Good ink for virtual aviation and new historical articles
Finnish Virtual Pilots Association, members of your beloved VLeLv Icebreakers, LLv 34, Kuhlmey, Moosefly and other Finnish squadrons, have been active lately and have done a lot during the past months.
Let's begin with the most fantastic item:
New Article:
Memoirs of a reserve military aviator during years 1934-1945
Joel Savonen joined the Finnish Air Force reserve officer training on 6.6.1934 and his aviation career continued until the end of the Second World War. This article is now available in English language for the first time ever. Joal Savonen was one of the Finnish fighter aces of WW2 and experienced many interesting moments in his life - he even flew escort for Adolf Hitler.
"I was waiting by my plane when major Carlsson approached me and asked why I hadn't come to report to Hitler after the escort mission. It was only at this point when I found out who had been in the planes that we were escorting."
"While I was talking with the general I told him that I had been escorting planes carrying Adolf Hitler and field marshal Keitel on their way to congratulate marshal Mannerheim on his 75:th birthday with four American Brewster fighters and that I had received a German medal "Das Verdienstkreutz des Ordens vom Deutchen Adler Dritter Stufe mit Schwertern" for this in front of a Finnish guard company. "
The memoirs of Joel Savonen have been published with the permission of his son, Olli Savonen.
Joel Savonen (right) with the Finnish aces of Aces, Ilmari Juutilinen (left):
The full story:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/WW2History-JoelSavonenEnglish.htmlTorsten Sannamo and the FuG-radios
The machine gunner / wireless operator Torsten Sannamo, who operated in Blenheim bombers in the ranks of Bomber Squadron 42, described his wireless / gunner course shortly to the Virtual Pilots - and his condidential special mission - training with the new German FuG-wireless systems.
"We stayed in the cloud and I told the pilot "you are pulling too much to the left, can't you hear from the sound, the homing sign is totally wrong compared to our heading?" Until he started turning, he didn't notice the gyrocompass had been broken after a hit from the burst, and it had got stuck to show north."
The full story:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/WW2History-UrbanBlitz2002-TorstenSannamoEnglish.htmlMesserchmitt training after the wars
Messerchmitt 109 pilot Torsti Tallgren described shortly the Me 109 pilot training program of Finnish Air Force after the World War II to Virtual Pilots Association.
"Tally on the target, quick assesment of own position,attempt to surprise, surprise being half victory, attack according to what is learned."
The full story:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/WW2History-TorstiTallgrenBlitz02English.htmlViljo Lehtinen, the Blenheim gunner
During the war years Viljo Lehtinen served in the Bomber Squadron 42 as machine gunner / radio operator. Mr. Lehtinen goes back to the war years filled with bombing and reconnaissance flights in interview conducted at Lappland Air Command Guild's annual meeting.
"Always when the weather was favorable, we went to wherever the hot spots were. To Tali-Ihantala, as many flights as we could. At the Teikari battle, we bombed the gun emplacements at Uuras. Finally the pressure point moved to the Äyräpää-Vuosalmi front, and it became the main target. The entire regiment worked like one fist."
The full story:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/WW2History-ViljoLehtinenEnglish.htmlANd more at Finnish Virtual Pilots Association aviation history site:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/And what else?
* The latest issue (6/2002) of Finnish aviation magazine Siivet - Wings featured, for the first but not the last time, regular column for Finnish Virtual Pilots Association. Every issue of this major Finnish aviation magazine will from now tell about the latest happenings in the virtual aviation field, both from combat and civilian simulation world. The column is published in every issue and written by who else but your dear Grendel, the ÜberFinn!
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/press/siivet062002-ilmailupalsta-1t.jpghttp://www.virtualpilots.fi/press/siivet062002-ilmailupalsta-2t.jpg* Issue 5/2002 of Siivet - Wings featured a major 3 page article about Finnish online aviation communities.
Page one:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/press/siivet052002-virtuaaliilmailijat_jarjestaytyvat-1t.jpgYou'll find more articles and the big versions of those mentioned at
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/press/* The Association took part in the Finnish Aviation Museum's Aviation Hobby Days exhibition and demonstrated online flight simulations to thousands of people. Association was the star attraction of the exhibition as advertised by the museum.
* The Association made its autumm field trip to Hallinportti Aviation Museum. Full photo report with amazing photos - MUST SEE:
Full report:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/photoreports/hallinportti2002/* Finnish virtual pilots association, Virtuaalilentäjät - Virtual Pilots Finland Association took recently part in the recording of OverDose games show, a programme by the Finnish tv channel MoonTV. MoonTV is a national channel and it received quite a large audience especially with the younger game playing generation. The show itself was a 50:50 mix between interviewing real pilots, half about three World War II fighter pilots and a Finnair (Finnish air line company) passenger plane pilot, and the other half about Virtuaalilentäjät - Virtual Pilots ry association online combat pilots taking on another team with IL-2 Sturmovik simulator. Both sides had four pilots, four combats were fought.
Full report:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/albums/overdose2002/REQUEST:
The Association is looking for 3D modelers to help in a major Finnish multimedia project. Short description:
"Finland at War 1939-1945 is academically valid and vivid presentation of those fateful years of recent Finnish history. In addition to the pilot version about the Battle of Vuosalmi, fought between Finland and the Soviet Union in summer 1944, the four-year project now contains completed sections that tell, in language versions (Finnish-Swedish-English), of the military operations of the Continuation War from the perspective of the General Head Quarters and the fronts. The multimedia package includes an extensive encyclopedia. The completed sections are available to the public on the computers of the special exhibition about the Continuation War at the Military Museum of Finland. These military operations are being supplemented by combat descriptions of the decisive battles. The entire production will be gathered together into a complete package at the end of 2003/beginning of 2004."
We look for 3D modelers who have made or could made aircraft / tank 3D models for this project. No money payment I'm sorry. If you have made 3D models of Finnish/German/Russian aircraft we'd just love you if you can give permission to use them in that project. The association is not making a single buck but is trying to help the creators to make it even better - especially on the aviation side. Email me at
jukka.kauppinen@jmp.fi if you want full description what the project is about and needs.
Virtuaalilentäjät ry - Virtual Pilots Finland Association is an association, which purpose is to promote World War II multiplayer flight simulators and aviation hobby among people interested in aviation. More information about the association is available from
http://www.virtualpilots.fi . Our plan of action also includes active research and preservation of Finnish aviation history - more about that from
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/en/info/hist/ and
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/ .
Jukka O. Kauppinen -
jkauppin@jmp.fi - tel. +358-40-730 0036
Grendel, VLeLv Icebreakers
Finnish Virtual Pilots Association
