Remember guys, only 6 missions till next weekend. Don't get too far ahead!

It's such an honour to serve the country back to back with all of you gentlemen.

I just got back from my first mission. Two of us, Sebastian Fulke and me (as leader), went patrolling behind friendly lines above Droglant airfield this morning. The sky was heavily overcast (I love it when the weather coincides with what I have in my RL window, 100% - sometimes when the sun glared from behind the clouds I had the same real sun shining from the same direction in my window - great feeling!) and we scanned it for good 30 minutes. The patrol seemed to be uneventful and I started to fell sleepy (I actually paused the game and even had a nap - an unattainable luxury).
Suddenly, Sebastian broke hard right and started to descend rapidly - that was it! A lonely and very beautiful Albatros DIII. Such a tempting bait! But one thing I found out during previous patrols is that no matter how tasty the bait looks there's most likely somebody else looking at you from the same tempting angle.
And I couldn't have been more right about that! A couple of Rolands above us ready to jump! Man, that was some dogfight! Improved Albies really can turn and I could feel it even in my presumably nimble Nieuport. I don't know how I managed to get on this beautifully skinned guy's 6 (couple of stalls from my part made me really unpredictable - that's how) but I even scored a dozen of hits after which he dived hard and made it towards the lines.
Remembering about the Rolands I didn't chase him - and that was very wise because the bounced us the next moment. And boy those birds can turn too! Sebastian pulled one of them away out of sight while I managed to get behind and below the other. I swear, I only got 3-5 bullets into him but it was enough for him to dive into a violent spin from which he never recovered (even though he had about 1 km of altitude - probably pilot kill).
That was a disgusting way to die. Descending to our field I couldn't stop thinking about the guys in the Roland, especially the observer. I still see his face and his eyes in my crosshair. Terrible war!

So, I landed safely and waited for Sebastian to do the same entertaining myself with looking around in Target/Player view manner. Fulke started his landing routine and then all of a sudden sirens started wailing. Oh, man! Four delightfully skinned Albies right above our field starting to dive on us.
Well, gentlemen, I must confess. I turned yellow and finished the mission. Well, what would you do? I could start the engine and try to foolishly engage the intruders, But this would be 4 to 1. I decided not to run chances. I hope there was some flight to intercept them. Anyway, here's how it looked in several snapshots:



P.S. I really enjoyed how the Y axis of my Freetrack worked with Nieuport 17. The upper wing is very notorious for eating half of the screen. Well, I can stand up a bit and look right above it! See picture 3 of my visual report. Do you think it's realistic? I mean, they could do it, right?

It's gonna be off to the salt mines for this pilot next week....so when (and if) I hit 19 missions...that's the deal, Right? Be it tomorrow or the middle of next month......is that cool wit da rules? I guess I'm already way out of bounds....sorry!

In order to keep us all on the same page and so as not to have 200 mission reports the first week and none the next two, you are only supposed to do six missions per week and then one on the last day as sort of a send-off for the challenge, 19 in total.

2nd Lt James Biggelsworth

2nd April 1917

We regreat in inform you that 2nd Lt James Bigglesworth was lost on today's patrol of friendly lines. His flight engaged a flight of Halb DII over sector FF348. Reports are a cat jumped into his view as they started to enage the enemy. His sudden movement to remove the cat from his view cuased his N17 to enter a spin. By the time he recovered from the spin he had 3 DII's on his tail which made quick work of him. Make a note to all field ground crews to check that their are no animals stowed away in the cockpit of our fighting machines!

Lou, another great story. You should make a book!

LOL!

I've encountered cats during my flights as well. Actually, they end up in my planes, my tanks, my spaceships, on maps...

Very deadly creatures.

Great reports to all you guys...im loving reading them
@Robert as soon as i get a bit more time il sit down with a brew and watch your great vids
@Lou one word... WOW great great writup
@Rover...Great report and fantastic shots pal
@Shiloh Great to see your reports and shots here at Sim HQ..loved them at C.A
@Leadtail that bloody Damn cat ..he needs feeding to OBD,s dog.Unlucky ..good luck next time round

Mission 1:April 1st 1917 a 42 mile round trip patrol...Take off uneventful,4 of us went up on patrol it was a cloudy morning dark clouds but luckily the rain held off.3 other members of our squadron flew above us including Billy Bishop.We came across our first enemy roughly 15 miles from our Airfield 4 Halb DII,s from Jasta 22 were hunting but our leader Keith "GRID" Caldwell did,nt spot them.A few miles further on he did spot 4 DFW CV,s from FA(A) 250 and with us having height advantage we swooped down on them like Falcons.Id love to say they put up a fight but to be honest we were all over them,you could see the terror in the gunners eyes has we screamed down on them.They managed to get a few rounds off and i took some moderate damage (few days repair on my craft) i put over 150 rds in 36 hitting the target including 2 straight through the gunner.It was a sorry sight the German gunner slumped and the pilot fighting with his craft,he entered a spin into which he never recovered..i had my first kill.Drinks all round tonight and a lie in tomorrow whilst my craft gets repaired...

Leadtail.......ouch!!
Rick....understood....but for those of us working away from home? Still gotta make the scratch to keep homebase running....so it's finish or die for me after tomorrow. With all due respect, request permission to try and make the finish line with the time I have in hand. All that awful stuff you see on TV....some idiot standing under a camera is shooting all that crap...I'm one of the idiots....so it's off on location starting Tuesday....I can post but there's not time enough to play too. Thx

Yeah, that's fine, do what you got to do, but be careful, we have reports there are cats out there!

Leadtail: Tough break, but be comforted that many of us will probably be joining you soon! Keep the seats in Valhalla warm!

Va Bene...........meeeow!

Dirk McGurt Mission #2

They tell me there is a war going on, but I am afraid I shall never see it. Our mission today (actually, the same day, forgot to time advance, oops!) was supposed to be an intercept. Some enemy a/c were spotted coming across the lines near Monchy.

We spent abut 20 minutes climbing to patrol altitude and set off to the southeast. My nerves we alive with tension, for this path would take us right along the front lines for several miles. It was a grim day for flying, but a great day for self-shadow modding:

Suddnely, our flight leader, a nice chap by the name of Paul Wakeford, swerved down and to the right like the fires of Hell were following him. We all joined in as best we could. My eyes scanned the horizon. What terrifying enemy force could cause an elite squadron to break and run so fast? Surely no simple Hun? I wondered if he had spied cats coming our way? I remembered back to the words of my grandfather, Arr Guile (His grandfather was French...) who flew an enchanted Tartan during the Scottish Civil War, "Ach, laddie, always beware o' the cats, for they are the fences of the sky!"
My blood ran cold at the thought of it, and my hands tightened on the control stick. Just then, though, our flight slowed down. We broke through the clouds to see Boiry St. Martin airfield just below us. Our flight set up a landing pattern. We were going down?!? Without a fight?!@?!? In disgust, I watched them all line up at the end of the field:

After setting down myself, I went over to Wakeford to ask him what the problem was. Turns out Pidcock had to use the crapper! I told him to go before we left, but who listens to the new guy? When he came out, I asked him if he saw our mission down there, because that's where it was now...

Dear Father,
After getting back from the hospital we had 3 days of rain so no flights. On April 20th the weather finally cleared and Lt. Caldwell, Lloyd, Sgt. Young and another chap whose name escapes me at this moment were scheduled for a ballon busting mission. We reached the ballon without mishap and Lt. Caldwell gave me the nod to try first. I will know next time to break off a little sooner. How that explodes! I have to wonder why it did not take me down with it.

We all turned home and I was feeling pretty as you please when 2 of our flight turned around. Lt. Caldwell stayed on course for home so I stuck with him. I saw what the other two were going after but we would be outnumbered for sure. Well, Lt. Caldwell turned back also so I took a deep breath and stayed with him. Young had 1 Albatross cornered so I joined in. That's when it went to hell in a hand basket quick! Lloyd pulled off and I dove in behind the Hun and was giving him what for when I get hit again and Lloyd comes screaming over me firing for all he is worth. I swear the man shot me! I could not see anyone else around except the other Huns coming fast. I dove out headed back over our lines with a ruptured fuel line. Just over our lines the fuel ran out and I was getting dizzy from loss of blood. How I landed that crate is beyond me. As soon as I get out of the hospital again I plan on having a long talk with Lloyd. I can't prove he shot me but I know it was him. This is a bloody business Father and I will need a fair amount of luck to survive.
Give my love to Mother,
Your son, Rafe.

Jeez, MFair, your every mission leaves me a nervous wreck!

My hat is off to all participants! These are some fantastic reports. I have read every one. Bad piece of luck Leadtail. Keep cheering us on, we will need it. Lou, when does the book come out? Great stuff folks!

Rick, I am trying to get in my 6 missions before I go off and play next week. I have thought every mission, "well this didn't last long." Somehow I am still here! I think I will spend most of the war in the hospital at this rate! It seems we are not only outgunned but out numbered on every mission. Ain't this fun!

Click on the blue link:

Charles Aubrey Ward's Mission #4

And a hell of a mission it was!!!

additional note: In this mission, I acquired a stealth engine during combat!

P Kevin Powers mission #2 ; it was a success, used most of ammo supply but shot down a DFW and it was confirmed by Billy Bishop; sadly I was too excited to snap picture during air battle


Ran into DFW's right at start of mission





run for home to land low on ammo and scared witless, shot up closest DFW and it went straight down




landed at base during a Roland base attack, nothing to do but sit there and watch the action




luckily got my first