed in the tight turn and the spit slowly creeped out of view, as the darkness closed in.
Suddenly the spits turn broke; he must have saw Kungfu and started straight for him. I kicked a little right rudder and pulled the trigger, leading the spit. He was about d 275 (Is D here in Ft. Meters, or Yards?) and I watched as the hit sprites lit up his spit.
He broke hard inside of me, but I had altitude and speed now, I rolled the stick and dove into the canyon behind him. He had picked up a little speed and was now about d325, again I squeezed the trigger, but my rounds faded behind him.
Suddenly Kungfu came diving in, and I saw his tracers cutting in front of the spit. Suddenly the spit broke right again, right into my sight.
Again I squeezed the trigger and I was blinded by the impacts against the spit. When the sprites stopped I saw fire and about the last third of the spits left wing was gone. The spit went into a flat spin, and crashed against the canyon wall.
I turned off my WEP, and check my fuel, "Gosh! Less than 10%, I'm in trouble" I thought.
I banked hard away from the canyon wall, and dove hoping that the canyons would help mask me from any cons. As I rolled over and began to dive into the canyon, I saw a Bishop P-51 chasing another rook low in the canyon. I followed the dive down, and laid into the P-51. I saw many hit sprites, and the P-51 juked, and then crashed into the canyon floor.
Again the text buffer scrolled with my name, and a second kill.
I gave my six a look and noticed a P-51 gaining on me. I turned hard north, and dove for the canyon floor. I had to fly low, I was hoping to use the terrain to shake any attackers.
I again checked six and saw the P-51 closing.
No point in looking back again.
I looked at my fuel, 5%, I hit WEP again.
I looked ahead and saw the exit of the canyon, I new salvation in the form of F22 was not far ahead.
I called up the radio.
"I'm at 12.10.5, with a con on my six, no ammo and low fuel, I need help."
Parido responds "So Bail"
"I can't them chute vultures will eat me up if I bail, I got two and I plan on landing them."
Just before I clear the canyon, tracers start going by my plane, a little left rudder, and I here them pinging my aircraft.
I juke up a bit, and watch the tracer pass below me.
I watch the tracers start climbing again, so I dive. Again a few pings as I cut through the stream.
I then notice a light brown square on the ground, F22 if I can only make it.
Again a few more pings, and my engine dies.
I point the nose toward the field, and announce over the radio "Dead engine, no ammo, no fueled, I need help."
I then see several rooks climbing up from F22; I dive straight at them.
The distance to the friendlies count down, one more quick shower of pings.
Then several of the rooks in front of me open up on the Stang on my six.
I glance back over my shoulder and see the Bishop Stang break hard away.
If only I can land?
I see the runway, and turn toward it. I line up and as the distance closes I start deploying my flaps; I'm coming in hot.
I give full flap and lower the gear, will they turn green in time, and were they damaged?
I get two green balls, I still hot, but airspeed is dropping rapidly. A little rudder and I'm aligned with the runway.
Contact, a hard bounce, my plane climbs back into the air.
I push the nose down a little and both gears hit hard, another bounce.
The third time I touch the wheels stay on the ground, I hit both brakes, and the Spit stops almost like there was an arresting wire.
I hit the / key, and type .EF, the sortie is over.
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Well I hope you enjoy my little tome of canyon fighting.
I know the ACM was more fun.
I hope you all get your first multiple kill sorties and land them.
See you in the virtual skies.
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"I could feel the 20MM Cannon impacting behind me so I made myself small behind the pilot armor" Charlie Bond AVG
