No white flag?

[SmokinLoon]

I would not have paid much attention to landing gear coming down, usually it is a mistake.  However, if there was a movement of sorts that formed to allow badly beaten aircraft to pass if they put their gear down and RTB'd, I'd be right on board that bandwagon.  Thing is, I doubt most of the "name in lights" guys would go for it, it is all about their K/D ratio and score/rank.

The following is a true event:

I bested a 110 in a long drawn out and intense dogfight with my Mossi, he was missing some major control surfaces and an engine while I sustained damage to an MG, a cannon, and a flap.  We were at about 5000ft when he went nose down for what appeared to be his field that was 2 sectors away.  After some frantic range communications to fellow countrymen and some chat on 200, I found the pilot of the 110 and gave him an escort all the way back to his field, sans auto-ack.  I gave him safe passage to his field and likewise he was able to keep his local countrymen off me, at least until I was almost back to my own field.  After watching the film I found out the monkey that shot me down was not there on range chat for the 110 player when he was calling out to let me be for my return.

I dont remember who the 110 pilot was and I dont remember who shot me down upon my approach to land, but it was fun and I'll attempt to do it again.  It gave me wee bit of hope that chivalry is still able to be found even in an arcade game. 

[captain1ma]

It is generally accepted in WW2 that when a pilot lowers his landing gear in a dogfight, that it is his "white flag" (sans the F4U pilots ). I'm not a good dog fighter, let me get that out, but I like the damage model. It gives a challenge. When your oil is over your windscreen, an elevator missing, and half your guns shot out, I find it quite "challenging" to end my fight and proceed home. I lost the fight, time to learn and keep trying. This is the time I descend to the deck, drop my gear (white flag) and limp home. But it astounds me the amount of people that will come burning in on reentry to come and get that last shot at me. You've got no defense and all of a sudden towering before you even hear a ping is quite frustrating. Do people really want their name is lights or what? I'm just dumbfounded...

because if they kill you before you land then you'll never be able to up again, lost forever, right? and the points! think of the points! perkies galor for such a shot!

[Shuffler]

To be sure to get out then land on the ground wheels up. Your no longer a threat then. Any plane still flying is a possible threat.

Some will still shoot you. I will if you came in with alt, just zoomed through a fight, or in a spit.

[SilverB]

 To accept such a white flag in RL, one must assume the pilot "waving it" (gear down), is in a situation where he can land in you'r territory and surrender,
as in escorted to a friendly airbase or ditching in a  friendly to you, territory. For eksampel a german pilot badly damaged over england surrendering to another english aircraft, during ww2.

If for eksampel the same german pilot was to drop his gear deep in german territory, and expect to be spared. 1st he would probably make it to some, to him friendly airfield, saving his life and the plane or at least spares. So he is actually not able to surrender.

Logic dictates, over your own country and no threats near, accept the surrender.

any other situation, shoot him down. thats whats you'r up there to do.



Now in Aces High, you can not actually surrender because you can not land on a enemy airfield unless all ack is down. the only thing you can do as in a surrenderable situation, is to land in unfriendly terretory and getting captured.

So if i saw a enemy plane dropping gear, near battleline,or in his own territory, i would shoot him down.

If deep in my own country, i would let him ditch, mostly not to killsteal.

[icepac]

I only have a problem with the guys who collide with your plane as you coast to a stop (yes, gear down) and fly off undamaged.

[whopper2]

What?  And destroy the fun of those scum who vulch vulch vulch all day?

[Slate]

 Die with dignity...............

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,322350.0.html

[MK-84]

     Sometimes, if I find a crippled airplane flying home I like to get as close as possible, and then wait until he thinks I'm going to let him RTB.  Thats when I let him have it
     Also you can try to see how many pieces you can shoot off without actually bringing him down...well not right away anyways

     I just wish then when you shot a parachute that you could watch the little toon plummet to his little toon death...sigh I guess we cant have everything.

[Latrobe]

If the engine still runs, and there's ammo left, you can still fight. I'll let someone go once they're unable to fight back anymore.

[Debrody]

Funny, yesterday i got a spitfire (he exploded) after he got one of my wings.
Das ist SPARTA!!  : )

[icepac]

Nobody I have chased has ever put the gear down when landing so no quarter was given.

Actually....if I see someone trying to land gear up when I'm near an enemy airfield, I will immediately forget whatever else I was doing to vulch him.

Gear down?  not worth the field ack hits taken.

[Krusty]

Lowering the gear meant "I give up, I am landing to surrender"

We don't have enemy fields to formally surrender our damaged aircraft in exchange for medical aid, and we don't sit out the rest of the war in POW camps. Until HTC models Stalag 13, it's purely foolish to think such a thing should be honored.... Oh, you screwed up, and now you want a free pass to go back and land? Okay, well you learn by your screw-ups, don't do it again. If you WIN the fight you earn the right to go back and land. If you LOSE the fight, it's the choice of the winner to let you go or not. I've let some go, and some I haven't.

The thing is in this game you don't have the same realities as in WW2. Waggling your wings in real life was a greeting. In here it's just stick stirring. Lowering your gear in real life meant you were out of the fight and out of the war by proxy. In here it's just a "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Don't shoot! (reup fresh plane) DIE DIE DIE!" kind of move a kid would pull while playing cowboys and indians.

If this were WW2 I'd honor it. Since this is AH2 you won't see me showing any pity for a plane just because it lowers its gear after losing a fight. I may still show mercy a time or two, depending on the situation and the fight, but for gear alone? Don't count on it.


EDIT: Also, in WW2 they didn't just fly off... They stayed in formation and "escorted" the surrendering plane down to an airfield, and if it deviated or renegged... they blew it from the sky. Wasn't it the Bloody 100th that tried this, and was mercilessly hunted down afterwards, no quarter given for that unit after they pulled their stunt?

[MarineUS]

If someone lets me know they are bingo fuel or winchester I let them go home. Same goes if I see them turn and drop gear.

[hepkat08]

I have on more than one occasion left a plane "wheels down" to land. Most times the pilot was on final and just doesn't seem very chivalrous. As for history,,,War is War and a plane down is not upping the next day to fight again. I kamp a spawn during GV fights, and Vulch occasionally. It comes down to the Pilot. I will not fire on a plane on final with wheels down. Just one mans opinion. <Salute> all.

[Getback]

Many great comments here, too many to quote.

I tell ya, if you come over in a 3 dar bar raid at 20k +, capture a field, and I shoot you up, then try to land in a werble laden field I'm going to end your flight prematurely and call it justice.