It's the pilot, not the plane.

[GRUNHERZ]

The P47 is great.

Actually the F4F easily outdove the zero and it took much much more damage. The ability to dive away is 100X more important in RL than we have even in AH.

[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: GRUNHERZ ]

[Asmodan]

It's the pilot, not the plane

Yestarday i was talking with ammo about great new N1k2 drivers alweays going in to dog fight with my Spit V...

Besides to be a good pilot u got to know your plane and its weakness, to avoid dengerouse situacion for u and your plane.

If u are well propered u can kill anything in any plane (key is luck, good eye and skills)

[Durr]

The pilot is definitely the most important of the host of factors that determine who will win any given air to air engagement.  A great fighter plane can of course sometimes make good pilots out of mediocre ones and great pilots out of good ones, but given a choice between betting on an inferior pilot in a superior plane or a superior pilot in a lesser plane, I will back the odds of the superior pilot every time.  
  I just read where an Air Force general said recently, (speaking of russian made aircraft) "Our pilots in their planes would beat their pilots in our planes every time."  This has been proven throughout history.

[Dead Man Flying]

Pilot > x > Plane

[beet1e]

This ”it’s the pilot, not the plane” crap always cracks me up. Of course, some pilots are/were better than others, but there is a limit to how far this mantra can be taken.

If success were purely attributable to pilot skill, then why in the world have we bothered to develop bigger, faster, and better armed planes since WW2? Why not simply improve training as to turn out a crop of invincible superace pilots? Because P47s would not be much use against Russian MiGs, and Yaks would not be much use against F14 Tomcats. That’s why.

Of course, pilot skill plays a part. But for ***** sake let’s cut this fighter ace adulation crap which suggests that our hero can win any fight in his chosen plane against any other plane and against all odds. See my screenshot in the Drex Sux thread to see what happens when an ace takes on 2xFw190 working together. (Clue: it was a nice drag by –xela-   )

[ 01-05-2002: Message edited by: Uncle Scrmbl ]

[GRUNHERZ]

Ive taken on up to 11 planes one time and killed them all, they were even vulching me and the field ack was down. I did this in a Niki but I doubt there are more than a handful of pilots in AH who could do it, Niki or no Niki. The Niki helped I guess, but I did the killing.

Ive survived many low alt distadvantage fights in my Bf109G6 against LA7s, Nikis and Spits and whatever uber planes. But those pilots were much poorer in experience and skill than I was.

And your Mig29 vs P47 thing is a ridicuous argument the airplanes arent even in the world of flying. You know thats a ridiculous argument.

[AKcurly]

Originally posted by Uncle Scrmbl:
This ”it’s the pilot, not the plane” crap always cracks me up. Of course, some pilots are/were better than others, but there is a limit to how far this mantra can be taken.

If success were purely attributable to pilot skill, then why in the world have we bothered to develop bigger, faster, and better armed planes since WW2? Why not simply improve training as to turn out a crop of invincible superace pilots? Because P47s would not be much use against Russian MiGs, and Yaks would not be much use against F14 Tomcats. That’s why.

Cuz great pilots are born, not trained.  

curly

[mipoikel]

Hmmm what is the purpose of this discussion? What could be the best solution if so called good pilots gets pissed of if some average pilot shoots him down?  

Maybe we should have only 1 planetype so all could be happy.

I think Im average pilot and I agree that La7 and Spit9 is best choices for me. BUT I used to fly La7 before I took a spit and if I try La7 now, it is totally useless for me. If you learn 1 plane good, it is hard to take different plane and be as good with it.

I think if I'd start to fly 190D and keep practising with it 2-3 months I'd be as good with it as Im with spit now. Now Im very easy target with 190D and all I can do with it is RUN!!  

I would put dweebplane list also tiffie. I do quite well also that..  

Ive been in AH about 4 months now and before that I had no experience of any combat sims. I used to try Janes WWII couple of times offline, thats all. So I must be natural born spitdweeb!  

[Asmodan]

Not true - if ur a good pilot it doesn`t count what plane ur flying becouse ur able to pic best tactiksc to the plane that ur in...

[Urchin]

Jeez, Hitech get a new account?      

[Hajo]

Ammo      Amen brother