Thanks to the 56th

[icemaw]

for letting me fly with them in sundays TOD. Was lots fun one thing about the night fighting how about making the icon range a little longer. We flew around allmost the whole frame looking for bad guys. We finally ran into some just by chance. I dont mean the normal MA 6k range but something like 3k. After reviewing the film we had a group of lancasters pass within 3k of us and we never knew they where there.  With no radar and no one vectoring you in any fighting was just by chance.

  Oh and thank's to the spit driver who dove 10k to shoot me in my chute after his wingman rammed me from behind. I was really disapointed to have that happen in a TOD. I have klilled a chute or 2 in the MA myself but I would never even think to do it in a TOD. Seems to me events like this should be free of MA childs play. But of coarse thats just my opinion I could be wrong. Its your $15.00 duckets use it as you see fit. You just kinda spoiled my day is all.

 And finally a big =S= to the spit that rammed me I had no idea you was there untill the first couple rounds hit me was truly a great bounce. Too bad your closer speed was too fast other wise you would have killed me outright and not burned in all broken up like you did. Bummer of a way to end a TOD with aprox 25mins to go.

[Gremlin]

IceMaw,

Sorry I couldnt make it personally on Sunday night.  I heard you joined up, and from what I hear it was our priveledge to have you.  Your welcome to join anytime we have a guest spot free.

[icemaw]

Thank's gremlin I would like to be a regular in the sunday TOD. Dont think the rest of my squad would be interested tho. Ill look for you when ever I can fly on sundays. It was a pleasure flying with you guys.
 Cheers =S=

[Grayarea]

Icemaw

Well I had a great time on Sunday night

Your welcome to fly with 56 Firebirds any time.

[AvidMC]

My apologies Icemaw for the ram, it was not my intention. I guess I was just a bit to excited about finally seeing a red icon after 1.5 hours of poking around in the dark. My excitement lead me to get a bit to close before pulling the trigger. I know it must have been doubly frustrating for you and again I apologies. I have no idea who hit you in your chute as I had logged after a few choice expletives.

While were on the subject...a night TOD with short icon ranges was great idea. Maybe next time the designer can come over to my place and poke me in the eye with a hot needle while flying so that I can get even more enjoyment out of it. For lack of better terminology...what the F%$k were you people thinking??? Next time maybe you can post something on the UBB so that we all know it will be a night event. That way I don't have to waste my time.

Avid

[Nomde]

Icemaw, to implicate that any of this was intentional by the 56th is wrong. I didn't fly in the TOD this sunday, but was informed how lame it turned out to be due to the lack of visibility and the short dar. How about trying to contact one of our members first and see what happened from our point of view before flaming us on the BBS.

The "ram" you refer to wasn't able to be avoided due to the distance and lack of visibility and the chute shooter most likely saw your icon as a "109" or whatever plane you were flying. The FM is infamous for not identifying a "chute" as such for a number of seconds after it's opened. While in freeflight, you are still labeled as the plane you were flying. We don't target chutes unless there is a danger of that person spying on the ground in the role of a front spotter.
 
I put full responsibility on the CM's who decided to implement this horrid idea of night mission without long dar. Night mission fighters and bombers were equipped with special radar in order to "locate" nme contacts and this TOD should have reflected this. I can assure the HT community if I ever see another "night" mission I'll pull out of the Events arena so fast, everyones screen will blow out from the sonic boom.

[icemaw]

Avidmc Im sorry that I wasent more clear on my post I was not upset. It was truly a great bounce the collission was accidental. It was kinnda funny flying along trying to get a shot on another spit all of a sudden im taking fire then bam big collision. I see you go by on fire at warp speed. I get that one eyebrown fangs in dash thag kill thing from time to time myself. As far as the chute shooter is concerned I know who he was and as I said before it his $15.00 he can spend it anyway he feels fit. Was just disapointing for me to have the frame end that way.

 Nomde please reread my post. I flew with the 56th and had a very good time doing it. I was not flaming them in any way. I think the guy that shot my chute knew it was a chute cause I was in it for a good full min before he dove in and shot me. But if he didnt and saw mt 190 icon I apoligize I know who it was and didnt use his name not wanting to flame anyone.  

 As far as the night event went I really enjoyed it  alltho either some vectoring in by controllers or longer icon range might have made finding the fight a little easer instead of chance.

 I regret any misunderstanding from my original post. Please accept my apology.

[icemaw]

Oh I see the confusion there was 2 56th flying in the same TOD lol. I flew with the 56th firebirds.

[Flossy]

Originally posted by AvidMC
Next time maybe you can post something on the UBB so that we all know it will be a night event. That way I don't have to waste my time.

Avid, Bikekil's original notice about this TOD - http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=64455 - clearly stated that one of the frames would be played at night:

"There will be one NIGHT frame and we are going to fly on two terrains - Eurpoe and Big Week."

[Flossy]

Originally posted by icemaw
As far as the night event went I really enjoyed it  alltho either some vectoring in by controllers or longer icon range might have made finding the fight a little easer instead of chance.

Glad to hear you enjoyed the night event, icemaw.... Bikekil is the designer of this TOD, so the night frame was his call, I was just the setup person.  It was somewhat experimental and I am sure Bikekil and I both learnt something from it.  Long icons may have worked better, but it in the end it was Bikekil's decision.  I sincerely hope nobody was put off by this night frame and you will all be pleased to know that the next two frames will be in broad daylight!  

[AvidMC]

Hey Flossy,

     With all due respect to the CM's, that is not acceptable. To say one of the frames will be at night does not say which one it will be. I upped with my group thinking that surely the lights would be coming on. Later I discovered that was not the case. I was not the only one with this idea because even you had to metion it to other flyers that thought the same. I would be willing to bet that the CM's did not say what  frame it would be because of the concern that there would be a very low turn out.

      Sorry Flossy, I respect you and the rest of the CM team for putting in the time to make these events work. But in this case it was a very bad decession to not inform people of the settings for the frame. Some of us are busy and have limited time to fly, to waste it like that was just painful.

Avid

[Flossy]

Originally posted by AvidMC
With all due respect to the CM's, that is not acceptable. To say one of the frames will be at night does not say which one it will be.

Hmmm... well I do know that the original orders Bikekil sent out to the Allies definitely said "The terrain is a Europe and you gonna fly that mission during the night (5:31 exactly, so it's not so dark, but still a night)" - I never saw the Axis orders but presume they contained that information too.  It is not our fault if this information was not passed on down the line in the orders from each Side CO....  

[AvidMC]

HEHE this ain't a UBB it's real time communication eh Flossy:D

No worries dear, I'm over it. I think the lesson I learned was, if the lights ain't on when ya hit the runway get out and head for the MA or CT or wherever the lights are on.

Avid

[Flossy]

LOL, yeah, does seem to be that way.  I just happen to be browsing the forums at the moment before starting to prepare our evening meal, and kept noticing your name flagged up replacing mine as the most recent post in the TOD forum!    OK, we'll leave it at that.  I hope you enjoy the rest of this TOD!  

[APDrone]

Well, just to post an alternative viewpoint of the darkness aspect..  

At least from a Lancaster pilot ( ya know, lanc.. the beast that a diarrhetic pigeon can bring down ) darkness can be your friend.

For once, it was nice to be able to get to a target after flying for 1.5 hours without a billion 190s and 110s screaming in from miles out firing their #$@$! howitzers and miraculously avoiding the shells of 100 machine guns.

An occasional 190 and 110 was neat..not seeing them until they screamed past..

Ok.. so dark sux for those that like to hone their buff destruction skills by preparing from 8k out...  

But for me, it was sure nice to see 'Structure Destroyed'..  Been way too long.

Thanks all!