I won't let this bone go!

I wanted to start as an observer for the first few missions and make it without getting myself killed.

So, I've been trying to start my career as an observer all this time with the different squads in mid 1916. The conditions were that I don't move to the pilot seat...EVER and let autopilot fly the WHOLE mission.... and don't die, of course. All airbases that were within 10 km of the front almost always had throngs of fighters waiting to eat me alive. Also, very few of the missions were ever escorted.

The magic place turned out to be RFC 21. I think it's a good place to start an observer career:

- 6 out of 7 missions were escorted.
- It's so far west that it took about 1 hour to reach the destination. By that time there were no enemy planes in the area. I believe that they all completed their missions and went home for the day. Only twice did I encounter a single E3... which the escorts took care of. I didn't fire a single bullet for 7 missions (13 hours).

Now, I'm with RFC 11 as a pilot and feel satisfied that I "did the time" and relieved to be in control of my own fate. I'm now dangerously close to the front, but at least I can run away and live to fight another day...

An admirable approach OldHat. I was not so willing to go that route. Cudos to you Sir!

I tried that in OFF but was less than happy with the AI autopilot.
Guess I was the ultimate back seat driver nagging like an old wife.
Have to try again some day with WOFF and it's improved AI.

It can still be.... well, I won't say wrong or bad. Frustrating.

I decided to try my luck as an Aviatik observer in the early war. First mission some Bristol scouts showed up... and managed to stay JUST out of my firing arc. I wish I could've told the pilot to yaw just a little sideways.

You can, pretend you whacked him on the shoulder to bring his attention, then jump to pilot seat move the craft, jump back to gunner.

Deleted.

That's not a bad thought and, dare I say it, within the realm of "realism." Maybe not so much for immersion though!
Clearly the observer would be giving the pilot "advice" on maneuvers to help him defend the plane.

I have always wanted to do an Observer career in a Fee.

I still have the problem where I get "stuck" in views and after a while F6 no longer responds. I have no idea what makes it happen, but it has certainly put a damper on my observer career aspirations...

+1 same problem here, too. I can't switch back and forth in the middle of a mission.

I think the problem has something to do with using Time Acceleration. Sometimes I can switch back and forth no problem and other times I get stuck in the gunner position. Can't think of any other reason really.

One time I got stuck on the compass view in an Albatros, which is just looking down on a panel with a compass on it! That was a fun flight home!