Hm, well, I am on both sides on this issue.
A good pilot to me is not a person who runs or refuses to engage either co alt or at a slightly negative e state. A good pilot is one who can negate the enemy's advantage and reverse the situation. I.e some of what Verm would call "good pilots", I see as little more than coward opportunists - these are the guys who run away without even amking an attack when they meet two cons, despite them having a huge alt advantage. Or the ones who see an enemy co alt, dives aways and runs.
On the other hand, tactics and SA are the marks of a great fighter pilot. Knowing where to escape, when to escape and when to press the fights are the marks of a good pilot. But, just categorically bugging out when co alt or at a disadvantage is NOT a sign of good tactics or SA. It's simply dogmatized simple idiot proof "tactics" at the lowest level.
A person with this mindset is likely to have a less developed SA - he'll get a snapshot of the situation, decide on it and before enough time has elapsed for it to change, either come out with a victory or have bugged out. Now, the pilot who accepts a co e co alt merge, or fights from a disadvantage *continually* has to be aware of his surroundings, and take into account *changing* variables - where is the enemy now? Is my way blocked, what way am I facing? Are there high cons inb now, and are thos friendles dead or coming?
Taking risks and being able to survive difficult situations are also aspects of being a great pilot. Yesterday, me Nath and Kirin spoiled Busc's little party - we flew in 109G10's (unfortunately light on fuel after a beautiful bounce by a P-47) and headed to enemy terrirtory. Once there, we encountered a huge flight of c205's and a smaller one of 190's - 12 or more planes methinks. We forced them low, cleared each others 6's, even if it meant giving up the safety of altitude and totally broke up that attack. Nath had a warp and was shot down he says, after killing one c205 and hitting the engine of another. me and kirin each got one before we returned to base very low on fuel.
Now, the overcareful "good pilot" wouldn't even have THOUGHT about engaging at those odds. A little less careful pilot would have made a few swooping passes, and then disengaged, leaving his lower comrades to their destiny. But, it is my opinion that a good pilot also has the willingness to risk his own hide trying to save a wingman. Getting away with it alive is even better.
Me, kirin and nath made a series of tactical miscalulations during the fight. Or at least I did, but I am only a standard pilot. Nath had balls of steel and happily accepted abysmal odds and survived for some considerable amount of time.
If you are a great stick, but a coward, you ain't a great pilot in my book. If yer a reckless daredevil who doesn't have the skill to get yerself outta the sticky situations you force upon yourself, you aren't good either. Then there are pilots like Hangtime and Spatula; they'll fight and only at the last moment pull away, disenagage and rtb. Those are great pilots; they test their SA, their tactical ability and their ACM's before bugging.
Simply saying "oh co alt, I'll run" or "oh, slightly negative, I'll run" categorically means you aren't testing your ACM and you aren't testing your SA - you're testing your tactical abilities to a very limited extent, and that's it.
The issue of balls and risk taking is much more personal, so my views on it are my opinions only and your mileage may vary.
Verm, I don't think (but my memory is poor) that I've ever agreed that gondolas on a G10 is a good idea - it's not. It takes away the edge a G10 pilot needs to conmtinually produce reasonable results. Ya want Instant Death - go with the 30mm, but that leads to a whole different area of problems, such as only opening up on maneuvering targets from d150 or less, and d300 for stationary dead 6 shots. I spend a considerable amount of time in the G10 barely above stall speed doing silly maneuvers to get unto my enemy's six. With gondolas, I can't and am instead forced to level out, bug out, run. I hate running
.
So in conclusion, a great pilot is one who in every or most mission extensively tests his SA, ACM and tactics - and gets away with it
.
That's my opinion.
And oh, I fly the G10 again
. And the A5 and A8.
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StSanta
9./JG 54 "Grünherz"
[This message has been edited by StSanta (edited 10-09-2000).]
