Hello

[Der Hammer Schlag]

Where to being,

Hello is good for starters.

My inquiry into a good lobby to fly in stemmed from all the cheating that is going on in the Ubi.com hosted sites. I was surprised just how much cheating is going on. Nothing more frustrating then trying to shoot Buggs Bunny airplanes jumping around (and it’s not lag), or worse, being shot down by an invisible aircraft (yes, I’m getting older, but I’m not blind, at least not yet). No one likes to loose, but cheating is never an option. So, I put my feelers out in a general IL-2 FB/AEP forum and received good recommendations on HyperFigther lobby. Reading through the groups listed on the site it was easy to find you guys. Good fun, don’t take yourselves too seriously and part take in adult beverages (my instincts tells me that I maybe throwing my lot in with a bunch of winged pirates).

I guess I’ve always wanted to fly but never found the time, business, wife, kids, but then flight simulations came along in the early 80’s and I was hooked (hook, line and sinker). Over the years I’ve must of spent a small fortune on flight simulation games and equipment (with IL-2 being the bench mark now), I’m sure all of you did the same. My Dad had his influence on me as well. He flew Curtis SOC3s from the heavy cruiser Augusta in 1938, which is a fabric bi-winger observation aircraft catapulted off a rail amidships using a cannon shell. The Gs, what a rush. The stories he told are pretty incredible, however, I suspect (being Irish) he may have embellished those stories only slightly.

Anyway, I’m over 50. I’m a commercial artist and have a small design firm in Dallas http://www.mwldesigninc.com. I’ve had a great time designing/illustrating the skin for my 109 and my son’s friend’s plane as well, (who by the way is very good virtual pilot) and is currently working on his pilot license. My family and I are very active scuba divers and have been for the past 20 years. The sensation of free flight at depth is incredible, but I refuse to sky dive and jump out of a perfectly good airplane, unless pushed (my daughter loves it though). My business doesn’t always allow me the time to get online during the week, but come Friday night, Saturday and Sunday I’m there. I view myself as a pretty good pilot, with room to improve my marksmanship. However, I feel confident none of you will hesitate to tell me otherwise.

That’s pretty much it in a nut shell, unless you guys would like to know my cholesterol and blood pressure levels. And, by the way, I do part take in adult beverages when I fly.

FYI: If it’ll help convince any of you guys that I’m real aviation enthusiast, I have done eight ( black and white pencil illustrations, three of which are on permanent display at the Colorado Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and have wholesaled my prints to the Smithsonian and the CAF. You can download the low resolution jpg files from my ftp site by “single” click (do not double click on the link or the files when you access my ftp site, your system will attempt to open them and will either time out or lock up) on the link below from your e-mail program, or paste the link into your web browser URL address window. (Note: If you are using PC or MAC equipment make sure your firewall and security settings are set to allow access to my ftp site. Check "options" in your web browser for "trusted" sites). Once you access my ftp site just “single” click on the file while holding down your mouse button and drag it either onto your desktop or into a directory/folder. From there you can view them with any Windows program, or from your web browser under “file” and “open” then from the directory/folder you placed them in (it’s a safe/secure site, all my clients access it to upload and download files 24/7). I hope you’ll enjoy the commission pieces I did for, and of Burt Avedon and his F4U-4 Corsair who flow with VF-6 in the Marinas during 1944-45. Or the B-26 Marauder, “Son of Satan” I did for the 386th Bombardment Group. Some of you may recognize the work if you’ve gone to some of the CAF air shows or visited the Air Force Academy (by the way, if I did these illustrations for a living I would have starved to death long ago, I do them just for the enjoyment and the love of the aircraft). I’m not a big jet fan, but I did work for General Dynamics in Fort Worth for a short period of time in their marketing department promoting the F-16 Falcon prior to going into business for myself in 1985 (pretty airplane, the air intake has to be the most sensual thing I’ve ever seen, made of sheet metal, of course). Incredible to watch them they put her through her paces for potential buyers at Carswell AFB next door. Wow! Stories to tell.

The link to my ftp site:

ftp://fighting-irish:falcon@67.174.86.199

If you have any difficulty downloading the files please let me know.

I do have a couple questions though. Is there some cosmic significance to the “Penguin” or is that just a new delicacy served with Haggis? Also, I would be very interested to know if you have the ability/software program to communicate using headset and mic within the lobby. My son who plays Counter Strike online has that capability and it’s great. It would be very helpful because my typing skills are not the best, especially when someone is trying to light up my backside.

I have to tell you, I’m looking forward to getting together and flying with you guys.

If accepted, can I have the “!” or the “&” you listed along with the numbers in your e-mail to me?? If not, I’ll settle for 55. Now, I can only imagine the initiations rights I’ll have to endure.

Talk with you soon,

Mike
(Der Hammer Schlag)

[:FI:Falcon]

w-what penguin?

[:FI:Genosse]

This introduction t-twice?

[Deathsledge]

welcome m8

[:FI:Falcon]

Good evening. Tonight on 'It's the Mind', we examine the phenomenon of déjà vu. That strange feeling we sometimes get that we've lived through something before,



that what is happening now has already happened. Tonight on 'It's the Mind' we examine the phenomenon of déjà vu, that strange feeling we sometimes get that we've ...

Anyway, tonight on 'It's the Mind' we examine the phenomenon of déjà vu, that strange...

[:FI:Spitsfire]

[:FI:RULES]

you mean the ferret?
Good at drawing planes are we? how´s your swedish?
And can you skin?



anyway wellcome to the nut-farm....

[:FI:Snaphoo]

Wait... *looking around* Didn't we already do-?

Because you showed your drawings...

I went

And *looks around* now...

Wait... *looks around* Didn't we already do-?



It's just all so confusing....


Welcome again?

[:FI:Falcon]

Good evening. Tonight on 'It's the Mind', we examine the phenomenon of déjà vu. That strange feeling we sometimes get that we've lived through something before,



that what is happening now has already happened. Tonight on 'It's the Mind' we examine the phenomenon of déjà vu, that strange feeling we sometimes get that we've ...

Anyway, tonight on 'It's the Mind' we examine the phenomenon of déjà vu, that strange...

[:FI:Heloego]

[Sixxpak]

Welcome m8

[:FI:Macca]

Hello m8.

Hello m8.

Hello m8.

Hello m8.

[:FI:Spitsfire]

echo
echo
echo

[Menace]

AAAAAAH! MAKE THEM STOP HURTING MY BRAIN!

[L.F]

icecream feels pretty