Feature: Lowland Tiger Meet 2011 Page 2

By SimHQ on April 18, 2011 in _air13, hide

In the afternoons we were forced to take a break from flying. As splendid as the location was, it just couldn’t stop the sun from interfering with our head tracking devices. We had not come as prepared as some of the other pilots, since parasols, sheets and cardboard contraptions were all well represented at the event. On Saturday, we took the opportunity to enjoy some fresh air and scout the village of Ahaus. This privilege seems to have been limited to the two of us, since we had failed to take these much needed precaution against the sunlight.

Here comes the sun, doodle doodle….

Creative sun block.

Schloss Ahaus.

Regardless, Saturday proved for us to be the highlight of the Meet. Many pilots found some time off to sit down with us and try Rise of Flight, as well as several visitors to the event. We got plenty of stick time both online and off. And the LLTM crowd is a great bunch, we couldn’t have felt more welcome. It was fun to see the contrast between these mach 1 jets and our flimsy biplanes. People were surprised how much reflexes and precision are needed to get through a dogfight in one piece. The one question we were asked most was “where’s the radar?”.

People are always more interested when you crash.

Jim Mackonochie of Eagle Dynamics trying the Rise of Flight SE5a. He was at LLTM presenting the new DCS: A-10C Warthog.

One thing I noticed is how varied the (combat) flight sim world is and how much it has to offer, despite the niche market it finds itself in. There are simulators for every era and type of flight, from the earliest wing warping contraptions, to the culmination of propeller driven flight, and from the deadliest of helicopters to the fastest fighter jets. And each and every simulator has a ton of enjoyment on offer and goals to pursue. Be the best pilot of them all, become the most efficient team player, be an aerobatic stunt pilot ready to rival any of the world’s display teams, become a mod-maker and change your favorite sim for the better, learn the skills to make awesome videos, the list is endless. Events like the Lowland Tiger Meet are the breeding ground for such talent, but it’s never a requirement to enjoy yourself: fraternization and socializing with fellow enthusiasts are still at the center of the meet.

Awesome flying skill makes for awesome videos.

That’s a lot of new friends!

It’s a strange thought, visiting something for the first time in your life. Highly anticipating, but slightly skeptical, as you’ll always be. And then coming back home, fully converted, and bristling with plans and ideas for the next year. I’m a cynic at heart and certainly did not expect to be converted so easily. Yet the Lowland Tiger Meet for me proved to be full of charm, promise and enjoyment. And I most certainly look forward to making my return in 2012, meeting up with my new friends and bringing some new Rise of Flight pilots into the frey as well.

And once again, it will be interesting to see how that turns out. Personally, I can’t wait!

SimHQ Report on the Lowland Tiger Meet 2010

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