Do you remember the first time you got a "real" kill?

[dedalos]

Originally posted by Treize69
The "best moments" thread got me remembering. Do you recall the first kill you got that really felt like a kill? Not necessarily in AH, but in any online flight sim, since most of us came from other places first.

The first palms sweating, heart pounding combat from which you emerged victorious? Or the first time you went in with a prearranged strategy and it worked? You know, the first time you actually felt immersed, like you were a fighter pilot and youd just gotten your first kill! For me, it was in the Historical Arena of Warbirds 2.77....


Was flying solo interference (P-40B) for a 2-man SBD raid on Finnschaven in the Slot map. About 15K, throttled back and cruising just out of icon range to the Rabaul side of them, about five minutes from their pushover, when I saw that gray speck moving in below me. I immediately throttled up and went into a shallow climb to the north to try and get enough alt to dive on him and slash, since I know I'm not good enough to dogfight a Zeke in a P-40 at 15,000 feet. Alert the SBDs, let them know what I'm up to. By the time I feel safe enough to attempt it, we are within sight of them.

By this point I'm remembering all the historical accounts I live on, when a sudden image flashes into my head- Gallands "up and under" attack in Mike Spicks book. Upsun, dive down to his low 5 or 7 o'clock position and come up from his blind spot. He hasn't made any move like he'd noticed me yet, so I decide to go for it. Roll over, nose down, palms sweating... check list complete.

Underneath, he still hasn't made any move like he'd seen me, pull the nose up at about 800yards. Heart is pounding so bad that I can't even hear the engine! Pipper just in front of his prop, throttle back so I don't overshoot, wish I actually had oxygen so I can stop hyperventilating...

400 yards... 300... 200... press the tit, cowl .50s blast away! Hit sprites from nose to tail, lined him up perfect! Black smoke, fuel leak, pixelated fire, tail breaks off, down he goes. Throttle up, climb away from the falling wreckage and getting back into escort position. Feel like I'd just slammed a quart of Jim Beam, know its a game, and don't care. I'd just executed a perfect bounce of a Zero and protected my charges, without even being seen or fired at. That was in the Spring of 1999 if I recall right, hard to remember for sure when I started since I'd had it offline for a long time before I got an account. But I'd been flying less than a month in any case.

I still feel (felt?) that to a lesser extent whenever I pull off (pulled off?) a perfect bounce. And that might be part of why I have such a preference for historical matchups...

So, are you going to post the palm sweating heart pounding fight or what?

[GooseAW]

I really can't remember.....

sometime in 96 in AW2. I do remember my first scenario in AW FR flying a P40 (I think) with a bunch of guys who seemed like old timers. I felt so inferior listening to them (on text as I had no vox yet). then one of them said "you're doing a great job staying in formation Goose...nice level turns".
Man was I proud (and I was flying with a mouse ) I had only been in the game for about a month at that point.

For the next 3 hours I felt like I was in a true fight for my life. Sweat had drenched my shirt by the time the flight lead and I landed minus all but one other of the 8 pilots we took off with. I believe I had 2 kills and a couple of assists. I was addicted, I was exhausted. I was invited to fly with them again!

There have since been alot of great moments and great friends.

[Delirium]

Originally posted by Guppy35
As we crossed the French coast we started seeing dots.  Del was flying my wing as he's done so many times.  

Dan, for me it was the 'Afrika' scenario... I think I was the same after one fight.

Corky and I are in a spit5 group, completely out classed by the numerous 190s and 109s that patrol at higher speed and altitude. We got seperated from the group (see a pattern?) and flew towards the front line with me just off Corky's 4 o'clock.

Suddenly, we both called it at the same time; 3 FW190s bouncing us from 8, 6, and 4 o'clock. Back then, voice wasn't available so all we typed is (or something similar)

Del: you go left, I go right
Corky: cc

We wordlessly went into a Thach Weave and the fight ended 30 seconds later with 2 FW190s destroyed and 1 running home for dear life. I will never forget that flight, it still stands out in my memory as if it was yesterday.

[Stixx]

For me it was a classic match up. Me in a spit V, my opponent in a 190, just a few days after I had been taught the proper way  to merge by my squaddie,  Leaddog .

While flying alone I spied a dot on the horizon at my ten oclock and turned toward it. Checking my map, I noted that there were no friendlies nearby, so it had to be an enemy con. At that point my heartrate went up a few notches. The con came into icon range and when I spotted the 190 designation my palms started to sweat.

Well, I thought, this is probably gonna hurt.

I dove for initial seperation, the 190 did the same, I rolled to the left looking for a little manuvering room, the 190 matched my move. I somehow managed to get below him for the merge.

At 800yds  I pulled up into him. Up and over I went , watching him through my canopy as he did the same.  I cringed in my office chair as his deadly nose came to bear on my position. I was expecting a quick trip to the tower, what I got instead were a few pings.

Down and around we went, spiraling in a deadly dance towards the ground below.  We had merged at about 12k.  My altimeter spun backwards as we jinxed around one another.  Our noses just shy of a clear shot as I wasted ammo on snap shots that were just beyond my reach.

Down we went. Down through ten thousand feet, eight thousand, six thousand. At around two thousand feet my opponent made a break to disengage.  For a moment he floated into my sights, I squeezed off my last few rounds, his wing was severed, and he flipped over into the ground.

You shot down XXXXXXXXX

I was physically shaking as I returned to base.  Though the details may become hazy, I'll never forget the frist 1v1 in which I managed to kill my opponent.

No wonder I'm hooked on AH.

[NoBaddy]

October 1990. I got a kill on the guy that had been running Tuesday night training, John Mongoose of the YoYoDyne Propulsion squad in Air Warrior. Since I had played the game for 2 months prior to this and never even hit anyone, it isn't hard to remember.

[Chalenge]

Ive slept since then.

[angelsandair]

err... my first kill was on my favorite map the "donut" map, I was on my 3rd "sucessful" sortie and i was in a P-40E, still trying to figure everything out. I was at 12k over a furball and there was a N1K-2 (didnt even know what it was at the time) i dove on it and shot its wing off, then like the idiot i am, i augered