Ahh Joey, it was never taking it easy, more playing with my food, I'm a cat at heart
Also, I saw my progression as being abstract not linear. If I always fly the same way I may win, but I wont learn anything new. So I always used to try to do something new just to see what would happen. Also I would often get some kind of perverse pleasure out of saying to myself 'can I do this and then still keep control of the fight?' Always trying to keep it fresh, for myself mostly. In your case, it wasn't long before I became the mouse and you the cat. Prolonging the fight also helps newer guys to learn faster, I think.
There have been so many awesome sticks I have had the pleasure of flying with over the years. Some great friends that I saw every evening for a decade. Of all the pilots I've duelled, Bighorn was the best I ever knew. Always will be. But by that time I was already past wanting to be like anyone else. But there are too many to even start a list, most of them have already been mentioned here by others already. Skyrock's list covers some great leaders in ACM from 10 years ago.
If I had to pick one pilot who I wanted to emulate when I was new to the game it would have to be WldThng. I remember seeing a film of him in a spitV with a horde of uber planes all BnZing him at once out over the shag carpet AH1 water. These guys were dropping down on him like flies on poop and he was just pulling reversal after reversal and popping them in the canopy every shot he took. I remember watching in fascination at the geometry and realising how simple it really was. That film was a turning point for me in how I saw defensive flying turned into offensive. That dude was as cool as a cucumber.
I would love to get my hands on that film again.
