Sugar (Formerly VA_LtCol_Sugar) :VA History
Virtual Aces was formed by VA_Col_Specter as many squads are, from another squad, in our case IMS (Iron Mules Squadron). In those days VA’s game was Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3 and VA was conceived with a single purpose in mind, to be the best…and to prove it.
CFS3 was a small but very skilled community in the world of combat flight simulation. And 3 was fast, requiring quick reactions and sharp situational awareness. There was one way to prove which squad was the best in 3, the Weekend Challenge (WEC). An individual pilot would spend Monday threw Thursday sharpening technique in game when flying, probably in his head when was supposed to be working and likely dreaming of kill shots when asleep. Friday the games started, and VA sat before their monitors, harts racing, palms sweaty and hoping they didn't screw up for perhaps as many as five to ten matches a day. In the end there was no doubt VA was the best.
For some of us it was time to move on from CFS3 and IL2 seemed like a good choice, many pilots from other squads had already switched. Specter decided to stay in CFS3 so he handed command of the IL2 division over to his XO VA_LtCol_Sugar.
Making a successful crossover from one game to another is extremely difficult for a Squad and many have dissolved trying to do it. In CFS3 VA was tops, in IL2 we were nothing. There was much frustration, many VA pilots simply disappeared from IL2 and it was not long before Sugar knew that he was not the right man to command VA in this new game. But he also knew that as long as he wore the VA tag VA lived in IL2 so he waited and watched for the right man to present himself. That man turned out to be VA_Maj_C2xtreem.
C2 has built VA in IL2 almost from scratch, his hard work and unfailing good humor has attracted many fine pilots who continue in the same grand style as the original VA’s. Where we will go from here is as unknown as any future but this writer is confident it will be both glorious and fun and is proud to be part of it.
VA_Maj_c2xtreem talks about VA
VA is a group of many highly skilled pilots with varies talents in all aspects of IL-2 from pure dog fighters to bomber pilots as well as guys that love both.
We look for above all and most importantly Team Players. A good wing man is your life. Being a good or even great pilot in my opinion is useless unless You have the support of Your wing men to back you up. My theory is You fly alone you die alone. When we work as a team everyone's numbers as well as skill levels go up not to mention TEAM and individual morale. I also look for good team cohersion in my men if we cannot get along its just not as fun so I look for SOLID TEAM players. Respect on communication is also very important to me and the VA squad as a whole. Many times we use our own Com's to avoid ridiculous chatter or certain times when other Com's are too busy so we may communicate better when it comes time to fight.
OK Now for c2s DREAM and story.
I have been with VA since back in CFS 3 Sugar & the boys had asked me to join shortly after VA formed & my old squad The SABERS dis-banned. As VA moved into the IL-2 arena only a handful of us VA remained & those number of VA diminished it seemed like Sugar and I were the only ones left.
When Sugar passed the position of XO to me I was very static and honored to be chosen to lead the VA squadron. I knew immediately what I wanted to do with the Squadron. Its goes way back to a childhood dream and fantasy of running my own air wing much as Pappy Boyington did with the VMF-214 Black sheep in WW II.
I wanted to get more out of this game and have a dream squadron of various styles of on line pilots such as a outstanding group pilots from skilled fighter pilots to ground pounders to eventually have enough men to lead into battle and bring my men all back alive with stories of their victories to share at the bar when we land. As I started looking for recruits I just simply looked for good pilots and people with good Com's skills that I had fun flying with online and we came home usually with a couple kills a piece and always watched out for each other that's how all VA is chosen.
At first I wanted to grow the squad very as a small step at a time as I was making sure my men meshed well with the VA style. In those early days I had several offers to combine the VA Squad with other small and not so small Squadrons but that was never my nor VAs intention. VA was Specter and Sugars baby. I was not to change that cause as XO of a Squadron with such a on line history its very hard for me to just give that up. I'm sure Sugar and I were thinking along the same lines there even though I never asked him. There's way too much pride that goes along with this Squadron.
Anyway as I started to assemble more men in the VA we mostly looked for dog fighters since that's where we evolved from. Then I started ground pounding after I learned how to get a p-38 off the ground without spinning in circles forever on the ground. Thanks to CIA Mean I quickly learned how to be proficient with my ordinance and I wanted more air cover going in to kill targets. Then I decided ok now I want more strike pilots. Hoss immediately was my number 1 candidate for that. At the time he was a p-38 nut as I was a solid team player good on comms definite VA material and I only wanted 1 strike pilot with me at that time so as it was easy to coordinate our ground pounding. Even tough I blew him up on his first sortie with VA. Man I still laugh thinking of that Hoss.
Moving on I still wanted more fighter pilots and eventually more ground pounders. It rapidly swung that VA had more ground pounders than fighter cover as myself and others learned to bomb from 20,000 ft and higher with Deadly accuracy. Finally after about a year in a half I started to have what I wanted with the right group of guys and wanted to go to war on line and VA starts flying Forgotten Skies on line war. Which in my opinion is as close as any of us will ever get to what being there was actually like. This is WHO VA is a HIGHLY RESPECTED group of HIGHLY TALENTED on line WW II pilots who share the passion for the planes, time we never got to see but many of our parents and grandparents either lived though maybe served in and maybe even payed the ultimate price for our FREEDOM today.
Sorry for being long winded but this is who we are & what we do in my opinion.
For me I love this hobby and I'm sure you do too, others you wont see our website.
I also like to see my Squad members story what they like about the VA Squad if you like.
By the way I'm glad to have you all on the VA squadron enjoy and look forward flying with you. See you up in the Virtual Sky. |
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