You assume far to much Widewing on how I fly and fight in the Yak-9T if you think I don't duel and just use the 37mm to cherry pick, that's the most ridiculous and arrogant claim I've had anyone make towards me yet. Maybe that's my fault for never posting film, or hanging out in the training thread, I don't because I'm not interested in ego trips. Though a few have asked me to send films directly to them which I often do.
Problem is I rarely fly during your peek times due to the time difference, if you flew on a regular basis off peek you'd have a different opinion of me through your own experience and from others rather then via assumptions.
No I won't be visiting your sandpit in the TA or DA again, I don't need a staged arena to setup up 1v1 fights. If you'd like to meet PM if you see me in the MA and fly what you want I'll be in the Yak.
<S>...-Gixer
You may be right, I may be assuming too much. However, I can see no other explanation of your terror for dueling under controlled circumstances, where all things are close to equal at the start. The conclusion people will draw is that you have no confidence that you could win and therefore, refuse to partake. The concept I'm trying to present is that winning should not be a goal. Learning and having fun should be the sole purpose. When I was trying to master ACM, I fought duels with pilots who were vastly better than I was. They kicked my butt. However, I learned and had fun doing it. I still duel with the best in the game and having fun is still the primary goal. I win some and lose some, but they're all fun.
I'm just trying to get you to loosen up, forget about protecting a self-image, have fun and learn a few things about what you can do and not do. My goodness, I take away something positive from every fight. Win, lose or draw, you can always learn something from a good duel.
When I work with someone I haven't seen fly before, I watch them carefully for errors, be they tactics, SA, plane handling and especially ACM. If I see something, I tell them and offer advice. My goal isn't to beat them. My goal is to help get to a level where they can beat me. If I duel with someone who proves to be better than me, I study the film and figure out where they gained an advantage so that next time, I'll have an effective counter. I won't sulk about getting beat, because it's an opportunity to improve. There's no stigma associated with getting beat in a fair fight. To be successful, one must have the self-confidence to be willing to fail.
I'm going to speak to everyone who is reading this thread....
I often fly with guys who come to the TA to improve their ACM skills. Many of these guys have a good understanding of ACM and need little coaching in that regard. Where they fall short is the lack of ability to fly their plane to the edge of the envelop and remain there. They will never learn that in the MA. Never. They learn that by dueling. Once they learn how to fly to the absolute limit of the aircraft, being able to exploit all of its strengths and avoid it's weaknesses, they see a corresponding improvement in their MA flying. One of these guys flies the Hellcat as his main ride. He's spent many hours practicing via duels. He no longer dreads Spitfires, Nikis and La-7s. He now knows that unless the pilots of these fighters are exceptional, he can beat them at their own game. In point of fact, he usually does.
There have been many exceptional pilots who came through the TA. They have been well schooled by trainers and volunteer pilots like 2bighorn and Batfink to name only a couple. These young pilots, fellows like TonyJoey and 0100, are solid representatives of the future of Aces High. They are already good enough to beat 99% of those flying AH2. They learned how to duel early in their AH2 experience. They went to the TA and DA and battled with the best they could find. They took their licks, but learned and steadily improved. When I duel with these guys, I can't give them an inch, or they'll take advantage of it and make me pay.
There will always be differences in people and the level to which they can realistically rise. Some are naturally talented, while others struggle to achieve a high level. Regardless of which category you find yourself in, you will always improve you skills by taking the time to duel. Dueling helps teach you basic ACM. It teaches you plane control. It teaches you the skills you need to be successful fighting in airplanes. From there, you learn SA skills and fighting as a team. We hold clinics in the TA for building those skills. We will be holding one on August 17th. To be a well rounded pilot, dueling is an essential course. Don't be afraid of it. If Aces High had a formal curriculum, dueling would be a prerequisite.
My regards,
Widewing
(editing for spelling)
