111 Squadron Black Arrows are looking for team players interested in flying Special Events and Friday Squad Operations. The squadron was formed for players who might not otherwise get the opportunity to fly in squadron-based events. Players without a squad affiliation, or players whose regular squad does not participate in FSO are welcome to join.
The squadron takes its name from the former RAF aerobatics and demonstration team, "The Black Arrows", that flew as part of No. 111 Fighter Squadron. The 111 designation is shared by several important WW II squadrons from which we draw our inspiration:
111 Squadron RAF (1917-2011, flew in the Battle of Britain, Africa and Italy)
111 Squadron RCAF (flew P40 Kittyhawks in the Aleutians against the Japanese)
VF 11/VF 111 Sundowners (USN fighter squadron)
111 Fighter Escandrille (Polish Squadron that fought against the Germans and Soviets)
The requirements are:
1. You must be 18 or older.
2. You must have a working mic.
3. You must be willing to commit to at least one FSO frame a month.
The pilot qualities we are looking for are:
1. You must be willing to work as part of a team.
2. You must be willing to learn.
3. You must be willing to fly any kind of mission and any kind of aircraft.
4. You must be willing to fly long stretches of patrol or transit in exchange for one or two very intense furballs.
5. You must be focused on accomplishing the squadron's missions rather than padding your kill score.
As we are strictly a special events squadron, you are not required to join the squadron or use the squadron name in the Main Arena, nor do you have to fly in a specific Main Arena country. Some of us do fly together in the MA on occasion (usually Rooks), but these activities are not mandatory.
FSO and scenario events are unlike anything else in Aces High. They are as close to flying actual World War II missions as possible. Generally speaking, they often involve long stretches of patrol or transit to target, followed by several minutes of highly intense combat, often at much higher altitudes than in the Main Arena. In FSO the focus is on completing the mission rather than acquiring kills. We may get milk runs, we may get escort duty, we may get shot out of the sky in the first hour. The real benefit of these events are to get a taste of what missions were like for real combat pilots, to learn how to fly and fight at high altitude, and to play as part of a coordinated team of hundreds of the best Aces High sticks in the game.
If this sounds like your idea of fun, PM Muzzy for further details.