So I thought I'd start an RFC campaign in preparation for X-Mas vacation. Browsed through the units and picked one of my favorites, RFC 19. Based at St. Omer, early summer 1916. In my head I'm building up a backstory for my young Aberdeen gentleman - newly commissioned 2nd Liutenant in His Majesties Royal Flying Corps. The trusty old BE12 lumbers off the ground, I'm imagining what a relief it must have been for a young Scot to be out of the mud of the trenches, soaring ever higher over the verdant fields of France with his somewhat more experienced wingman in tow, when BANG- the prop explodes in a million shards of wood, and after a second and a half of infernal shaking the engine bursts into flame. Thinking quickly, I push the stick forward as far as it will go. The airflow will surely extinguish the flames, no? NO? OUCH! HOT! Oh, look, is that the ground? Am I upside down? Flip this thing around... are those my hands flaring like torches? CRUNCH!

Burial with full military honors. Total flying time- about 3minutes 30 seconds.

Welcome to the club, Samba! My DiD Campaign pilot Fabian Harms sizzled to death in a Rumpler after an engine explosion.
I didn't even have the faintest control about the plane - it just wouldn't react on any of my inputs. Dead.

Welcome Samba, more meat for the machine.

Aren't we lucky it's only a sim!!!

It sure gives you an appreciation, doesn't it!

Ouch! That must be some kind of a record - the WOFF pilot with the shortest life in service.

I've had some very short careers too, but I can't remember ever losing my pilot to an accident that quickly. Rotten luck!

Samba_Liten;

I just noticed your location! Maybe that was a bad omen for your pilot!!

If he wasn't up here before, he certainly is now. I can see him, and his little harp, a couple of clouds over.

Damn, WW1 pilots too are playing harps in heaven? And I had thought that was a peaceful place...