Regarding Ditching:
My personal view is that a controlled landing on the airfield without gear down, should be a ditch. Its likely that an aircraft could be quickly brought back to service (if this was RL).
Landing anywhere off of the airfield, especially in enemy territory, amounts to an aircraft being effectively taken out of action. Why? Real ground, (with its rocks, trees, stumps, gulley's etc.) in general is not smooth. The end result is the same as if the aircraft was destroyed.
If the pilot lands (even with gear down) in enemy territory, he would be taken out of action. Why would this not be counted as a death? How can a pilot that lands deep in enemy territory receive the same credit for a ditch as a pilot landing, with gear yet off of the runway, on his on airfield?
I propose adding a new category - destroyed aircraft. If the airplane is ditched away from a friendly base its counted as destroyed without receiving a pilot death. If ditched in enemy territory, airplane is destroyed and the pilot receives a death (unless he
walks back to friendly territory
) A pilot that damages an airplane that ditches off base, receives a kill since that aircraft has been destroyed.
thoughts?
MiG
