--Originally posted this in other thread, but moving here--
The thing about HO-ing: it takes two. If I pull off and the other guy snapshots me on the way by, it wasn't exactly a HO at that point. OTOH, if I stay H2H with him and he shoots me in the face, I kind of have only myself to blame for taking the gamble that he wouldn't pull the trigger. Yes the person would likely be lame for doing it (depends on the circumstances), but I'd be dumb for not expecting it. I've had times where I waited and thought the guy was going to fly-by cleanly, only to see tracers pop at the very last second, at which point I feel stupid for not doing the same (if you fire at me going H2H and I have time to react, I will probably fire back...I'm spiteful that way). Again, it takes two to setup a HO.
And of course, I've got enough personal ROE exceptions on this in my head to fill a phone book.
E.G.:
-If I am in a 110 or similar and they go H2H with me under any circumstances, that's an HOin'. Anyone should know better than this.
-If they are in a Stang, LA7 or Tempest and **repeatedly** disengage and flee every time I get on their six, only to come back when they think I have given up the chase, at some point I will say "fark it, that's a HOin'" if they present it, because they're just wasting my fuel (after a point). I call this "The Allison Rule" (to honor the inspiration/cause for my instituting this policy).
-If they screw up their rope-a-dope and come down H2H with me, that's a HOin'.
-If I am defending a ridiculous mob, just got off the runway, and am at a major E disadvantage, that's a HO-HO-HOin' all day long if they are dumb enough to give me the shot. I've got nothing to lose at that point...my plane is pretty disposable given that I've only been up for 30 seconds or so, where as I can make them spend 5-10 minutes returning to the battle. The battle trade-off heavily favors me in that situation (and at that point I'm playing for battle strategy).
Related story:
Yesterday I listened to somebody get yelled at on VOX for "stealing" a countryman's kill (I observed the entire event from a couple K above). Person A was chasing a field vulcher to the deck, when person B who just upped in his IL-2 saw the bogie coming right at him, turned into him, and rightfully HO'd the guy to oblivion. Did the vulcher complain? Nope. But person A went completely bonkers. But what was person B going to do? Let the vulcher pick him? I say no way...squash the bastard.