Everyone's Stories

[Frisco1522]

Since there is a high chance that all of you guys here are going to end up being my wing men and the F-14 is still probably 6-8 months away, why don't we take this time till launch to get to know one another?

 

1. How did you learn about DCS?

2. When did you first learn about the F-14?

3. What made you fall in love with the F-14?

4. Any backstories of seeing the Top Gun movie for the first time?

5. Did any of you really fly/RIO in an F-14?

 

I hope everyone is interested in what others have to say. I know I am!

 

Frisco1522

[captain_dalan]

Since there is a high chance that all of you guys here are going to end up being my wing men and the F-14 is still probably 6-8 months away, why don't we take this time till launch to get to know one another?

 

1. How did you learn about DCS?

2. When did you first learn about the F-14?

3. What made you fall in love with the F-14?

4. Any backstories of seeing the Top Gun movie for the first time?

5. Did any of you really fly/RIO in an F-14?

 

I hope everyone is interested in what others have to say. I know I am!

 

Frisco1522

 

I'll try and be the first one :)

 

1. I have a friend who is a great fan of the Su-27 and the original Lock On, so i was always "aware" of all the derivatives and sequels, though i have never really felt compelled to try them because......wait for it...... there was no F-14 to fly in them :P . Well.... not just the F-14, but although i like and respect the Flankers, Vipers and Eagles, they were never that high on my "love" list.

 

2. My earliest memories of the F-14 seam to be shrouded in a haze of senility and nostalgia (that happens when you get older :smilewink: ). I think i can recall fragments of musical videos (possibly "Mighty Wings" from Top Gun), several 80's movies (but not Top Gun as i only got to see it on VHS in the early 90's) and one comic book. This comic book i can't trace up to these days, and if someone can name it, or has read it, i would greatly appreciate it. It was about some terrorists that stole a pair of F-14s, armed them with (x-bombs??) and tried to blast some international conference. The main story followed the intelligence and NAVY efforts to prevent this. In the end one of the highjacked Tomcats was shot down at extreme range by pursuing F-14s on CAP, after they fired all their 54's at it and the other was rammed by an F-8 (i think) after the winders fired by the aviator failed to track.

 

3. I think it was always the looks. It has this unique blend of style and ruggedness. Sleek and rough at the same time. High tech and cold war. It just oozes with "get things done well and with style".

 

4. Well, actually yes. I was about 6 or 7 when the movie first came to my town and although nearly every kid got to see it, i didn't. My folks did not have the habit of taking me to the cinema. And by the time i got to go to the movies by myself some 2-3 years later, they were no longer screening it. So i only knew the movie by reputation and it has a certain mystical 80's vibe for me. Then one day in the early 90's the local video rental got a copy of it and i finally got to see it. It became very apparent why the movie was such a success. It's basically one long music video with some excellent airplane footage :thumbup:

 

5. Nope, not me :joystick:

[Frisco1522]

I'll try and be the first one :)

 

1. I have a friend who is a great fan of the Su-27 and the original Lock On, so i was always "aware" of all the derivatives and sequels, though i have never really felt compelled to try them because......wait for it...... there was no F-14 to fly in them :P . Well.... not just the F-14, but although i like and respect the Flankers, Vipers and Eagles, they were never that high on my "love" list.

 

2. My earliest memories of the F-14 seam to be shrouded in a haze of senility and nostalgia (that happens when you get older :smilewink: ). I think i can recall fragments of musical videos (possibly "Mighty Wings" from Top Gun), several 80's movies (but not Top Gun as i only got to see it on VHS in the early 90's) and one comic book. This comic book i can't trace up to these days, and if someone can name it, or has read it, i would greatly appreciate it. It was about some terrorists that stole a pair of F-14s, armed them with (x-bombs??) and tried to blast some international conference. The main story followed the intelligence and NAVY efforts to prevent this. In the end one of the highjacked Tomcats was shot down at extreme range by pursuing F-14s on CAP, after they fired all their 54's at it and the other was rammed by an F-8 (i think) after the winders fired by the aviator failed to track.

 

3. I think it was always the looks. It has this unique blend of style and ruggedness. Sleek and rough at the same time. High tech and cold war. It just oozes with "get things done well and with style".

 

4. Well, actually yes. I was about 6 or 7 when the movie first came to my town and although nearly every kid got to see it, i didn't. My folks did not have the habit of taking me to the cinema. And by the time i got to go to the movies by myself some 2-3 years later, they were no longer screening it. So i only knew the movie by reputation and it has a certain mystical 80's vibe for me. Then one day in the early 90's the local video rental got a copy of it and i finally got to see it. It became very apparent why the movie was such a success. It's basically one long music video with some excellent airplane footage :thumbup:

 

5. Nope, not me :joystick:

Nicely done captain_dalan for being first! :thumbup:

 

Keep the stories coming and feel free to add your own thoughts besides the five I could come up with. Stories like these are fascinating reads for me and I'm sure others too. :book:

 

Frisco1522

[Alicatt]

1. Started with LOMAC at the International Flight Sim Show at the Hilton in Birmingham in 2003. I had been looking after my mother who was dying of cancer and my brother had come home on leave to give me a break, so off I went met up with a good few flight sim online friends from Frugals Forums and sat drinking with Frugal and friends through the night, got about an hours sleep before having to go attend a lecture on LOMAC by Oleg.

Picked up a demo disk of LOMAC and awaitied it's release, I have one of the original numbered hard bound manuals for LOMAC, I followed through with Flaming Cliffs etc. and then with the release of DCS Blackshark it was an instant buy for me, so been here from the start :)

My mother passed away about a week after the flight Sim show, I still miss her.

 

2. On the news, one had crashed and they were trying to recover it from the sea, I was still more fixated on the EE Lightning and the Vulcan at that time ;)

 

3. It's got wings, it has got two BIG engines and it shoots missiles what's not to like??? :D First sim I had with the F14 in it was Birds of Prey, it was my go to aircraft in that sim, later Fleet Defender got hours of "simming"

 

4. Our cinema had long closed and the nearest one was over 100 miles away in Inverness, I was starting to put together a home cinema so my first viewing of Top Gun was at home with some friends and a good supply of Woods Navy Rum. The friends that were with me that night were the same ones that I went off to the airshows with, sadly most of them have slipped off their mortal coil now.

 

5. Never even seen a F14 up close never mind getting in one :(

[King_Hrothgar]

1. Been with this series since Flanker 2 in the late '90's.

 

2. The F-14 and F-18 were the standard USN fighters when I was a kid. I've always had an interest in military aviation, so I honestly can't remember a time when I didn't know about the F-14/15/16/18.

 

3. I love combat aircraft in general and don't have any particular feelings towards the F-14 at this time beyond that. It should be fairly interesting to operate thanks to the radar setup and the AIM-54. I also prefer the old analog cockpits to the early glass ones, so it should suit me well.

 

4. Not really, it was on TV a lot on weekends when I was a kid so seeing it was inevitable. I can't say I ever cared much for that movie, but it did have some cool flying scenes.

 

5. Not I, seen plenty of them over the years though at airshows and as static displays.

[Frisco1522]

1. Started with LOMAC at the International Flight Sim Show at the Hilton in Birmingham in 2003. I had been looking after my mother who was dying of cancer and my brother had come home on leave to give me a break, so off I went met up with a good few flight sim online friends from Frugals Forums and sat drinking with Frugal and friends through the night, got about an hours sleep before having to go attend a lecture on LOMAC by Oleg.

Picked up a demo disk of LOMAC and awaitied it's release, I have one of the original numbered hard bound manuals for LOMAC, I followed through with Flaming Cliffs etc. and then with the release of DCS Blackshark it was an instant buy for me, so been here from the start :)

My mother passed away about a week after the flight Sim show, I still miss her.

 

2. On the news, one had crashed and they were trying to recover it from the sea, I was still more fixated on the EE Lightning and the Vulcan at that time ;)

 

3. It's got wings, it has got two BIG engines and it shoots missiles what's not to like??? :D First sim I had with the F14 in it was Birds of Prey, it was my go to aircraft in that sim, later Fleet Defender got hours of "simming"

 

4. Our cinema had long closed and the nearest one was over 100 miles away in Inverness, I was starting to put together a home cinema so my first viewing of Top Gun was at home with some friends and a good supply of Woods Navy Rum. The friends that were with me that night were the same ones that I went off to the airshows with, sadly most of them have slipped off their mortal coil now.

 

5. Never even seen a F14 up close never mind getting in one :(

I'm sorry to hear about your mother Alicat. :cry:

Very interesting story. Spot on description of the ol' Tomcat. :thumbup:

I bet watching Top Gun with all your buddies in your home cinema must have been a proud moment for you.

 

1. Been with this series since Flanker 2 in the late '90's.

 

2. The F-14 and F-18 were the standard USN fighters when I was a kid. I've always had an interest in military aviation, so I honestly can't remember a time when I didn't know about the F-14/15/16/18.

 

3. I love combat aircraft in general and don't have any particular feelings towards the F-14 at this time beyond that. It should be fairly interesting to operate thanks to the radar setup and the AIM-54. I also prefer the old analog cockpits to the early glass ones, so it should suit me well.

 

4. Not really, it was on TV a lot on weekends when I was a kid so seeing it was inevitable. I can't say I ever cared much for that movie, but it did have some cool flying scenes.

 

5. Not I, seen plenty of them over the years though at airshows and as static displays.

It's hard not to love the teen aircraft isn't it? There's just something about them, like captain_dalan said...

I think it was always the looks. It has this unique blend of style and ruggedness. Sleek and rough at the same time. High tech and cold war. It just oozes with "get things done well and with style".

I'm really hoping there is a lot of stuff to do in the backseat for my friends to keep busy. And letting them have such great visibility really demands teamwork.

[TickJackson]

I'm working in one of the old grumman buildings on Long Island right now. You'd never know this is where the LEM for the Apollo missions and all the great things Grumman built happened here. Cant wait to fly the 14.

[captain_dalan]

I found that old comic book......and now i know why it was so hard, the original was in french, and it seams not many were ever translated to other languages. Here is a link:

 

http://www.jmcharlier.com/buck_danny_4.php

 

By the way, a bit of an oddity, for the longest time i had no idea what an F-14 was actually. Even though i had seen the plane as i mentioned in videos and comics, i didn't know what plane it was, nor could i make out all of its features. I.E. as a child i was always puzzled why in some cases the wings were delta and in others they were spread out. I wasn't even sure it was the same plane :lol:

 

Only after watching continuous recordings of it (in "The final countdown" and "Top Gun") did it dawn to me :P

Before that i was struggling to ID it based on cockpit seats or number of vertical stabilizers :doh:

 

Getting a hold of good literature was much harder back then.... especially if your folks were totally not into military tech :noexpression:

[TickJackson]

Speaking of good stories, Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising. Or any of his books. Sorry for the side track.

[Alicatt]

I'm sorry to hear about your mother Alicat. :cry:

Very interesting story. Spot on description of the ol' Tomcat. :thumbup:

I bet watching Top Gun with all your buddies in your home cinema must have been a proud moment for you.

 

 

It's hard not to love the teen aircraft isn't it? There's just something about them, like captain_dalan said...

 

I'm really hoping there is a lot of stuff to do in the backseat for my friends to keep busy. And letting them have such great visibility really demands teamwork.

Thanks for that, Mum was a bit of a petrol head herself, only thing she didn't like was motorbikes and that was because she promised her father not to go on one, she kept that promise.

 

That was just the beginning, started the cinema project in the early 80s, now after moving home a few times I have my own cinema and can game in it too, :)

 

Not got any pics of DCS running in the cinema tho, but it does give a great feeling flying in there, the screen is 3.5m wide :D

[Frisco1522]

I'm working in one of the old grumman buildings on Long Island right now. You'd never know this is where the LEM for the Apollo missions and all the great things Grumman built happened here. Cant wait to fly the 14.

That's awesome! Can you take pictures of what it looks like on the inside, or would you have to kill me first? :lol:

 

I found that old comic book......and now i know why it was so hard, the original was in french, and it seams not many were ever translated to other languages. Here is a link:

 

http://www.jmcharlier.com/buck_danny_4.php

 

By the way, a bit of an oddity, for the longest time i had no idea what an F-14 was actually. Even though i had seen the plane as i mentioned in videos and comics, i didn't know what plane it was, nor could i make out all of its features. I.E. as a child i was always puzzled why in some cases the wings were delta and in others they were spread out. I wasn't even sure it was the same plane :lol:

 

Only after watching continuous recordings of it (in "The final countdown" and "Top Gun") did it dawn to me :P

Before that i was struggling to ID it based on cockpit seats or number of vertical stabilizers :doh:

 

Getting a hold of good literature was much harder back then.... especially if your folks were totally not into military tech :noexpression:

Of course its a french comic book about US Navy F-14 pilots. (George H. W. Bush included) Thanks for bringing up the Final Countdown, everyone overlooks the F-14's role in that movie, which was actually pretty good. (Until Top Gun came along) Had a lot more bare shots of the cat, no music playing or anything.

 

Thanks for that, Mum was a bit of a petrol head herself, only thing she didn't like was motorbikes and that was because she promised her father not to go on one, she kept that promise.

 

That was just the beginning, started the cinema project in the early 80s, now after moving home a few times I have my own cinema and can game in it too, :)

 

 

 

Not got any pics of DCS running in the cinema tho, but it does give a great feeling flying in there, the screen is 3.5m wide :D

That cinema is great! Would be great if we had a full realism DCS to have someone like you on AWACS with a screen like that.

[captain_dalan]

That cinema does look mighty impressive mate! Cheers! :thumbup:

[PiedDroit]

Nice topic idea :thumbup:

 

Basically I've been flying WWII sims for years (except early arcade-ish sims like comanche maximum overkill).

One day I decided to check out the flying blow torches, because curious and also boderline bored of dogfighting.

I installed and old copy of LOMAC I bought 2 years before that was gathering dust on a shelf and fell in love with it, and here I am.

Never knew Flanker, sorry :D

 

I knew the F-14 with Macross series (Robotech), Afterburner game, later with Top Gun, in that order.

DCS: Macross anyone ?

 

EDIT: I was about to add something about "Nimitz, retour vers l'enfer" only to discover that it's the french title for "The Final Countdown" :crash:

 

Anyway, in my my mind, the F-14 will always be a VF-1 Walkyrie in disguise :pilotfly:

Edited May 28, 2015 by PiedDroit
The Final Countdown!

[Frisco1522]

Nice topic idea :thumbup:

 

Basically I've been flying WWII sims for years (except early arcade-ish sims like comanche maximum overkill).

One day I decided to check out the flying blow torches, because curious and also boderline bored of dogfighting.

I installed and old copy of LOMAC I bought 2 years before that was gathering dust on a shelf and fell in love with it, and here I am.

Never knew Flanker, sorry :D

 

I knew the F-14 with Macross series (Robotech), Afterburner game, later with Top Gun, in that order.

DCS: Macross anyone ?

 

EDIT: I was about to add something about "Nimitz, retour vers l'enfer" only to discover that it's the french title for "The Final Countdown" :crash:

 

Anyway, in my my mind, the F-14 will always be a VF-1 Walkyrie in disguise :pilotfly:

Yeah I used to play a little bit of Comanche Gold back in my day. Never really understood what was going on except on one mission, Cold Warriors.

I used to play a game that I cannot find or remember the name of, but it was Jane's something. I remember setting up giant battles in a mission editor and watching everything unfold.

 

Frisco1522

Edited May 29, 2015 by Frisco1522

[CheckGear]

1. How did you learn about DCS?

 

I was a player of the original LOMAC that resurrected the genre and kicked off this awesome franchise. Since then, I've purchased every subsequent release and am I committed disciple of the greatest combat flight simulator ever created.

 

2. When did you first learn about the F-14?

 

As a toddler, upon watching the movie Top Gun.

 

3. What made you fall in love with the F-14?

 

Its size, its power, its design, it really is the perfect aircraft.

 

4. Any backstories of seeing the Top Gun movie for the first time?

 

All I remember was that I was in the living room of the apartment my folks were renting at the time.

 

5. Did any of you really fly/RIO in an F-14?

 

In another life, I would've. :(

[Frisco1522]

1. How did you learn about DCS?

 

I was a player of the original LOMAC that resurrected the genre and kicked off this awesome franchise. Since then, I've purchased every subsequent release and am I committed disciple of the greatest combat flight simulator ever created.

 

2. When did you first learn about the F-14?

 

As a toddler, upon watching the movie Top Gun.

 

3. What made you fall in love with the F-14?

 

Its size, its power, its design, it really is the perfect aircraft.

 

4. Any backstories of seeing the Top Gun movie for the first time?

 

All I remember was that I was in the living room of the apartment my folks were renting at the time.

 

5. Did any of you really fly/RIO in an F-14?

 

In another life, I would've. :(

 

Might as well be my story too. :thumbup:

 

Frisco1522

[BlackLion213]

1. How did you learn about DCS?

I briefly played LOMAC when it came out, namely on my brother's computer since mine didn't have the power to run it at the time. I then took a ~11 year hiatus from flight sims and rediscovered the genre with the release of the aerosoft F-14. I then searched for LOMAC and discovered DCS. Also, another forum member, Woogey, gave me an overview on the current state of affairs and that LNS was likely developing an F-14 of it's own (we he expected would be much better than aerosoft's).

 

2. When did you first learn about the F-14?

Hard to know, but early (like 3-5 y/o). My dad was a US Navy contractor during the cold war (systems engineer, last projects were ES-3A and EP-3). Between his work and Hollywood, it crept into my consciousness early.

 

3. What made you fall in love with the F-14?

The opening afterburner staging sequence in Top Gun...

Actually a lot of things, it's unique capabilities, airshow performances (it really made the earth shake!), it's looks, and it's visibility in the media. It's inclusion in movies and TV was rather unprecedented. I think it became the default "fighter" for those of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s.

 

4. Any backstories of seeing the Top Gun movie for the first time?

Not really, but the opening afterburner sequence really made an impression. I remember watching it a lot as a young kind (<10 y/o).

 

5. Did any of you really fly/RIO in an F-14?

Certainly not, only in my dreams. Lucky enough to talk with a lot of aircrew over the years between airshows and the Sunset forum.

 

-Nick

[Frisco1522]

1. How did you learn about DCS?

I briefly played LOMAC when it came out, namely on my brother's computer since mine didn't have the power to run it at the time. I then took a ~11 year hiatus from flight sims and rediscovered the genre with the release of the aerosoft F-14. I then searched for LOMAC and discovered DCS. Also, another forum member, Woogey, gave me an overview on the current state of affairs and that LNS was likely developing an F-14 of it's own (we he expected would be much better than aerosoft's).

 

2. When did you first learn about the F-14?

Hard to know, but early (like 3-5 y/o). My dad was a US Navy contractor during the cold war (systems engineer, last projects were ES-3A and EP-3). Between his work and Hollywood, it crept into my consciousness early.

 

3. What made you fall in love with the F-14?

The opening afterburner staging sequence in Top Gun...

Actually a lot of things, it's unique capabilities, airshow performances (it really made the earth shake!), it's looks, and it's visibility in the media. It's inclusion in movies and TV was rather unprecedented. I think it became the default "fighter" for those of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s.

 

4. Any backstories of seeing the Top Gun movie for the first time?

Not really, but the opening afterburner sequence really made an impression. I remember watching it a lot as a young kind (<10 y/o).

 

5. Did any of you really fly/RIO in an F-14?

Certainly not, only in my dreams. Lucky enough to talk with a lot of aircrew over the years between airshows and the Sunset forum.

 

-Nick

A local movie theater was having "retro night" a few years ago and they played Top Gun. Only once, only one day. Place was sold out inside of 20 mins.

To see the afterburner scene on a modern screen with bass that almost made the wall paneling come off, was astonishing.

 

Frisco1522

[BlackLion213]

A local movie theater was having "retro night" a few years ago and they played Top Gun. Only once, only one day. Place was sold out inside of 20 mins.

To see the afterburner scene on a modern screen with bass that almost made the wall paneling come off, was astonishing.

 

Frisco1522

 

Would have been awesome!

 

One of the truly unique accomplishments of Top Gun was it's broad appeal to non-aviation enthusiasts. Most other aircraft films have pretty limited appeal. Of course, it comes at the expense of realism with a highly simplified/stylized story-line. Everything has compromises.

 

-Nick

[Frisco1522]

Would have been awesome!

 

One of the truly unique accomplishments of Top Gun was it's broad appeal to non-aviation enthusiasts. Most other aircraft films have pretty limited appeal. Of course, it comes at the expense of realism with a highly simplified/stylized story-line. Everything has compromises.

 

-Nick

 

There is a great documentary about the making of Top Gun on YouTube.

 

(Part 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuEB1UqCqD4

(Part 2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G49AUhz-5s

(Part 3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl8la-UazHc

(Part 4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvVccObiZXM

(Part 5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGbEDrH-P8A

(Part 6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZSK12MXuzQ

(Part 7)

 

In one of the episodes they talk about how Don Simpson had a phrase that everyone hated.

"Mom and Pop in Oklahoma," meaning that it didn't matter if stuff in the movie wasn't accurate, to Mom and Pop in Oklahoma, it will look awesome.

 

Frisco1522

[OnlyforDCS]

Since there is a high chance that all of you guys here are going to end up being my wing men and the F-14 is still probably 6-8 months away, why don't we take this time till launch to get to know one another?

 

1. How did you learn about DCS?

2. When did you first learn about the F-14?

3. What made you fall in love with the F-14?

4. Any backstories of seeing the Top Gun movie for the first time?

5. Did any of you really fly/RIO in an F-14?

 

I hope everyone is interested in what others have to say. I know I am!

 

Frisco1522

 

1. Pure luck. Stumbled onto some (pre)release videos of the A10C, bought it during beta release period just a month or so prior to release.

 

2. I have been an aviation buff since I was a little kid. The F14 was always high on my 'most desireable' list.

 

3. It's imposing size, it's speed, it's agility, the fact that it launches from a carrier. It just looked sleek, deadly and cool. Not at all like any of the previous generations of aircraft launched from the deck. Also something about it's fleet defender role. It was the X-Wing (or Viper if you perfer BSG) of today.

 

4. Can't remember exactly but I think I hated the movie, even as a kid. I liked the music, and I REALLY liked Kelly Mcgillis, but I hated Tom Cruise and wanted to punch his annoying face everytime he was in a scene (I think he grew into a good actor, he just sucked in Top Gun). I liked the great shots of the F14 but hated the completely unrealistic flight & combat. Yes those things bothered me even at that tender age.

 

5. No. I wish...

Edited May 29, 2015 by OnlyforDCS

[PE_Tigar]

1. How did you learn about DCS?

 

I flew the old Flanker first, then the newer Flanker (was it 2.5?), then Lock On...

 

2. When did you first learn about the F-14?

 

I remember when I was 8-9 a friend of mine had die cast models of F-14 and MiG-25. Both looked amazing. Then I got a plastic model kit of an F-14, with functioning swing wings when I was about 11. I loved planes when I was a kid (still do :D) and the F-14 probably has one of the most memorable shapes around.

 

3. What made you fall in love with the F-14?

 

Everything... Swing wings, two afterburners, carrier ops, large missiles hanging under it...

 

4. Any backstories of seeing the Top Gun movie for the first time?

 

It wasn't particularly memorable, aside from the fact that I was 15 at the time and even then I knew that MiG-28 doesn't exist :) Soundtrack kicked arse though, and I probably never got over that leather jacket Tom Cruise wore :).

 

5. Did any of you really fly/RIO in an F-14?

 

Not me. I'm not an Iranian or a US national, so never even had a chance...

[CheckGear]

A local movie theater was having "retro night" a few years ago and they played Top Gun. Only once, only one day. Place was sold out inside of 20 mins.

To see the afterburner scene on a modern screen with bass that almost made the wall paneling come off, was astonishing.

 

Frisco1522

 

In 2013, they actually re-released Top Gun for six days, nationwide, in IMAX 3D. I went and, well, let's just say it took my breath away... :lol:

[captain_dalan]

Would have been awesome!

 

One of the truly unique accomplishments of Top Gun was it's broad appeal to non-aviation enthusiasts. Most other aircraft films have pretty limited appeal. Of course, it comes at the expense of realism with a highly simplified/stylized story-line. Everything has compromises.

 

-Nick

Agreed, the movie it self is actually pretty fun, i'd say a typical summer movie :)

 

BTW (and i ask you all this), what movie do you consider to be the most authentic in its depiction of aerial combat?

[BlackLion213]

Agreed, the movie it self is actually pretty fun, i'd say a typical summer movie :)

 

BTW (and i ask you all this), what movie do you consider to be the most authentic in its depiction of aerial combat?

 

Hmm....

 

Nearly all aviation movies are pretty unrealistic, they kind of need to be. Real air combat would be very difficult for the uninitiated to follow or understand.

 

Flight of the Intruder isn't too bad, but the strike concept may be easier to depict. Midway seems decent, but WWII style combat is close range and works better in film version.

 

Speed and Angels was a good film, but they explained a lot up front. Still, they depicted air combat in largely Top Gun terms (close range and chasing the enemy).

 

There are certainly many movies that I have not seen and may be better, but these come to mind.

 

-Nick