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Air Goons' Intarnational Air Race Date: 24 September, 2022, at 2000 Universal Time, Coordinated. Lasts for two hours or so. Where: Air Goons Discord, https://discord.gg/NpHC33fYUD What’s this? TLDR: download a completely free simulator game, come fly it in an air race event with other goons who are learning the game. No experience or gear necessary, nor money. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ALFcgeQ7gk Welcome to the Air Goon Intarnational Air Race! In this race, goons will take to the skies in Mustangs and race a circuit, land on a boat, and try to hit a helicopter. Best part about this is the fact that it is completely free for you to join in, and you do not need any experience! You read right: it is free. The modern combat simulator, DCS World, is the base game of the simulator and it is completely free. It comes with two free huge maps to play in, the Caucasus region and the Marianas Islands of the Pacific. It also has two free planes, the Su-25T Frogfoot, and the TF-51 Mustang. The TF-51 is the trainer, unarmed version of the famous North American P-51 Mustang. It is modeled down to every rivet, nut and bolt, with each handle and button in the cockpit usable by you. However, learning to fly is very easy. The Frogfoot is a famous Russian attack plane that is used by both sides in the current war, and this plane is capable of holding its own in modern scenarios. You can use any basic joystick you might have, but an xbox controller will also suffice, as will most other gamepads. The game works well with all modern VR-headsets, even if it becomes fairly demanding on your desktop with those. Air Goons are the flight simulator and plane game enthusiasts, with interests in all kinds of games that involve objects that travel through means other than rigid contact with a solid surface. Planes, choppers, space ships, whatever it may be. There’s other games in there too, usually somehow tangentially related to aviation or perhaps strategy. Some goons like flying airliners cross-country while others dogfight like it’s 1943. Skill and gear levels vary wildly, but if something unifies goons, it is their eagerness to help people get off the ground. Quite literally. If you have even a hint of interest, jump in and let’s do this! If you’re worried about your skill:  Don’t worry. Here's me loving up a takeoff badly.  Any skill level is fine; props are tricky to take off in, but don’t be a dick to anyone deliberately. If you want help with anything, ask in the discord in #dcs-general. If you just want to watch, we’ll likely have multiple streams up like our usual missions; we’ll post them in the thread just before the start Threads: Our current co-op campaign thread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3993395 The DCS Thread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3633891 Civilian Sims Thread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3942445 WW2 and IL-2 Sims: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3670413 Download DCS! Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/223750/DCS_World_Steam_Edition/ Standalone Client: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/world/beta/ (open beta is the multiplayer default, explanation below) Installing DCS: First you have to choose if you would like to get DCS from Steam or the standalone client. Steam’s easier to get, and easier to keep up to date; however the standalone client has longer sales, and the ability to trial almost all aircraft once each every six months for two weeks. Right now that you are meddling without purchased modules, the decision is not final as your Eagle Dynamics account will be the same for both. But later on, modules from Standalone can not be transferred to Steam. However, you may transfer from Steam to Standalone. After you have started installing the game, you need to use the OpenBeta client. Despite its name, this client is effectively the properly used stable version in this game. It’s a whole thing to unpack. What you need to know - if you’re playing online, all the good servers will be on the latest open beta. On Steam, you right click into the properties of the game and choose the openbeta branch. On standalone, follow the link above! If you already have stable installed, you’re going to have to do some command line stuff if you don’t want to reinstall. Navigate to your DCS install directory, then into \bin. Run the command: “.\DCS_updater.exe update '@openbeta'” Set up Binds: Open up DCS, select the gear (options) in the upper left of the main menu.  Select the controls tab, then select TF-51D Real from the left drop down below the tabs.  To bind something, find the controller you’re using across the top, and the item you want to bind on the left, then double click the cell at the intersection of the two (the cell z above for keyboard bind for aircraft rudder left). Buttons are shown first, but you can get to your controller axis by selecting “axis commands” from the second dropdown on the top. Push the button or cycle the axis fully to program it, and remember to test in game. If the axis is backwards, highlight it again, hit the axis settings… button on the bottom and then check the invert box and hit ok. Recommended axes In order of importance: pitch and roll rudder throttle engine rpm setting left and right wheel brakes (or just wheel brakes if you have 1 remaining axis) Recommended Commands: All the axes above that you haven’t bound. Especially wheel brake left and right if you don’t have them. Flaps up and down Landing gear up down View keys if you’re not using the mouse Trim elevator up and down Trim rudder left and right War emergency power Trim aileron left and right are nice to have controls Keep a button free for discord PTT if you use it The aircraft will be perfectly flyable with pitch roll and rudder bound, and anything else is a bonus. Mouse is used to click things in the cockpit, and can also be used for look. Toggle between the two with left alt + c Aircraft reference: https://www.airgoons.com/w/P-51D_Mustang Note, you can autostart it with Right Win key + Home key if you’re on the Dogfight server. If you don’t have that, look for start procedure in the binds and bind it to something that makes sense. Race planes will be hot started, with engine rolling. Tips On the ground: You only have steering with the rudder when the aircraft is moving; and the faster you go, the more authority you have. Otherwise you will have to use differential braking to turn: Left wheel brake will make the plane turn left, right brake will turn right. Get rolling and tap the brakes. You won’t be able to see around the nose while taxiing straight, so swerve side to side to get a picture of what’s ahead of you. Takeoff: Be smooth with the throttle; jamming it open will end up with you in a ditch on fire. Line up and then hold back on the stick to lock the tail wheel. Prop RPM to max, then throttle up to the top of the green manifold pressure bar while holding the brakes. Release the breaks and go to max throttle. Let go of stick back pressure when you hit 100 mph. Rotate and get the gear up at 120 mph. Flying: Pull the throttle back until the manifold pressure is less than 46 in. Hg, and pull the engine rpm back to below 2700 r.p.m. (max continuous power) unless you want to blow up the motor. If you’re at a manifold pressure of 61 in. Hg. and 3000 r.p.m. it’ll blow up in 5-15 minutes. At war emergency power, you have 5 minutes max. Remember to bind it! Landing: Flap and gear speeds are on the front panel, along with prop r.p.m. Set prop rpm and ease the throttle back while keeping the nose level to slow down, approach in a turn to be able to see the landing area, then once you’re slow enough set full flaps and lower the landing gear. Keep the speed around 150 mph until you’re on final, then slow down to 120 mph as you cross the runway threshold. Cut the throttle, and flare, holding the aircraft’s nose up while just above the runway until you ideally touch down with all three landing gear at once. Steer with the rudder as you slow down, and break gently or you’ll slam the nose into the runway. Multiplayer and joining the air goons servers: Most of the time, Air Goons run two 24/7 servers for this game. The Even Lamer Dogfight Server runs an open practice server with the Caucasus map, all planes, and no mods to allow anyone to connect without having them purchase a module. The Even Lamer Goon Server runs our co-op campaign game and Syria-map based missions, and other weekly shenanigans; this will likely require a purchased map, and possibly a mod to join. Ask in #dcs-general if you can’t connect for whatever reason We will make a practice server that has circuits and landing challenges and set it up on the Even Lamer Goon Server so that you don’t have to wait for game day to test out your Mustang or how the tracks look like. It will not be the same, but it will be similar. Hop on Discord and fly around there and you’ll quickly attract friends. Ask in #dcs-general on the Air Goons discord for info on how to connect and password. You can also ask for help with controller set up and other troubleshooting there or in #help-channel Race details: During signup (sheet linked in the air race thread in the #dcs-general channel,) each goon is put into one of the teams. There’s team ANIME, Team CHEETOS, and Team BASEMENT. Each team will be in one event at a time, and at a time cue, the organizers will announce a rotation and the teams will rotate to the next station. After three rotations, as in when each team has gotten each event, the race concludes. These teams are administrative, as it is individual performance and individual points. The teams do offer a handy way for you to fly with a friend you wish to sign up with, making sure you are in the same events at the same time. Each event will have their announcer and the referee, so standings and happenings are being spoken about in real time in the discord channel, and the referee sorts out disagreements and tallies the points. Event 1: Circuit Race. The seaside takes them through two gates made out of Kuznetzov-carriers sitting right next to each other. More to follow on this event.  Event 2: Carrier Landing. You will attempt to land on the USS Stennis, with your propeller intact, without sliding off on any side of the deck.  The Mustang is not a naval plane, so expect carnage.  Event 3: Chopper Tag. Hit the Gazelle, get a point. Simple premise. An esteemed Air Goon Admin will be flying a Gazelle helicopter in wild colors over a certain area, and your job is to hit him in order to score a point. Try not to crash into anyone else, though. Aircraft Livery Contest: If you’d like, submit a skin for a mustang to the air race skins thread in #dcs-general and the top 5 as judged by a panel of air goons will be included in an air goons skin pack that will be available for download and install before the air race starts to open up the variety of skins that goons can choose from. If you want help making a skin, ask in #dcs-general or #help-channel Rules for the contest: Airgoon discord guidelines apply, including #1: Don’t be a jerk. Old-time nihilist gooning isn’t in fashion anymore. Respect everyone, and be tolerant of all kinds of people. Be inclusive, and don’t use hateful language, even as a joke. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. Sexism, xenophobia, gendered insults, misogyny, you name it. No.
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Sep 12, 2022 03:56
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| # ? May 9, 2024 19:49 |
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DCS World Steam Edition: last played 2015. Reinstalling for this.
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Sep 12, 2022 05:10
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Sep 12, 2022 08:45
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Plane go nyoom.
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Sep 12, 2022 21:10
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Basement Bois are ready
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Sep 12, 2022 22:43
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I will be a fair and impartial judge and score as such:
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Sep 13, 2022 14:22
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Anime squadron represent! How ugly plane skins will the teams get? And what is the first place price going to be, an F-14 bodypillow?
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Sep 14, 2022 17:53
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OK, I'm interested! How much of a jump is the Mustang in DCS, coming from X-Plane? In X-Plane I can land a Cessna 172 and Beechcraft King Air.
Beexoffel fucked around with this message at 11:05 on Sep 15, 2022 |
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Sep 15, 2022 10:50
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A lot of DCS's study simulator difficulty comes down to using the various systems in a plane (and starting it in the first place), but a Mustang with a hot start is just an engine that's already on. If you're familiar with PLANE it shouldn't be to bad.
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Sep 15, 2022 12:30
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Beexoffel posted:OK, I'm interested! How much of a jump is the Mustang in DCS, coming from X-Plane? In X-Plane I can land a Cessna 172 and Beechcraft King Air. You are well trained! We’ve had people jump in from flying in GTA5 to figuring it out. Like above comment says, it’s already hot started. Map controls and off you go! This weekend we’ll host the Mustang Race multiplayer training server to fly around with other goons.
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Sep 15, 2022 13:17
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The Mustang can be a bit of a handful at takeoff and landing, but it will teach you the importance of trim.
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Sep 15, 2022 13:32
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MrYenko posted:The Mustang can be a bit of a handful at takeoff and landing, but it will teach you the importance of trim. I haven't flown a prop plane in a while, so excited to crash on takeoff.
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Sep 15, 2022 13:54
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Gamerofthegame posted:A lot of DCS's study simulator difficulty comes down to using the various systems in a plane (and starting it in the first place), but a Mustang with a hot start is just an engine that's already on. If you're familiar with PLANE it shouldn't be to bad. Vahakyla posted:You are well trained! We’ve had people jump in from flying in GTA5 to figuring it out. MrYenko posted:The Mustang can be a bit of a handful at takeoff and landing, but it will teach you the importance of trim. Thanks! Then I'll find the soonest to install DCS and set stuff up.
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Sep 15, 2022 14:12
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What's the landing on the Stennis look like? Steaming into the wind? Just a flat deck in the middle of the ocean?
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Sep 15, 2022 22:15
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Reminder that if you want to partake, add your name here to your chosen team: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15Grz7yEp70GOFfjch3zD1mp2TpDStdapDdqNVTAOu6c/edit#gid=2117311160 If the tab won't work, choose "Air Race signups".
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Sep 16, 2022 00:22
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i saw an ad banner for this thing and i clicked it. i have played a ton of ace combat games so i assume i'm already some kind of ultra-ace. how many hundreds of missiles do those shitheap prop planes carry anyway? well i'll check it out and maybe i'll sign up. my father only crashed two planes in his life as far as i can recall and he came out alive both times so walking away from a landing probably runs in the family
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Sep 16, 2022 03:42
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Tag the gazelle and your reward is one free post to moan and whine about flight envelopes. https://youtu.be/Ikh0hSN_KJk
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Sep 16, 2022 13:29
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Lumme posted:Anime squadron represent! How ugly plane skins will the teams get? And what is the first place price going to be, an F-14 bodypillow? Prime’s been curating a pack, there should be some terrible and good ones. A reminder: we do have a contest for skins if someone wants to create one. The best 5 will be included, subject to the whims of the goon judges. Rules in the first post. As for prizes, nothing at the moment - we can’t tell what you’re running, from keyboard and mouse to full nerd nest, and that might skew the standings a bit.
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Sep 16, 2022 13:41
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Deep Dish Fuckfest posted:i saw an ad banner for this thing and i clicked it. i have played a ton of ace combat games so i assume i'm already some kind of ultra-ace. how many hundreds of missiles do those shitheap prop planes carry anyway? well i'll check it out and maybe i'll sign up. my father only crashed two planes in his life as far as i can recall and he came out alive both times so walking away from a landing probably runs in the family Sounds like you are almost over-qualified!
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Sep 16, 2022 15:23
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Keen to try a carrier landing if up for training this weekend, can land in the vicinity of a runway, that's gotta be good enough right?
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Sep 17, 2022 13:15
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Circuit race tentative setup. This is how it is on the goon server right now for practice purposes. Whenever flying between airshow gates, you may never be higher than the airshow cone gate. When flying between ships, you may never be higher than the tallest part of the ship. The lit fires always denote outer limits of the course.    
Vahakyla fucked around with this message at 01:38 on Sep 18, 2022 |
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Sep 18, 2022 01:29
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The last Air Goons Air Race was really fun. Those unfamiliar with the free TF-51 (P-51 trainer type WWII fighter) got quite familiar over the handful of events, making for quite a dynamic race. Even the Air Goons regulars don't fly DCS propeller aircraft with meaningful frequency, so anyone can be competitive in this event. It's free. Please don't hesitate to sign up, ask questions, hop on to practice.
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Sep 18, 2022 13:23
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OK I got it working and found a runway!
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Sep 18, 2022 21:15
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Beexoffel posted:OK I got it working and found a runway! Qualified. You actually got it back to a field.
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Sep 19, 2022 00:00
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Beexoffel posted:OK I got it working and found a runway! It’s on the ground, it’s not moving, it’s not upside down, and it’s still mostly in one piece with only a little bit of fire. Solid work. 
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Sep 19, 2022 00:05
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Ok, Having the carrier not in the middle of the ocean is REALLY messing up my horizon reference. Full points for making this one a bastard. The pylon turn on a ridge through a treeline is also very challenging. Full points for making that one a bastard, too. Under a bridge as a turn point? 4/10; tired.
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Sep 19, 2022 01:37
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Snapshot posted:Qualified. You actually got it back to a field. MrYenko posted:It’s on the ground, it’s not moving, it’s not upside down, and it’s still mostly in one piece with only a little bit of fire. So I have a chance at finishing the race! 
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Sep 19, 2022 11:30
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Beexoffel posted:So I have a chance at finishing the race! You finish the race in the air. No concerns there. That landing method will also help you stop quickly on the carrier, but will lose you some points for style and damage.
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Sep 19, 2022 12:01
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Jazzahn about to score (?)
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Sep 19, 2022 18:24
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meanwhile, somewhere in the black sea goons doing what goons do best
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Sep 19, 2022 22:54
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It was a good day for practice. Everyone managed to make it to the deck.
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Sep 20, 2022 01:47
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practicing for the carrier is heretical
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Sep 20, 2022 03:39
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Reminder that the race is this saturday. There’s plenty of time to stilm hop in and have a great time, so please sign up and get in.
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Sep 21, 2022 01:16
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Here's a recording of the last race day. It isn't edited, while it lacks some polish it can give you an idea of what to expect. Race rules are different this time, beware. https://youtu.be/5nUMDWWoITc
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Sep 21, 2022 09:12
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The Race starts in 29 hours from now, at 2000 UTC on Saturday the 24th. You may still hop in and get in on this by signing up here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15Grz7yEp70GOFfjch3zD1mp2TpDStdapDdqNVTAOu6c/edit#gid=2117311160 And you can join Air Goons Discord to learn the track and get help installing or setting up controls. Final grading rules should be posted tonight by me in this thread!
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Sep 23, 2022 15:59
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I was screwing around, minding my own business, stuffing planes into the fantail of supercarriers (as one does) when I was enlisted to test out the server and streaming settings and chase cameras and the right amount of heckling to give to competitors. All checks sat. No discrepancies noted. This competition is released safe for flight.
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Sep 24, 2022 03:26
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 it is getting closer.Here are the final rules in play for tomorrow's race. quote:
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quote:Chopper tag: Vahakyla fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Sep 24, 2022 |
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Sep 24, 2022 03:47
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Vahakyla posted:Call out what you're doing, and execute. Steady approach unless otherwise called. Idiot noob question: What does this mean? It sounds like I should know some kind of procedure but what is going to happen is I will say 'I'm aiming for the one on the right' and then I will immediately glide off the deck into the shoreline.
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Sep 24, 2022 11:24
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Chubby Henparty posted:Idiot noob question: What does this mean? It sounds like I should know some kind of procedure but what is going to happen is I will say 'I'm aiming for the one on the right' and then I will immediately glide off the deck into the shoreline. If you’re doing something different than straight in on the big carrier, I want to know what’s happening. “I’m aiming for the one on the right” is exactly what I want to hear. If you don’t think you’re going to make it and you need to go around, call it out.
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Sep 24, 2022 12:50
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Brilliant, thanks!
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Sep 24, 2022 12:57
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