Originally posted by Karnak
Zazen,
Actually I think that is where many of the "realism" fliers go wrong. Self preservation was not always their primary goal. Self preservation and succeeding at the task assigned to them were at often at odds with one another and which a pilot would favor varied.
There are way, way, way too many things that were done in WWII that absolutely would not have happened if self preservation had been the unquestioned first goal.
As I said I fly alone on Free Hunt missions almost exclusively. My goal, like any WW2 pilot's would have been in that situation, is to destroy enemy planes in my area. They were expected to do so only insofar as it did not mean sacraficing themselves in the process. The only time I fly with more grandiose mission objectives in mind is on Squadnight, RJO, or in those rare instances I join an organized mission. Still, it is not expected a pilot sacrafice himself for any short-term objective. In WW2, highly trained and experienced pilots were a very precious resource, much morseo than the airplanes themselves, and as such were not to be squandered recklessly.
I am not saying reckless abandon and altruistic self-sacrafice did not happen. I am saying, if it did, it was rare and largely unreported as those pilots operating in this way died in the process, undoubtedly earning a post-humous medal for their widow back home to admire and hang proudly on the mantle above the fireplace as a solemn reminder of her 'heroic' husband.
Zazen
