AirRat's Story
AirRat is a Military Technical Representative for Rolls-Royce Aircraft engines, working with the 82nd Airborne Division Attack Helicopter Battalion as a field engineer.
I first found cyber aviation while searching the web for something to do back in 98. I entered the Air Warrior RR world and hooked up with a squad with the unlikely handle of NFL sporting a cheesy macro declaring "Foul" after each kill. At that time, I had the flying ability of a penguin, and settled into a position as tail gunner in a B-17. After a time I got tired of clubbing baby seals and wanted a shot at the real thing, and entered into the full realism where I hooked up with the 2 people who would help me refine my gunning techniques, as I still flapped my wings like a dodo bird, Denny and Flossy.
I stared flying with Flossy who was a steadfast by the book, long range bomber pilot. We would go deep deep into enemy territory for the strat targets she loved so much. I learned a lot about gunning from high altitude on a steady platform, and chances were good, we were going home.
After a bit, I also started flying with Denny, also know as Pappy now. Denny was a maniac. Denny could make a B-17 stand on its tail (and it did). We would do some high alt precision bombing, then once empty of bombs, he would turn that B-17 into a huge fighter. I can remember upping at a base that was viciously capped with Denny in an empty bomber as the fighters could not get up. Denny flying and me gunning, killed all 5 enemy fighters and landed. They didn't come back. During one campaign, with Denny at the wheel, I racked up just over 400 kills as a gunner. I had also joined the Sky Knights. During this time, I also managed to get up off the ground, mostly in goonies and a few other planes equipped with training wheels. Denny helped me learn a few basics, so I was starting to learn to fly.
Airwarrior eventually folded, and I had to take a break from flying when I was picked up by Rolls-Royce and sent out to North Carolina, but eventually I got a better computer, a bit more time and hooked back up with the Sky Knights. I flew with the Sky Knights for another year, when my flight ticket was temporarily pulled by Mr. G. Bush on account of war. I spent 2 months in Kuwait, and a month in Iraq during the war. The end of March, end of major hostilities was declared, and the 82nd, with one weary AirRat were sent home. After about a month of rest, I hooked up with my old buddies in the Sky Knight Bomber group again., This time under the leadership of Seadog, and I ended up being tagged as his luggage handler and gunner for squad nights. But this was not to last for long. After 2 months, the Army declared a re-do, and sent the 82nd Airborne, and my battalion back to the land of endless beaches. We spent 9 months in Iraq, a stones throw from Falujah. That's nine months I will probably never forget.
I returned from Iraq, and it wasn't long before I hooked up with the Sky Knights again. I'm still gunning on squad nights, but I'm learning (with a bit of coaching from Denny) to be a terror of my own in a bomber with a Rat painted on the nose. (Okay, I'm a terror if you happen to be a gopher living in the ground around an enemy base, but sometimes I hit something by accident). I don't know what the future holds, and I'm sure my trips over to the middle east are not over, but I know I will always come home to the Sky Knights.
AirRat Sky Knights Bomber Group
