Thanks for the good times - here's payback!

[Treize69]

Your wish is my command.

[airspro]

NP , glad to help .

I have it on my Christmas list for wife and kids to get for me

[mustard]

funny, seriously, i was reading it this morning for twenty mins. seems i stuffed myself yesterday. your book has the most easily reachable space in my "library".

[TexMurphy]

BMBM

Great write up.. will enjoy reading it over the weekend...

Btw are you swedish? If so from where?

<--- from Göteborg..

Tex

[BMBM]

thanks
The BMBM hails from Stockholm, Sweden.

[TexMurphy]

Cool...

You associated with any of the swedish virtual squadrons?

Tex

[BMBM]

I used to run one, in WB, but that's long since now. I quit flying three years ago on account of RL issues ( = wife lol).

[Treize69]

Ah.

Wife-ack is uber.

[Messiah]

OMG bmbm is that you?  From ww2ol?  I was in your 56th FG squad callsign "Madness" like years ago.  LOL nice to see you still fly.  I've been flying here in AH ever since I left ww2ol, it's alot better imo as far as air combat goes.  It's a shame you don't fly anymore, but good to see ya again.

[TexMurphy]

Originally posted by BMBM
I used to run one, in WB, but that's long since now. I quit flying three years ago on account of RL issues ( = wife lol).

Thats a shame..

So you dont fly anything at all these days and still write a book that good?

Tex

[BMBM]

Hey Madness - great to see yas
Found these (abridged) AARs with your name in em.

July 16: Bertrix Smack Down (again)
   Wingpairs are: Bmbm/Madness, Rebel357/Jblade, Ogrenutz/Kcornett. The first two pairs are on the same RW frequency while Ogre and Kc (VFA25) are on their own channel. All share the mission channel though. We climb out southeast to 4500 and start a left orbit over the target while waiting for dawn. Madness and I are top element. Before daybreak, Rebel and Jblade engage a couple of bandits, shooting down two. We continue to orbit, eventually letting down to 3000 meters.

Shortly after dawn the field comes alive with lufties eager to support their ground troops. Precious few of them check their six as they motor out, and are unceremoniously shot out of the sky. Some leak through though, mainly because Ogre and Kcornett are having problems with acquiring the enemy against the still dark ground. Kcornett is a fresh recruit to boot, so our third element isn’t as effective as could be hoped for. This compels us to leave the high perch and let down to engage.

I don’t remember the individual kills, but I do remember the excellent wingmanship of Madness, and that Rebel357 and Jblade remain in the area until they’ve expended all their ammunition. I also remember missing a few easy shots and seeing Madness finishing off the rotter - I do the same for him later on. Swooping down with a few seconds of separation on the leader, the wingman usually gets a very good shot at the recovering target. Having shot down a number of badguys, I’m eventually down to popguns, and hand over the lead to Madness. He strikes down two more enemy before he too is virtually out of ammunition. By this time Rebel357 and Jblade are on their last leg home, and Ogre and Kc have gone down over Bertrix.

Having played around a bit with a 110 near Wellin, soon to be despatched by Mick, we return to base to count our kills: I score 7, Madness 3, and the other four guys score 6 between them. That makes 16 victories for 2 losses, in a sortie that lasts 1 hour 47 min - 1 hr 20 min on station.

Signed: BMBM, CO 56th FG


Sunday, July 28: Reims Intercept
56th takes off Cambrai-Niergnies at 20:10, somewhat delayed, and starts the weary climb to altitude on a southeasterly heading. We have four elements (8 pilots) and have just completed one full patrol circuit at 6 km when I’m struck by a technical malfunction (disco). Replaning at Cambrai and halfway back, I’m led to understand that the enemy sweep element has arrived and is engaged over Reims. This must mean that the bombers aren’t far off, and here I am, still a ways to go! I pedal hard, and arrive at 5 km shortly before the main force arrives.

I’m out of touch with the group and on my own. The sky is full of contacts - mostly friendly. Then I start picking up 110s, and engage. North of the city a couple of 109s are desperately trying to fend for themselves, and to help the embattled 110s. One after one they go down trailing smoke and flames. I manage to keep my altitude and my six reasonably clear. I spot two Heinkels co-altitude, and make a hasty pass at the trailing ship just as the leader bursts into flames, hit by a happy crowd of Hurricanes.

Soon there are but a few surviving enemy fighters around and for the rest of the sortie it’s a question of who will be lucky or quick enough to cash their scalps. I’m not one of them, but land at Berry after a lengthy chase with two 110s to my credit and a third damaged. Madness runs wild with four kills and our only loss is Hammered, shot down early in the fight.

Signed: BMBM, CO 56th FG

[Messiah]

Originally posted by BMBM
Hey Madness - great to see yas
Found these (abridged) AARs with your name in em.

July 16: Bertrix Smack Down (again)
   Wingpairs are: Bmbm/Madness, Rebel357/Jblade, Ogrenutz/Kcornett. The first two pairs are on the same RW frequency while Ogre and Kc (VFA25) are on their own channel. All share the mission channel though. We climb out southeast to 4500 and start a left orbit over the target while waiting for dawn. Madness and I are top element. Before daybreak, Rebel and Jblade engage a couple of bandits, shooting down two. We continue to orbit, eventually letting down to 3000 meters.

Shortly after dawn the field comes alive with lufties eager to support their ground troops. Precious few of them check their six as they motor out, and are unceremoniously shot out of the sky. Some leak through though, mainly because Ogre and Kcornett are having problems with acquiring the enemy against the still dark ground. Kcornett is a fresh recruit to boot, so our third element isn’t as effective as could be hoped for. This compels us to leave the high perch and let down to engage.

I don’t remember the individual kills, but I do remember the excellent wingmanship of Madness, and that Rebel357 and Jblade remain in the area until they’ve expended all their ammunition. I also remember missing a few easy shots and seeing Madness finishing off the rotter - I do the same for him later on. Swooping down with a few seconds of separation on the leader, the wingman usually gets a very good shot at the recovering target. Having shot down a number of badguys, I’m eventually down to popguns, and hand over the lead to Madness. He strikes down two more enemy before he too is virtually out of ammunition. By this time Rebel357 and Jblade are on their last leg home, and Ogre and Kc have gone down over Bertrix.

Having played around a bit with a 110 near Wellin, soon to be despatched by Mick, we return to base to count our kills: I score 7, Madness 3, and the other four guys score 6 between them. That makes 16 victories for 2 losses, in a sortie that lasts 1 hour 47 min - 1 hr 20 min on station.

Signed: BMBM, CO 56th FG


Sunday, July 28: Reims Intercept
56th takes off Cambrai-Niergnies at 20:10, somewhat delayed, and starts the weary climb to altitude on a southeasterly heading. We have four elements (8 pilots) and have just completed one full patrol circuit at 6 km when I’m struck by a technical malfunction (disco). Replaning at Cambrai and halfway back, I’m led to understand that the enemy sweep element has arrived and is engaged over Reims. This must mean that the bombers aren’t far off, and here I am, still a ways to go! I pedal hard, and arrive at 5 km shortly before the main force arrives.

I’m out of touch with the group and on my own. The sky is full of contacts - mostly friendly. Then I start picking up 110s, and engage. North of the city a couple of 109s are desperately trying to fend for themselves, and to help the embattled 110s. One after one they go down trailing smoke and flames. I manage to keep my altitude and my six reasonably clear. I spot two Heinkels co-altitude, and make a hasty pass at the trailing ship just as the leader bursts into flames, hit by a happy crowd of Hurricanes.

Soon there are but a few surviving enemy fighters around and for the rest of the sortie it’s a question of who will be lucky or quick enough to cash their scalps. I’m not one of them, but land at Berry after a lengthy chase with two 110s to my credit and a third damaged. Madness runs wild with four kills and our only loss is Hammered, shot down early in the fight.

Signed: BMBM, CO 56th FG

Wow, haha blast from the past right there!  I actually remember some of the first AAR; not so much of the second.  Man I was so green back then, haha.  Thanks for the good times hope we can wing again sometime

[airspro]

"Experience will tell you where to launch, where to patrol, how to execute your
mission, when to engage and when not to. Experience tells you whether the bogey is friendly
or enemy, whether he’s a bomber or fighter, whether he’s heading toward you or away from
you, whether he’s seen you or not. Experience gives you a subconscious scanning routine,
the ability to format, the tingle along the spine that tells you to break hard away, the ability to
check six while you’re dogfighting, the keen sense for energy. Experience tells you where
your exit window is, when to disengage, how to fox an enemy, the difference between too
soon and too late. It is all that you need, and everything the beginner wants.
It’s a cruel war out there. Some of your opponents have logged thousands of hours
and engaged the enemy tens of thousands times, whereas quite a few have hardly even
scored their first kill yet. It is very much like in the real war, but here the veterans are
immeasurably more experienced than ever the greatest Experten – except in the discipline of
staying alive that is. Until you become experienced, and that may take months, years even,
read as much as you can, study acknowledged veterans in the air, and fly as if your life
depended on it. You are fortunate in having recourse to a lot of training material and
accumulated wisdom that the real pilots didn’t – some were sent up in the air with less than
40 hours of tuition, and with no more combat instruction than Dicta Boelcke2."

Good stuff

Thanks