Trying firmly to discipline myself to fly smarter and not harder, i.e., trying not to be killed and wounded so often, I restarted my Jasta 11 campaign in April 1917. First mission on April 1 I was part of a Kette and we had no contact.
Dawn , April 2, 1917. Apparently impressed at my ability not to be killed the previous day the squadron leader assigns me to lead one other flyer in a patrol around some friendly airfields 10 miles to our south. While getting my cockpit in order my partner takes off without me, his leader, but once in the air he assumes position on my wing. Over the target I observe some anti-aircraft bursts off to the southwest. For whatever reason my AI pal breaks off to the right and disappears. Fly toward the Archie and telling myself of my new philosophy I will play this smart. Getting closer observe three aircraft. Since I seem to have a steady diet of N17's in this time period I tell myself I am either going to break off or make a single pass if the situation is excellent. Get closer and see three BE2's.
Finally! Bloody April for someone other than myself! Flying smart I take the long way around and fly up low under the tail of the last machine and let him have it. He falls off to the right and burst into flames. I make a big circle and come back under the tail of the second machine. After a couple seconds of shooting I see tracers flying around me from the lead aircraft's observer. I get a couple of hits and am getting ready to break off when target #2 falls away. Alright! Can I get three? Nope! As I close under his tail my engine sputters and shuts down. Apparently those couple of hits was enough to hole my fuel tank and now out of gas I glide to make a landing at the very fields I was defending. Oh well. Not dead or wounded, and with two victories, I am happy enough.

Now to the AI: I have noticed this before on a airfield defense mission. Sometimes when the AI gets near a friendly field they appear to go into a landing pattern. Even if it's in a middle of a mission and not their Home field. Anyone else notice this behavior?

Trying firmly to discipline myself to fly smarter and not harder, i.e., trying not to be killed and wounded so often, I restarted my Jasta 11 campaign in April 1917. First mission on April 1 I was part of a Kette and we had no contact.
Dawn , April 2, 1917. Apparently impressed at my ability not to be killed the previous day the squadron leader assigns me to lead one other flyer in a patrol around some friendly airfields 10 miles to our south. While getting my cockpit in order my partner takes off without me, his leader, but once in the air he assumes position on my wing. Over the target I observe some anti-aircraft bursts off to the southwest. For whatever reason my AI pal breaks off to the right and disappears. Fly toward the Archie and telling myself of my new philosophy I will play this smart. Getting closer observe three aircraft. Since I seem to have a steady diet of N17's in this time period I tell myself I am either going to break off or make a single pass if the situation is excellent. Get closer and see three BE2's.
Finally! Bloody April for someone other than myself! Flying smart I take the long way around and fly up low under the tail of the last machine and let him have it. He falls off to the right and burst into flames. I make a big circle and come back under the tail of the second machine. After a couple seconds of shooting I see tracers flying around me from the lead aircraft's observer. I get a couple of hits and am getting ready to break off when target #2 falls away. Alright! Can I get three? Nope! As I close under his tail my engine sputters and shuts down. Apparently those couple of hits was enough to hole my fuel tank and now out of gas I glide to make a landing at the very fields I was defending. Oh well. Not dead or wounded, and with two victories, I am happy enough.

Now to the AI: I have noticed this before on a airfield defense mission. Sometimes when the AI gets near a friendly field they appear to go into a landing pattern. Even if it's in a middle of a mission and not their Home field. Anyone else notice this behavior?