have you ran away from a fight? (speak the truth)

[Delirium]

Once... in DGS, my wingman had just died and I was stuck with 3-4 Me109Ks all by myself.

[DEAR98]

I like to fight if I'm out of ammo. So I just ram,only if they attack me first.

[Rebel]

"Running away from a fight".  That term always amuses me.

First off, let's define "Fight".   

If by fight you mean a fair confrontation, then no.  Unless I'm out of ammo- then I'm on my way home anyway and just have a small detour. 

But all too often those accusing people of "running" are expecting a P-51 to get into a co-alt turning brawl with their Niki's and what not, and are just sweetying. 

Basically, it comes down to this- I'm not in the game to get shot down.  I'm in the game to shoot *you* down.  If I come across a situation in which I don't feel I have a significant chance of victory, I retire and come back with more of an advantage. 

Jumping into a fight in which the best chance you have for victory is for the other guy to make a big mistake doesn't seem smart to me. 

[betty]

i dont run.....

however.....

my squadie hibbie will follow me into a furball and i usually end up dying and leaving him behind to fend for himself. he claims its fun. he is the ONLY squadie willing to do that. everyone else in my squad just stays high above and uses me for bait.. (points at kermit and shauny)

i have been told i need to extend or climb out and grab some alt but WHY would i want to do that...its more fun just to see how long i will actually survive before i die

[JunkyII]

I dont run I extend from the battle 

[BaldEagl]

I had a guy in a Jug N run from me while flying a Hurri I last night 

[captkaos]

Since I almost always fly a C.205, no need to run, almost anyone can catch me.  Basically, as long as I have ammo and fuel, I stay and fight.

[BillyD]

I ran from Fcmartin yesterday in my YAK. we had goons inbound and drawing away any willing fighter is a good tactic and i was a following orders

plus it's hard to kill a yak from 300yds w/ mind bullets

[2fly]

"Running away from a fight".  That term always amuses me.

First off, let's define "Fight".   

If by fight you mean a fair confrontation, then no.  Unless I'm out of ammo- then I'm on my way home anyway and just have a small detour. 

But all too often those accusing people of "running" are expecting a P-51 to get into a co-alt turning brawl with their Niki's and what not, and are just sweetying. 

Basically, it comes down to this- I'm not in the game to get shot down.  I'm in the game to shoot *you* down.  If I come across a situation in which I don't feel I have a significant chance of victory, I retire and come back with more of an advantage. 

Jumping into a fight in which the best chance you have for victory is for the other guy to make a big mistake doesn't seem smart to me. 

Well put.

 I often get taunted for running away in a typhie which I often fly.  I have a spit 16 1k behind me and we are at the same altitude and speed at the start.  I point my nose down and accellerate away from him while he taunts me on 200 for running and not staying to turn fight with him.  Sorry,  I was born at night but it wasn't last night.  

You sorta have to wonder about the character of those whose idea of a "fair fight" is taking their spitfire against a jug or typh in a close range turn fight at mid-low speeds.  

Of course there are a few, and I mean a very FEW exceptional pilots who can pull that off.  Hats off to them, they deserve their accolades.  And yes, I am jealous.

[BillyD]

Being a Typh dweeb I have to agree with the last comment...sometimes in that fn dumptruck you don't have a solution against an acrobat except to extend.....unless ur Riiich or Koolbreez    

[BaldEagl]

I flew a P-47N last night.  I engaged a co-alt P-51D.  We ended up in a one-on-one turn fight on the deck.  It's true that you learn nothing by running.  I learned (what I already knew) that the P-51D was a better turn fighter on the deck than the P-47N.   At least I gave him a run for his money and we exchanged <S>'s afterward.  It was more fun that lamely flying away.

[Zazen13]

"Running away from a fight".  That term always amuses me.

First off, let's define "Fight".   

If by fight you mean a fair confrontation, then no.  Unless I'm out of ammo- then I'm on my way home anyway and just have a small detour. 

But all too often those accusing people of "running" are expecting a P-51 to get into a co-alt turning brawl with their Niki's and what not, and are just sweetying. 

Basically, it comes down to this- I'm not in the game to get shot down.  I'm in the game to shoot *you* down.  If I come across a situation in which I don't feel I have a significant chance of victory, I retire and come back with more of an advantage. 

Jumping into a fight in which the best chance you have for victory is for the other guy to make a big mistake doesn't seem smart to me. 

Very well said.

[Zazen13]

Well put.

 I often get taunted for running away in a typhie which I often fly.  I have a spit 16 1k behind me and we are at the same altitude and speed at the start.  I point my nose down and accellerate away from him while he taunts me on 200 for running and not staying to turn fight with him.  Sorry,  I was born at night but it wasn't last night.  

You sorta have to wonder about the character of those whose idea of a "fair fight" is taking their spitfire against a jug or typh in a close range turn fight at mid-low speeds.  

Of course there are a few, and I mean a very FEW exceptional pilots who can pull that off.  Hats off to them, they deserve their accolades.  And yes, I am jealous.

That's exactly it. Any plane with a significant turning advantage will obviously want you to stay and knife fight. The cards are all in his favor in a Co-E situation. It is the luxury afforded the faster plane to have the initiative to choose when/if/where/how there will be a fight, dis-engaging and re-engaging at will. That is the nature of air combat with dissimilar planes and always has been. The prudent exercise of that very tactical discretion is the reason the US beat the Japanese in the air.

[SlapShot]

This guy actually gets it. Air combat when done well is a symphony of cerebral exercise. There's occassional times to fight like a cornered, rabid, pit bull and there's times to surgically extract and re-insert yourself into the fight for maximum effectiveness. An intelligent and disciplined pilot should not find himself in a predicament where his only option is to fight at a severe disadvantage or die very often. Killing people who, "Fly with their pants down around their ankles" is rather simple for the thinking pilot. They aren't proving anything by flying that way other than they are willing to spend 10 minutes of their life getting a new plane to the fight.

BluaK ... stated ... "To me ..." ... his personal agenda ... which doesn't match mine ... which doesn't make his (or yours) any better or less than mine.

[Zazen13]

BluaK ... stated ... "To me ..." ... his personal agenda ... which doesn't match mine ... which doesn't make his (or yours) any better or less than mine.

Quoting myself from earlier:

For every person I know who is a wonderful turnfighter I know another person who has perfected the art of attaining, maintaining and exploiting the initiative of a faster plane with deadly efficiency. Neither is better or worse than the other, they are simply two facets and approaches to air combat. Both require skill, knowledge and finesse. In reality we all do a little of both every flight, some better than others and to varying degrees of the spectrum