Fear the Pony

[Brooke]

RedBull is great in a P-51.

If I remember correctly, Kermit was actually quite good in a P-51.

[BaldEagl]

No P51 pilot ever stands out because it's not hard to fly....there are a lot of guys who get a lot of kills in it for sure but most all the 5 any ez mode planes have that.

I would argue that a pilot who takes a low ENY ride outside it's comfort zone and wins consitantly is more elite than someone who plays it safe with a high ENY ride.  The very few who can take a high ENY ride out of it's element and win consistantly are special.  There are no ez mode planes but there are ez mode pilots (most of them) who won't push the envelope.

[Brooke]

I loved fighting Pand and his P-51B

He's very good, too.

Lot's of guys are very good from my perspective and are likely great in any plane they choose to fly.  Bruv, DrBone, and Thrila are a few that come to mind there, and there are probably a bunch of others, too.

[Triton28]

better with names bro!   

I never kiss and tell.   

[katanaso]

From the perspective of somebody that uses the 51 a lot, there are less than a handful that are extremely good right now.  There are a lot of very good 51 guys, but most will fly 'smart' and leave the engagement when they lose their advantage.  The ones I consider extremely good are those that apply great cartoon-ish ACMs to their 51 while stall-fighting a superior turning enemy. 

Most people can learn to be very good in the 51, come in with some type of advantage, and win the fight.  Much fewer develop the skills to turn with 38's, Spits, 109 variants, and so forth.

From my flying in the 38, only one person in recent memory has stall-fought me and won while he was in a 51 and me in a 38.  It felt like I was fighting myself.  I also haven't fought 99% of those on Knights, as I've only changed countries a handful of times over the last year or two.

 

[FLOOB]

Has anybody mentioned BigR?

[JunkyII]

I would argue that a pilot who takes a low ENY ride outside it's comfort zone and wins consitantly is more elite than someone who plays it safe with a high ENY ride.  The very few who can take a high ENY ride out of it's element and win consistantly are special.  There are no ez mode planes but there are ez mode pilots (most of them) who won't push the envelope.

True but a P51s  comfort zone is bigger then most people realize with those flaps...

[-ammo-]

Hangtime was a pretty good P-51 stick.  Anyone remember the Hangtime/Fishu duel?

[Slash27]

Yes...I would say hogs are easier to seem to be Elite in. Many pilots who can pick well are seen as great sticks in them but they can only fight when they have numbers and or alt.

Yeah, seems to be quite common these days

[Debrody]

Many pilots who can pick well are seen as great sticks in them but they can only fight when they have numbers and or alt.

QFT 

A great pilot must have a very good SA, but also must know how to overshoot his opponent in a rolling scissors. And, whats the most important for me, uses his ACM knowledge when the opportunity is given for some more fun than a rope-a-dope.

[SmokinLoon]

any given Sunday....

[ARSNishi]

Has anybody mentioned BigR?

  +1.   Best I've seen in a pony.....because he actually fights in it.   

[Slash27]

  +1.   Best I've seen in a pony.....because he actually fights in it.   

[mthrockmor]

ToneyJoey is one of only a few elite sticks I haven't killed. Maybe 0-4 against him, always in that PonyD. One of those mix ups included me in a F4F, which I rarely fly and likely didn't do well in. Regardless, he negated the obvious turn advantage and after 10 minutes killed me. Actually, two separate engagements over 10 minutes, we disengaged after the first one, with me missing a flap. He came screaming back in with proper PonyD set-up (read, the right advantages) and killed me. To Latrobe's point, you fly the bird how it was designed.

The bigger question, what to do about getting the best sticks to stick around.

Boo

[SmokinLoon]

There are no ez mode planes but there are ez mode pilots (most of them) who won't push the envelope.

Ya know, I'd be willing to bet that someone with an hour or so worth of instruction and still very green behind the ears can hold their own if they are in a Spitfire Mk XVI and the "vet" is in a P40C.  Point being: the "easy mode" plane and the benefits they offer do very much exist.  When a plane can (and does) make up for the lack of knowledge and skill it certainly bodes well for the player.  When a player who has the knowledge and skill relies on an easy mode plane to get the advantage I think it speak volumes.  That is the difference in those of us who are here to play arcade games vs those who are here to partake in the experience.

I've always said and I will always maintain that I'd rather fight like mad and work for every shot I get and barely lose while in a challenging plane (P40x, 109F/G2-6), etc) than to get an easy kill and land with name in lights in an easy mode plane (Spit16, La7, P51D, etc). It is so much more satisfying.  But alas, to each his own.