If you will pardon this rant.....
In 1996 I started playing a game called Air Warrior and around about 2000 my then 14 year old son also started playing to move with me in 2001 to play Aces High with the game handle "Shift"
In 2002 we went to the Aces High convention in Grapevine and Shift succeeded in reaching the final 2v2 (partnered with SirLion) choosing to the consternation of his opponents the Spit1 for the final round of the best of 3 contest.
They lost and so never got the flight in the P51 that Dale had put up as first prize.
One evening during the con at a steak house ( or should I say Steak Cathedral) over the road some old UK friends asked the then 16 year old Shift what he wanted to do with his life. He replied he wanted to fly for the RAF. A reply he has been reminded of since....... Although he says he cannot remember it.
Indeed just a few weeks ago after just such a reminder of our journey to the 2002 con he "took up" a SpitIX in the MA complaining about the floppy controls I used whilst muttering........
"What is this game responsible for?"
Today he passed his final tests achieving his wings and in November he joins 10 Squadron RAF flying Voyager.
On Friday we all attend his graduation ceremony trying to keep the upper lip stiff and the eyes dry..... no doubt failing in both.
