On Thu, 07 Aug 2003 15:11:05 GMT, Ed Rasimus wrote:

Well, yes and no. If you watch the flak, you can tell whether you're
dealing with aimed or barrage fire. You can tell the general caliber
of the guns and so estimate the effective range and threat.

If you've got barrage fire--guns aimed at a sector of airspace, then
you fly through it quickly. If you've got aimed fire (optical or
radar) then you need to jink or they will nail you. Watch the
flak--it's part of the job.

I've never personally experienced tripleA except for for some over-zealous
Cubans armed with RPKs taking potshots at our Hueys down in GITMO, and some
lunatic Lebonese dropping mortar rounds into Beirut airport while we were on the
taxiway.

However, I'm one of those over 50 guys who plays online combat sims for
recreation Let's face it, piloting a fighter in combat is the domain of the
young and bold. However, unlike the real world age is no factor since there
isn't any flight forces acting on one's body other than gravity pinning one's
butt into a comfy chair.

I play Aces High, the undisputed Rolls Royce of the genre. We have full realism,
and the learning curve is extremely steep. Generally speaking, if you have no
flight experience, you will have a very long and painful period of growth. This
sim is WWII based, so weapon systems are simple, gunsights are even less complex

than the basic reflector sights of the era. However, there's tripleA everywhere
and it is highly lethal to your viritual aircraft. Some is manned, some is AI
directed. The manned guns are brutal if the gunner has decent skills.

For lethality, nothing exceeds the 5" dual mounts of the carrier task forces.
Much of this is manned and you absolutely MUST watch it or you will be dead in a
heart beat. Watching the flak is part of the necessary situational awareness
required to survive in a totally hostile enviroment.

The barrage ack is also dangerous, but at least the odds favor not getting hit.
But, the manned guns will track you, and you must be alert to where the shells
detonate. I prefer to chase the ack up and down, much like a Battleship skipper
would chase salvos. The idea is that the gunners will be constantly correcting
their point of aim, so you head relative to the last burst hoping that the
gunner's correction will be along the predicted flight path rather than along
the altered path. I find it works well most of the time. However, even a blind
pig finds the ear of corn once in a while.

The danger really heightens when you commit to your attack. You jink as much as
possible while trying to avoid such radical maneuvering that your bombs will
miss the target altogether. Obviously, the lower the release point the greater
the chance of scoring a hit. Smart guys release above 10,000 ft to avoid the
remarkable concentration of small caliber ack. The foolhardy fly right into the
teeth of the tripleA and most never emerge on the other side. Those that do are
piloting flying sieves with little chance of getting home.

So, with with my combat flying experience being limited to flying a PC, if you
will, I absolutely agree that you must watch the flak carefully, especially when
below 15,000 feet or you will pay the price.

One more thing about this type of sim. You fly with and against real people.
People, who in many cases have thousands of hours of ACM experience within the
environment of a simulation. Their ACM skills are extraordinary. ACM guru Robert
L. Shaw spoke at an Aces High convention, and was dumbstruck at the skill level
of many players. More than a few combat veteran fighter pilots have tried this
sim and came away horrified at the beating they took. Still others (one an F-15
driver) excel at the sim and are tough cookies to defeat in a straight-up duel.
We even have a WWII veteran Lancaster pilot, who loves to take up the big Lancs,
and even dabbles with fighters.

Just like in the real world, there are two types of fighter pilots, aces and
targets. About 5% of the pilots account for around half of the air to air kills,
with the other 95% comprising the vast majority of the victims. Indeed, the
average AH sim pilot is hardpressed to reach a 1:1 kill to death ratio, while
the better pilots can easily maintain 10 to 30 times that.

For the old fart fighter pilot wannabe (like me), former fighter jocks and even
current fighter drivers, this sim is great fun, it sharpens basic ACM and SA
skills and provides for something more entertaining than watching Discovery
Wings.

If nothing else, you will learn to appreciate the cast iron balls it took to
flying combat missions in WWII aircraft. Can you imagine landing a shot-up F4U-4
deadstick aboard an Essex class CV in the dark? It'll curl your toes.

My regards,

Widewing (C.C. Jordan)
http://www.worldwar2aviation.com
http://www.netaces.org
http://www.hitechcreations.com