Radio, Radio...

[Vinkman]

Another example of what I wsa talking about happened last night.  I was in a B-25H defending out base from GV attack and there was Rookie flying around in a P-51 near the base.  He is engaged with a fellow Knight and when he sees me making my landing approach, breaks off with the Knight he's fighting and swoops down and tries to vulch me as I land.  Of course he dies because the guy he was fighting is now on his six and nails him as he tries to vulch.

I just don't understand why people make these type of bad tactical decisions.


ack-ack

I love the concept of better results through better tactics. And if there were a course on better tactics, the Advanced Tactics Class would start with TEAM tactics. Proper team tactics are force multipliers not adders. Sure learning how to perform the most stall limitted reversal manuevers in 1 v 1 is fun and cool and all, but most of us will probably never be able to put in enough time to get as good as some of the better sticks out there. But simple manuevers executed in a coordinated way with a wingman or (can we even dare hope) a formation would yield far better results than complicated manuevers attempted alone.

The best weapon is the radio.

All off the comments on squads and flying with friends a greatly appreciated. I think I would like to find some folks that want to actually take some time to work on winging up as formation and practicing team ACM.

Drop me a note if interested.

Vinkman

[shiv]

What I like to do is rope a con, and then as I'm reversing back down to kill him then have a friendly come in and blow him away. 

But sometimes in the middle of the action you miss things.  I was doing some base defense not too long ago and killed a really really slow spitfire, seemed like he was just hanging there waiting for me to shoot him.  It slowly dawns on me and I look around and sure enough there was the friendly - forget who but a good stick and a nice guy - who had roped him.  He wasn't complaining but I apologized right away.   

[grizz441]

I got caught up in very similar situation about an hour later and I in frustration I squeaked over the range channel "G'd Darn it, why are you shooting over my shoulder?"  I was told I had just done the same thing by downing a pilot who was on a friendly's twelve o'clock. I replied with this excuse..

I thought he was on your six o'clock.

In my defense I think the bandit was on his six when I saw him and dove to 'help', but by the time I got there they were engaged in a rolling scissors and they friendly may have completed the reversal. He said he had the film. Perhaps he'll post and clear it up. But as I thought more about it I realized what the real problem was. Too much assuming, not enough communicating on the radio.  

You know, I didn't care when you shot the guy I was about to kill and should have killed already if my aim wasn't so atrocious in that given moment.  We were in a furball on the deck, there's no reason to be calling who has what.  It gets chaotic and there usually isn't a lot of time to worry about who has who and what not.  What I found hysterical was when you screamed at me on vox for essentially nothing when you had just done the exact same thing a minute before.  Again I stress, I did not care that you shot the K4, but I did care that you decided to rant on range and drop an F bomb in my direction.

http://www.speedyshare.com/files/20302247/vinkman2.ahf
Here's the 45 second film of when you shot the K4 I was fighting.  No big deal, probably not even worth watching for anyone out there.

http://www.speedyshare.com/files/20301717/vinkman_rant.ahf (warning, does contain some profanity)
This was absurd.  I was fighting my butt off on the deck in the Ta152 with oil leak and all.  I shoot at the p47n that had just attempted to HO the heck out of me just 10 seconds before.  I then have to deal with a profanity laced rant on range?  

Vinkman, I'm sure you were just frustrated and took it out on me but you really should refrain from freaking out like this on range.

[Ghastly]

On a related note, it's always tough for pilots before they realize that due to netlag, two friendlies after the same bandit can both be shooting from behind the other one's shoulder.

I'm pointing this out because in your second story, it's possible that the pilot who you came in to help may have seen your tracers come over his shoulder, even though on your FE, I assume he was behind you, and you never saw him.

<S>

[Wagger]

I really don't care who gets the kill as long as I'm alive and flying after its done. A kill is a kill and one less baddie to worry about.

[Vinkman]

You know, I didn't care when you shot the guy I was about to kill and should have killed already if my aim wasn't so atrocious in that given moment.  We were in a furball on the deck, there's no reason to be calling who has what.  It gets chaotic and there usually isn't a lot of time to worry about who has who and what not.  What I found hysterical was when you screamed at me on vox for essentially nothing when you had just done the exact same thing a minute before.  Again I stress, I did not care that you shot the K4, but I did care that you decided to rant on range and drop an F bomb in my direction.

http://www.speedyshare.com/files/20302247/vinkman2.ahf
Here's the 45 second film of when you shot the K4 I was fighting.  No big deal, probably not even worth watching for anyone out there.

http://www.speedyshare.com/files/20301717/vinkman_rant.ahf (warning, does contain some profanity)
This was absurd.  I was fighting my butt off on the deck in the Ta152 with oil leak and all.  I shoot at the p47n that had just attempted to HO the heck out of me just 10 seconds before.  I then have to deal with a profanity laced rant on range?  

Vinkman, I'm sure you were just frustrated and took it out on me but you really should refrain from freaking out like this on range.

Open apology to all I offend on vox, including You Grizz. There are times when I can't stop my radio finger from pushing the button during rantings. I don't want to do it just happens! Of course, once a snarky exchange starts thing degrade rapidly.    People who know me from these sparatic outbursts must think I'm a total love muffin, but I'm really only somewhat of a love muffin. What can I say, I'm competitive and can't always keep my cool. The focus of this post was to promise to use the radio for better purposes than whining. Funny how I'm quicker to whine on the radio, than to communicate. I may not be the only one to suffer from this. That's what I'm committed to changing. Hopefully better communication will lead to less whining, of course Rome wasn't built in a day, so bare with me. Let's hope communication is contagious.

Thanks.



Vinkman

[grizz441]

Rant aside, Tbh, I don't think any flack should have been directed my way.  If you watch it from my perspective you will see I am just fighting on the deck defending myself.

[Jouster]

Conversely, if I was the P-47 driver, I would have been pissed if I didn't get the kill after dancing around with you trying to get position and then some Tempest jockey comes screaming in and pops your engine.

I would have done exactly what the P-47 driver did ... deny the meddling Tempest the kill that I was working hard for.

you make  a great point slap-shot, that I hadn't considered. Thank you for that. I'm always willing to learn.