The OpenSpace sims of Extropia are gone....

More sad news for aviators in Second Life as 3 more OpenSpace sims disappear from SL and the map of Extropia.

I have many fond and fun memories flying there and chatting with friends. Several of my machinima were captured there and the old sims can be viewed in the background.

I should note that one of the old OS sims was converted to a full-sim and it promises to be a spectacular place, but for those of us in the aviation community, it means there are 3 less places to fly.

EDF/RCAF Dogfights - Our final scheduled weeks

Please read my previous post "RCAF is here to stay."

Our Organized Dogfighting Days will come to a close in January 2009. Come out and celebrate our last few weeks of air combat. We will still engage in one-on-one dogfights and with the growing number of super-villains, our roleplay within Caledon will most certainly increase ;)

The following list is our remaining scheduled dogfights for 2008. Times and locations are subject to change....

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For Sunday November 30th:

Our next dogfight will take place on Sunday the 30th of November at 9 AM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia.



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For the weekend of December 6th and 7th:

Our scheduled EDF and RCAF Air Combat will be Saturday the 6th of December at 9:00 AM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia, followed by another dogfight later on Saturday the 6th at 6:00 PM (18:00) SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia.

Our dogfight on Sunday the 7th of December at 9 AM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia.

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For the weekend of December 13th and 14th:

Our scheduled EDF and RCAF Air Combat will be Saturday the 13th of December at 9:00 AM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia, followed by another dogfight later on Saturday the 13th at 6:00 PM (18:00) SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia.

Our dogfight on Sunday the 14th of December at 9 AM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia.

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For the weekend of December 20th and 21th:

Our scheduled EDF and RCAF Air Combat will be Saturday the 20th of December at 9:00 AM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia, followed by another dogfight later on Saturday the 20th at 6:00 PM (18:00) SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia.

Our dogfight on Sunday the 21th of December at 9 AM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia.

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For the final weekend of scheduled dogfights December 27th and 28th:

Our scheduled EDF and RCAF Air Combat will be Saturday the 27th of December at 9:00 AM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia, followed by another dogfight later on Saturday the 27th at 6:00 PM (18:00) SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia.

Our last scheduled dogfight will take place on Sunday the 28th of December at 9 AM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia.

Please read my previous post "RCAF is here to stay."

A few reminders....

1) We will no longer schedule multi-aircraft air combat (known as dogfight furballs) in SL after the New Year. This is the biggest change in what RCAF does, but please note that the change is only in SCHEDULING MORE THAN TWO AIRCRAFT to dogfight. Let me repeat a keyword in this....Scheduling Scheduling Scheduling...whew!

2) Pilots are always welcome to use group chat to find one another for a dogfight anywhere they wish, so long as it's allowed by the sim owner(s)/manager(s).

3) Air Combat will still be a viable option for the foreseeable future in Aeronautica owned by Mifune Thibaud.

Air Combat and Celebrations for November 1st and 2nd

Everyone is welcome as we celebrate our Openspace (Void) sims and SL Aviation on Sunday the 2nd of November 2008....



On October 24th the Royal Caledon Air Force celebrated our first anniversary. RCAF was created prior to the Opening of the Caledon Penzance sim and The Connolly Aerodrome on November 4th, 2007.

Please note: November 1st and 2nd is a special weekend. On Saturday we have 2 scheduled dogfights. On Sunday we celebrate the past year and look forward to a happy and fun-filled future (In spite of the recent Openspace Sims Civil War).

The Schedule....

This weekends scheduled EDF and RCAF Air Combat will be Saturday the First of November at 9:00 AM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia, followed by another dogfight later on Saturday the First at 10 PM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia.

No official Dogfight on Sunday the 2nd of November, instead....

On Sunday the 2nd of November, instead of our official air combat, we celebrate RCAF, the Connolly Aerodrome, the Opening of Caledon Penzance, and in light of recent news about Openspace sims. We celebrate our Void Sims.

Location: Connolly Aerodrome in Caledon Penzance

If you would like to contribute as a DJ or offer free items for the celebration, please contact me via notecard or email * zoeconnolly [at] gmail [dot] com *

Many thanks to all the pilots and supporters of the RCAF, the aerodrome, and openspace sims.


~ Zoe Connolly

Air Combat for Weekend of October 25th and 26th

Please note: This weekend we expand from 2 scheduled dogfights to 3. Two TCS dogfights on Saturdays and 1 VICE Dogfight on Sunday morning.

This weekends scheduled EDF and RCAF Air Combat will be Saturday the 25th of October at 9:00 AM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia, followed by another dogfight later on Saturday the 25th at 10 PM SL time, Combat system TCS, Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia.

Our dogfight on Sunday the 26th of October at 9 AM SL time will use the VICE Combat System, Location: Aeronautica Sea Base.

Machinima from the EDF/RCAF Dogfight of October 5th 2008

EDF/RCAF Dogfight of October 5th 2008. Pilots of the Extropia Defense Force and Royal Caledon Air Force engage in Air Combat exercises in Extropia.

Pre-Production, Camera, and Video Capture by Zoe Connolly.

Post-Production by Phineas Messmer

Dogfights Past

While looking through the most recent Air Combat photographs from Sunday October 12th, I realized I had totally spaced and forgotten these from a September VICE Combat dogfight....

Air Combat News....Combat Systems and Locations

Location: Aeronautica.

Combat System for Aeronautica: VICE

Location: Extropia.

Combat System for Extropia: TCS (Or if a 1-on-1 dogfight VICE is okay)

Location: Crimson Rose.

Combat System for Crimson Rose: Combatants will choose TCS or VICE for 1-on-1 dogfights.

Air Combat for Weekend of October 4th and 5th

This weekends scheduled EDF and RCAF Air Combat will be Saturday the 4th of October at 9:00 AM SL time, followed by another dogfight on Sunday the 5th of October at 9 AM SL time.

Combat System: VICE

Location: Skies of Tomorrow.

AH-64D Apache Attack Helicopter in Second Life® ....the first machinima

First Machinima of April Heaney's AH-64D Apache Attack Helicopter in Second Life®

Previous posts here and here.

The AH-64D Apache Longbow in SecondLife® ...more photographs

Read the first post here

Flight of a Curtiss R3C in Second Life

SL Aviation machinima from Caine Beresford

Virtual Aviation Week in Review Aug 31 - Sept 6

If you have SL aviation links for next weeks Virtual Aviation Week in Review, please let me know via email [zoeconnolly (at) gmail (dot) com.

Now on to the most recent SL Aviation links....

Our most recent scheduled EDF and RCAF Air Combat was on Saturday the 6th of September at 9:00 AM SL time, followed by another dogfight on Sunday the 7th of September at 9 AM SL time. Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia

Josh Noonan is working on an SL version of Charles Lindbergh's airplane.





A Spur-of-the-Moment VICE Combat Dogfight Contest.

SL Aviation Pioneer Cubey Terra celebrates 5 years in Second Life.

Bancos Milestone will soon release his SL version of the de Havilland Beaver Seaplane. Below is a look at a RL version and a Flight Sim version....





Next weekends scheduled EDF and RCAF Air Combat on Saturday the 13th of September at 9:00 AM SL time, followed by another dogfight on Sunday the 14th of September at 9 AM SL time. Location: Skies of Tomorrow in Extropia. Watch for notices about VICE only combat in the near future. We'll mix it up by alternately using TCS on some days and VICE on others. VICE = Vehicle and Infantry Combat Environment

The Piper J-3 Cub in Second Life®

Bancos Milestone's Piper J-3 Cub in Second Life....

From the Wiki: "The Piper J-3 Cub is a small, simple, light aircraft that was built between 1937 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. With tandem (fore and aft) seating, it was intended for flight training but became one of the most popular and best-known light aircraft of all time. The Cub's simplicity, affordability and popularity invokes comparisons to the Ford Model T automobile. Its standard yellow paint has come to be known as “Cub Yellow” or "Lock Haven Yellow...."

EDF-RCAF Air Combat on August 16th

Pilots of the Extropia Defense Force and Royal Caledon Air Force engage in a dogfight furball over several Extropia sims.

This gives you an idea of what it's like to fly and fight in Second Life....

Amelia Earhart's airplane in Second Life® (Part 2 with Video)

SL Builder Josh Noonan's Lockheed Electra 10E, Amelia Earhart's last airplane. Amelia flew her plane on her final flight. Her ill-fated world tour in 1937.

EDF/RCAF Dogfight photographs from Saturday 09 August

Phin here, filling-in for Zoe who was away most of the weekend. I organized the EDF/RCAF Dogfight on Saturday and took a few photos. These 5 pics are representative of the day.



Note the WW2 Aircraft in flames





Now take a look at Cornelius Fanshaw's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang flying car



He was shotdown the least within our group of dogfighters



I managed to stay in the air longer than usual, concentrating on defensive maneuvers rather than attacks, when Cornelius flying his "Fine Four-Fendered Friend" took several shots at me and down I went, almost landing on Vidal Tripsa. Conveniently, I was 2 meters from the Tiki-Bar and decided to stay.

The EDF & RCAF on August the 9th '08

Vidal Tripsa writes: "Pilots from the Extropia Defense Force and Royal Caledon Air Force take to Extropia's skies under the lead of Cdr. Phineas Messmer and Cdr. Vidal "Trip" Tripsa.

I filmed this starting from take-off, some cockpit footage that kept rolling until I was shot down, then some ground footage as I sought refuge on the island resort of Blood & Thunder, at Sen'Jin."

Air Combat this Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th

Attention EDF and RCAF pilots!

We'll meet at Skies of Tomorrow 9:00 AM SL Time. I'll lead on Saturday, ACM Sin Trenton leads us on Sunday.

Sin and I have discussed new rules for our organized dogfights. These rules are approved by Marshal Zoe Connolly.

Dogfights will be restricted to airplane flight only (no hovering craft) with a TCS max of 10HP. If the Ju-87 has 15, that is acceptable. Read more and feel free to comment at the RCAF Ning page: http://rcafhq.ning.com/

For those who love to hover...

Worry-not pilots! Your dogfights are the following weekend of Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th. More details on the RCAF Ning and group notices next week.


~ Phineas Messmer, Air Chief Marshal RCAF and Commander EDF

Dogfight Furball

"...In 1983, a U.S. Air Force English dictionary defined fur ball as "a confused dogfight full of swarming airplanes." The expression combines the fighting-animal image of flying fur with the eventful, sometimes charitable, occasionally frenetic, nature of a ball..."

- William Safire of the New York Times

With Z on vacation (with Michael Moore and Madonna) and the weekend looming with 14 hours of RL telecommuting work from home I decided to setup a Saturday Air Battle for pilots from the Extropia Defense Force and the Royal Caledon Air Force.



And since I couldn't put much thought into it I took the lazy man's way out and just said, "Yeah yeah fly whatever you want and shoot everyone." No teams or themes. Ugh, I really need to get going and organize that EDF/RCAF Air Combat Tournament.



I have a few more photos I'll post as soon as possible.

Below is a snapshot of your intrepid pipe-smoking reporter, faithfully taking photographs of the battle swarm from a safe distance.



-- Phineas Messmer, ACM RCAF, Commander EDF, and lousy photographer

Dogfights in Extropia

Pilots of the RCAF and EDF will meet at the Skies of Tomorrow sim in Extropia on Saturday 02 August 2008 at 9:00 AM SLT for dogfight.

We'll have air combat for approximately 45 minutes.

Our theme is : "Fly Your Favorite"

As always, one-on-one dogfights are welcome in Extropia and select void-sim duchies in Caledon.


-- Phineas Messmer (filling-in for the vacationing Zoe Connolly)