The most helpul advice I can give is "lose sight lose the fight" Use your views to stay on an enemies six!! I fly holding the 5 key an alot.
Stick to 1 plane for a while learn it cold. Then try another plane. I have mastered the spit and the 109. I am the worlds worst 190 and 38 pilot. Next camp. I am going to make myself learn the 190. Just gonna fly 190 all the time, till i get it down. I flew 109 for 3 months. In fact I have a reputation as a 109 driver, most people expect to find me in a 109, it is still my favorite plane!!!
Try making your own movies and watch them for mistakes you made. Also EVERYTIME you kill or get killed look at the person or persons that you killed or killed you. Go to the roster of people of who are flying and examine their score. If the arena "hot shot" killed you, you have nothing to be ashamed of. If some Newbie blasted you, you need to rethink what you did.
How do you determine someone's ability from their score. DONT JUST LOOK AT THEIR TOTAL POINTS. I think the missions to kill ratio is the most important stat. A guy with 25 mission flown and 50 kills is averaging 2 kills a mission, ( he's good, kill him your on to something) If a guy has 50 missions and 5 kills he gets a 1 kill every ten missions ( he not so hot)
This is how i got better. Knowing my plane, and knowing my opponets. If you know your plane, you know what she can do and what she can't do. So play to YOUR strengths and the strengths of your plane.
Example if you fly P-51
YOU CANNOT turn fight with 109, Spit, Yak, P-38
YOU CAN turn fight with 190, P-47 and A-26
YOU CANNOT out run a 190
YOU CAN out run 109, Spit, P-38, Yak, P-47 (above 30k fastest plane)
(Note this is for pilots of equal abilities, if you are better, or he's better anything can and will happen)
FIREPOWER 109 and 190 lose their cannon punch at 25% ammo Spit loses cannons at 50% P-51, P-47, A-26 never lose their punch
These are examples of what i mean by knowing your bird. How did i learn this? Practice experience and asking good flyers 1 question at a time and learning what they told me (Not ten questions 1 question !! ). No I dont have the manual either, i'm like a sponge allways looking for knowledge. I wish i had that DAMN manual!!!!
NO AMOUNT OF "HINTS" CAN REPLACE PRACTICE. PRACTICE creates instinct!
Knowing your opponent I am unable to defeat the following people 1 on 1: Weeg =REG=, Flibi, Bammm, Buz5. Oh i keep them busy for awhile, but I allways seem to come up on the short end of the money with these guys. I have a mental list of the Guys that i'm about equal to. Blazr, Buz50, Bop7b, Rager, Comet, and many more. I kill these guys they, kill me.
This is what i mean by Knowing your opponent, look at the score cards of who you kill and who killed you!!! EVERYTIME !! Evaluate their skills, then compare how you did against them. Watch the film of your fight !!!
Go fly somewhere quiet and practice a few moves, put on an "Air Show" for yourself and make a movie of it. Watch it and see how sloppy you are.
If fighting sombody, and they do something that gives you trouble (i.e. A snap roll) chances are this same move may help you give the next guy trouble. Remember it, practice it, then TRY IT!!!! If doesn't work for you keep trying. If it never works for you put it in the circular file (trash can).
STUDY RAVENARS TIPS!!!! GO TO THE WEB SITE HE LISTED!!!!! NOW!!!!
I hope this helps. Remember my office door is allways open to you!!! Good hunting!!
Sauron (Helm) <CO> {Nazgul} RR eur # 4
~Nazgul~