I was genuinely saddened. I'm so used to just replaying the mission and continuing with a career in other sims that the death of my pilot came as quite a shock.

I have to say, in all my years of combat flight simming this is the only sim where I've felt a genuine connection with the Squadron and the others in the flight, and have been keen to defend them in the skies. I've watched in horror as on the approach to the home airfield, one of my flight mates started trailing smoke and eventually dropped out of formation. He managed to bail out (phew!). That is the first time I've ever seen an AI pilot suffer random engine failure in game. There was also one occasion where my wingman was was posted as missing, presumed killed. With much relief he managed to make it back to the Squadron and return to flying my wing, only to be killed by the enemy on the day he returned.

I'm well impressed with the WOtR! I've never flown missions from start to finish with as much enthusiasm, or felt the adrenaline pump when in a dogfight; my main aim being to survive and return to base. Excellent stuff.