Mar 28 2012
AAC P-40 Shoot Out
To help test a pilot’s skills, one of the AAC events is to have a pilot climb into one of the available Curtiss P-40 Physical Flight (PF) aircraft. Their first act is to navigate the runway, follow the proper signs, request and receive permission to launch from the Air Control Tower.
Once in the air we all had to circle around in formation to test our ability to keep up with each other. This isn’t as easy as it may seem for different planes will be flying at slightly different speeds which you had to adjust periodically.
Once everyone was in the air, there was a count down, 5…4…3…2…1 and our dog fight began! The rules are simple; last plane flying wins. Now, one thing about flying physical flight planes, is not only are they harder to control, but in mouselook mode it’s just forward, throttle, reverse and fire with the mouse, PF offers more of a challenge as you’re having to control movement and throttle with the keyboard while trying to fire with the mouse at the same time! You practically have to have almost Octopus like dexterity. Judging from the amount of people crashing into walls, they hadn’t mastered that yet.
Planes fell to the ground one by one, until only two were left. It was Red Squadron Lead Gokyu Ugajin vs Kaori Juliesse Lead of Green Squadron. The two twisted and turned, bobbed and dodged, overheating their cannons with rounds and rounds of bullets but still couldn’t shoot each other down. For over ten minutes the pilots tried to ground each other.
In the end though, Kaori hit Gokyu’s ship with a round of tracer fire his plane could not withstand and the smoking hull made its way to the ground.
Kaori Juliesse was the victor of the sky this time, but she better watch her tail flaps as pilots don’t forget when the next challenge comes round.
Mar 29 2012
AAC At The Races
Quick, what does a race car track and the AAC have in common? Like most people, you probably thought, “not much.” But as AAC Assistant Chief Thomas Aker has been quoted as saying, “Racing, like flying is about reflexes and acting quickly.” So we thought ok, “Start your engines!”
We all lined up with AAC hover bikes which are part of the members pack available to AAC members. The first race was riding the bikes in Hover Mode; forward, backward, left and right keys, pretty straight forward controls, yet this didn’t stop people smashing headlong into walls! Michel Rosenstrauch reached the finishing line first.
We were told the next race would use the same bike, “ah, no problemo” we thought, but there was a catch… we had to use Flight Mode. Ok, click the bike, select flight mode… Ahhhh! What the hell just happened to my camera, it’s swaying side to side like the effect you have when you walk off a roundabout! Oh yes, we could hear the giggling coming from the Assistant Chiefs direction.
Once we got the camera to settle a bit and had a few practice laps, it was to the race track again and we were off, literally for some people. Off the track, out of the track, into the wall or upside down! We were fighting with the controls all the way round, battling just to keep it straight, at a decent height and not aim for the concrete slab in front of you. Now I know what Thomas was saying about controls. Some people did tame the beast somewhat and Snapper Desade managed to somehow get his bike home quicker than anyone else.
But if you thought the event was over, then you were mistaken. There was one more trick up AAC’s sleeve. NASCAR®. Yep that’s right, racing round in a NASCAR-style Stock Car! No straight forward driving mind you, these cars had gears and the controls were as sensitive as a newborns belly button!
We lined up in our shiny Stock Cars and tried navigating our way round the track at high speed. From reports we heard, one person went a bit too far and the car ended up flipping out of the course and into the next sim (let’s be grateful there were no passengers). It soon became obvious this was Mr Akers domain as he streaked home ahead of all of us.
The racing track seems a popular addition to the AAC arsenal and should be finding its way into their rezzers very soon.
By GFC Staff Writer • Events • • Tags: AAC