I’m just curious what the community likes in terms of flying groups. I like structure, but not too rigid. Organized mission but not “Natops Nazi’s”. proof of competency from everyone, but a weapons school “Patch” not required. What about y’all?
i.e. @schurem Fight Club… If time zones and latency didn’t work against me.
TL; DR: about like Stormy, but I’m fine with rank amateurs tagging along.
I prefer a group where there’s some idea of what we’re working towards, a desire to work together to achieve it, and if nobody is going to brief things they at least don’t mind me doing an engagement brief as we approach target so everyone (at least my flight) knows what they’re doing and where we’re going to meet up after the engagement.
Not a huge fan of tightly organised groups with fixed times for things, but I can understand the draw as obviously you can get more reliable attendance that way. It’s just difficult with family and kids and night work.
Have tried, and don’t like the ones with ranks that set responsibilities (e.g. mission selection, who does what, responsibility for subordinate attendance) according to rank. If I wanted to that I’d join the military 
And I’m fine with less than competent people joining in, so long as they’re fine not surviving the mission if they’re not going to “stick with me like glue… blue three you must keep up with me!”
Same. With every FPS ‘clan’ or EVE ‘guild’ I have belonged to the key ethos (for want of a better word) was real life comes first and first & foremost it is about having fun.
I left a Quake World clan because we got good in a local league and slowly got taken over by new members who took it all way too seriously; mandatory practice sessions, miss a match and you were out, still expected to ‘show up’ even if you didn’t make the cut for that weeks match, that sort of shite - I think that in less than 6 months after I left there was maybe one or two of the originals left.
Sounds like a J.O.B. Different times though.
Pretty much same as Stormy said. I used to be in a good group, 20th VFW I think it was, that was just that for BMS back when I was in grad school. Really loved organizing one of the weekly campaign nights and taking charge of the planning and briefings.
After moving to Japan, though, it’s been impossible to find such groups, and I don’t really have the time for rigid, weekly participation, which seems to be a requirement for everybody who’s even loosely structured.
Right now I’m occasionally online with some acquaintances in Germany when our timelines match up and it’s a lot of fun. There’s still times where I wish there was something more, like me and one guy in a nice parade formation for the overhead but -3 is wobbling all over the place. “That was fun, but we were soooo close to having a nice division break” kinda feeling.
I’d say I fall into the “About like Stormy” and “Relaxed, but with some rules” categories. I’ll do the hardcore realism thing only if someone is sending me a paycheck to do it. This is supposed to be fun at the end of the day.
I fall into the “about like stormy” category but sometimes you simply need a fun evening doing silly stuff.
I spent too much money learning to fly for real to spend my time getting shouted at for being 20 seconds late for ToT.
@schurem rules are good enough for me. I need this to be fun or i get self destructive 
I’m genuinely surprised there have been no “I do what I want” responses. Seems most of the sim guys I know are those types, and think I’m nuts for even wanting to be in a group. Their logic is if they wanted a second job, they’d go get one. I just think a little organization helps the fun insomuch as it prevents chaos.
Although I’m retired I am probably more time poor than when I was employed. Even if I wanted to, I just can’t sign up for anything that can’t be ‘done and dusted’ in about an hour.
Take DCS for example, I am either taking a 60 minute VR ‘joyflight’ while I practice the buttonology, or I’m rolling in hot (after setting everything up with active pause).
Even if I had more time though, Running a full mission over many real time hours from briefing → cold start → enroute incl refuelling → ToT → return → debrief… I don’t have the patience or bladder for that these days.
Precisely this.
My ideal DCS mission is just how @Stormy801 described it. A reasonable level of proficiency in the aircraft, coordination between pilots and flights, the necessary briefing to ensure everyone knows what, how and why they should do, and enough challenge to make it feel like many more things could have gone wrong.
This provides a level of immersion, “connectedness” and satisfaction that I don’t get anywhere else.
However, these are pretty steep requirements. I’ve had missions like this a few times, when I was part of an Mi-8 group loosely integrated into the 229th, the 8Mates. We did trainings once or twice a week and occasionally flew big missions with other virtual squadrons.
I think the adventure lasted about a year, maybe 2. Then the training requirement became too much as I got distracted with music, other modules, sports. The others also disconnected around the same time. It’s a shame though, Gizzy put so much effort into that group with mission building and whatnot.
Since then, I’ve learned to enjoy the more accessible missions: from Fight Club to semi-structured playground missions. Things where preparation, interflight coordination and airframe proficiency are optional, and airframe choice free.
I’ve also tried to do something in between but when the proficiency level of the group is not there, or people don’t fly regularly, the “activation cost” is too high, between looking things up, technical (computer, controller) issues, there’s too much frustration.
Just like some chemical reactions require some energy to be put in before they get going, I find that Stormy style missions also have an activation cost. Once you get past that hurdle, the fire is lit. But often, that cost is too much, and you’re better off just jumping in and seeing who shows up and how you can best have some fun together.
I think I fit into the same niche as all here, enjoy the fun times and comradery in Fight club but also would love to get into slightly more orientated goal missions where team work is needed, this also requires a certain level of proficiency, (which I doubt myself at)… but to this end I have just installed SRS to give the rotorheads server a throw
I was in the Military, and I don’t like those groups… Too rigid. I get the reasoning, but I like to be able to drop in and out. I need to know in advance about missions to see if I have time!
I’m mostly the same. I like some structure, but I don’t need some guy demanding I call him Major…
First time somebody requires me call them by a rank in an online flying club is the day I quit that online flying club. Callsigns are fine; Rank, not so much.
I get horrific stolen valour vibes with that whole “rank” thing.
Its why i don’t do dress up when i show my humvee. I didn’t earn that uniform, not in anyway knocking people who do, just not my thing and i feel strongly about it. But not enough to ruin the fun for everyone else
I have zero problem with people wearing a uniform at shows… just as long as they don’t try to claim service if they don’t have it.
I don’t see any difference between that and someone dressing up in a suit of armour at a medieval re-enactment.
I agree. It’s LARPing to me. If you feel uneasy, dont wear rank or a branch tape. But it’s more fun when you dress for the occasion- so long as others are too.
To make myself clear, i also have zero problem with other people doing it.
Its me, i think its disrespectful for me to do it. I tried and failed to join the royal marines, long story involving motorcycles, showing off and shattered dreams.
Those guys earn those uniforms and i don’t think i did if you catch my meaning
Got it. Completely understand, and if we are talking about ‘dress’ uniforms I am with you… In fact I think it is illegal here for a civilian (that includes me now as well) to wear such a uniform.
‘Dressing up’ in camo (or period combat kit) and LBE to do a bit of LARP/ Airsoft, I’m all for it.