Originally posted by Shaky
Whats also interesting is what Zaz considers a "Furball" doesn't gibe with the rest of the "Furball" crowd.
Most don't have such a narrow definition of furballing. I personally use the terms furballing or dogfighting interchangably to ubiquitously describe any and all large-scale air to air engagements. This seperates it from air to ground (ie: vulching, bombing GV's etc). So, as long as you are engaging targets air to air you are participating in a 'dogfight' or 'furball' if enough planes are present. If people wish to split hairs to 'classify' the exact level and nature of that participation within the context of individual fights well that's their prerogative but it's subjective judgement and limited in terms of relevance as most people who tend to survive until they run out of ammunition tend to do many, many different things throughout an average sortie...
Just to make this clear so as not to have things mis-represented allow me to paste my more thorough explanation from the other thread...
I think your categories are too narrow and simplistic. How many of you film your fights? I like to film mine, let me explain how my average sortie tends to play out in terms of stages:
1) I locate a nice fight on the map, up for the fight from a nearby field almost always with 100% fuel and DT's. I tailor my style to my diminishing fuel load as the flight progresses.
2) I then Gain altitude to be at or slightly above 75% of the reported/guesstimated enemy within optimal aircraft performance limits, which is generally 15k or less.
3) Usually I overfly the focal point of the fight scanning for targets at or above my altitude. Once those are dead, flee or are dragged down I continue to the opposite perimiter of the fight area.
4) Once on the extreme edge of the fight opposite the side my home field is on I vector toward friendly territory engaging targets of opportunity along the way, always highest to lowest and fastest to slowest if in an E Fighter or the most nimble first if in a turn fighter, engaging and destroying bandits all the way down to the deck if necessary.
5) Once my altitude/energy degrades to the point I am either on the deck or on the bottom of the pile I attempt to gain seperation and egress toward my field and friendlies in order to regain operational altitude.
6) Repeat stages 2-5
Now, perhaps at the beginning of the sortie or after stage 6 I am BnZ'ing, especially if there are no enemy cons at or above my altitude and my fuel load is very heavy. By stage 4 I am likely E fighting cons at any altitude, at/above/below. Between stages 4 and 5 I am likely TnBing close to or on the deck, dodging BnZers and E fighters before I attempt to gain seperation and disengage to regain my energy state composure...
So, was I furballing, dogfighting, E fighting, BnZing, seal clubbing, fighting at an advantage or fighting at a disadvantage? The answer is almost certainly all of the above...
I would even go so far as to say, anyone who can categorize their fighting style as stricly type a or b is either lying, dellusional or so hopelessly one dimensional in their approach to air combat they aren't enjoying nearly the fun or the effectiveness they could be if they adopted a more versatile and adaptive style..
Zazen
