I wish I still had the film, but it was a long time ago in a flight sim far away. In fact it wasn't really a kill, but an assist.
Longbow Scenario in Airwarrior. First time I ever GL'd a group. I had 602 Squadron Spitfire IXs. This particular frame we had the job of being the rear guard to RAF B25s escorted by P47D-11s coming back out of France. The map was historical and we upped out of Tangmere and formed up crossing the Channel. Del was flying my wing for I think the first time in a scenario. as we crossed the French coast we spotted the 25s outbound. shortly after this we got calls of 109s and 190s. My squadron got broken up in the initial mix up and Del and I ended up a flight of two. We then got a call of a straggler 25 single engine trying to make it out. We headed down the coast. We spotted dots in the distance as well as the smoking 25 that crossed below us.
Turning towards the dots we saw a D-11 with a 109G on it's tail. We're closing, but too slow as they are moving away from us. I'm hollering for the guy to break back towards us but he doesn't seem to hear. Del's reminding me we've got to watch our fuel for the trip back across. I'm still yelling at the Jug driver. Finally he breaks and allows me to fall into position for a shot on the 109. I get close enough and see strikes. The 109 realizes he's in trouble and breaks hard and I can't finish him. Del, who has been covering my 6 the entire time swings out and powders the guy. The Jug races for home as we rev back for the coast. High dots are spotted closing from the East.....
It was the first time I encountered the real power of these flight sims for a history junkie like me. I was in the cockpit as far as my imagination combined with the history could take me. It was an amazing feeling to step back in time to the summer of 1943 and be that close to my hero's, if only in my mind.
I've been searching for that same feeling ever since. I find it, just often enough to keep me around
