Thanks to all of you, that see My post as a positive one. When I first subscribed to AH, it was to fly in the old Combat Theatre. That was where I wanted to Fly and learn and have fun. That was where I had looked into the BBS, and decided I belonged. Now, six years later, that has not changed one bit.
I do go fly in the MA, once in a while, but the AvA is where My heart resides.
I really do hope that I can get off my graveyard shift soon, so that I am able to come in on the Tuesday-Thursday nights. I was able to show up this past Tuesday, and enjoyed finding the fights, enjoyed most of the players asking, " Hey, lets take this fight out of the field ack, and meet between the fields, where the Dot Dar and Ack were not effective." It happened. I flew with and against a lot of old squaddies, and a few newer to the AvA that probably don't know me.
A plus for the AvA, that I see happening, is that Squads are participating, helping to put players in the arena, and are flying both sides of the conflict, instead of all staying on one side, as we did in the past.
Then, it was ok. I well remember the days that VF-27 came in strong and hard, and went against all comers. Squad Nights in the CT were Mega then, with 4, 5, 8, or 10 squads showing up, with numbers in the 100's. It was the place to be, the place to play, adrenalin flowing, going all out.
Sadly, somehow, without knowing how, the arena became a mini MA. It slid downhill, and became a ghost-town.
To My joy, it seems it may be turning around, with the effort of the CM Teams, and those that have decided to quit argueing over trivial things, and just show up and enjoy what the AvA started out to be, way back when it was the CT.
To Me, the Attraction of the AvA is not and has never been, that it is an Arena ruled by a Single Squad. Sometimes Our Squad did it right, (VF-27), and we owned the CT, for a short time. Other times, another Squad figured out our tactics and handed us our behinds on a platter. I found commaraderie, friendship, and fun, within the CT, now known as the AvA.
I Salute the efforts of the CM's, that give us a weekly changing Map and setup.
I Salute the Squads that come in, and fly both sides, without hesitation, to even the numbers.
I Salute the Players, that have hung on, and do what they can, to promote this fabulous Arena, and have decided to put childish behavior where it belongs, on channel 200 in the MA.
Most of My time, currently is limited to the morning hours, CST, when I get off work. That's ok, since I find a few of our European Players on at that time. Platano for one. I well remember the days, when it was only 2 or 3 of us, and Plat asking if I was in that Dang Hurry 1 in a Bob Setting. He Mastered that dang 109E4, avoiding Me. >S< Banana Man, you've learned and Mastered all the Aircraft you up, and deserve your rep. You've earned it, so far as I'm concerned.
SALUTE TO ANY AND ALL, That desire to Improve the AvA, and do something to make it a bit better than when they came in.
