Originally posted by RAPIER
I think you did the right thing. What if the 51 on your 6 was NME, would he have bailed? Doubt it!
He was just trying to deprive someone of a kill or not lose points or some stupid thing for a bail rather than getting shot down.
I think this is the right point...if he didn't fight, he shouldn't have bailed...there was nothing wrong with his plane, no reason to bail out. I wouldn't feel bad about shooting him when he is just trying to avoid being killed and didn't even fight. If he couldn't get away, and got his plane shot up, he might have been shot in the cockpit and died. Or he might have had the plane blown to bits and died. Or he might have just lost his tail and really had time to bail out and then it would have been okay.
I only bail when my plane gets shot to pieces and I'm gonna die...it's the "accurate" thing to do. It's what pilots would do when they could...somethimes it works out, sometimes I die anyway - like when i'm on the deck and spinning on one wing at 200 kts right into the hillside.
(And I get a lot of practice at it too!)
I've only been shot in the chute a couple of times. Most of the guys out there know that if you fought, you only bailed cuz they won anyway and their opponent was toast...they already won, shooting the chute doesn't mean anything.