Reading through Lee’s (Midnightprowler’s) last post, where he informed us that he had some problems to attend to and that he would not be with us anymore for a little while, I really feel that this is a fantastic place with lots of great people, many of whom I would not mind calling friends.
It reminds me very much of the very first model club I joined, back in the very late '70s in Belgium. I stayed on until 1990 and leaving them (for another country) was real hard. I’d say as hard as leaving my own family. The club was like my family. I’d spend lots of time working on new models, developping my skills, helping others,… to make this family proud of me.
Other than a Junior model club I ran from 1993 until 1998 (when I left again for another country!), I have been club-less ever since. I did miss it. But things have changed since last December when I joined this forum.
Very late in 1998, I started working as a pattern maker for various model companies. I built up to 50 models a year at some stage, and found no time to build much for myself. 5 years on, over 200 patterns later, I’ve rediscovered the pleasure of scale modeling. Thanks to you, guys (and dolls!). I’ve decided to stop working for so many companies and actually enjoy building what I want instead, and sharing that with you.
Hence my more regular posts with updates on my latest projects. I’ve just completed my third model in a week (I’ll post pics of that T31 later tonight) and I just feel great! It’s the first time in 5 years I’ve actually build more than 2 models for myself in any twelve months. Believe me, more are on their way!
So, all I wanted to say is a big thank you for the FSM people who started this thing rolling, and above all, to all of the members who do take time to read and comment on my (numerous) posts. This is a great community, this is my model club and I’m really proud of being part of it.
Well, we sure do enjoy conversing with ya and seeing your great work, Domi!
I feel as you do. This is a great place full of great people, having a great time.
I keep egging my Japanese friends from the club here to log on and give it a shot, join in on the fun, but they’re still too afraid of all the English!
I think one of my Canadian buddies has signed up, though…
You out there, G?
Brian
Tell your friends that there’s no reason at all to fear any of the English guys on this forum. They’re just as down to earth and friendly as all the rest of us…
They do have a fondness for throwing the letter “u” into words where it really doesn’t belong but other than that they’re a great bunch![:)]
This is an excellent community! I know how you feel man…heck-- I am part of an online squad that flies flight sims together. We don’t fly together too much anymore-- but we are the best of friends. One was an airline pilot and was able to meet up with some while on a flight…
We are pretty close-knit now…even to the point that when I needed a new computer to run IL-2 and the like, I started getting components in the mail-- an excellent motherboard, a pretty decent video and sound card, sticks of memory, a hard drive, etc-- they all basically donated parts they weren’t using-- all I had to buy was a processor and case…
When my wife was pregnant-- they all sent awesome baby clothes and accessories. And the clincher is I have not met any of them in person…there are lots of great people on the Net…and a good chunk of them are here [:)]
I never had a model club to belong to, until I came here. [:)] I could’nt agree with you more. This is a great place to be and I’m proud to to be part of it[^].
J-Hulk,
Some of us English guys may appear to be quite mad at times[:p] but we’re a friendly, colourful bunch. Honest![;)]
My online squad is like that as well. I’ve been with them for about 5 years now, they feel like close friends and family also. What squad and what sims do you fly Jeeves, mebbe I’ve run into you online. I love online flight sims.
We started out on good old SDOE and had some of the best times online I have ever had…and our squad is the mighty =FC= (Err… Fighting Chickens) LOL
Since then-- we played mainly IL-2 but usually just on our own IP address…although a few of us joined up on Siggi’s DiD last year for a while…we were on the Axis side-- and I trained them on the art of fighter-bombing as I always liked being a ground pounder…and they helped with with the dogfight/strafe side of things…
What about you guys-- what do you fly and what’s your squad??
Domi It’s been great having you share your stuff with us on the forum and especially your “own” stuff here lately!! It’s also a pleasure having your input and your support especially with your background. Keep 'em coming!
Hulk Tell your fiends we don’t bite and most of us can’t speak or type very gud [;)] english either!! [:D] They are most welcome and really, if they want to scare us they could type in Japanese, I know I’d be lost!! [:D] [:p]
I’m just going to say ditto to the fine words that have already been used to describe this site.
I have had the pleasure of becoming “long distance” friends with many of the contributers here.
This IS my club … this IS my group of friends … and this IS my modelling home.
Brian as far as your friends from Japan having fear of the English language, tell them not to worry about it … we even let Erush in here [:0][:0][:0][:0] and anyone who’s ever chatted with him for any length of time will know what I mean. [;)][;)][;)][;)]
Y’all knows I’s rat !!! [:p][:p][:p][:p]
Big thanks to FSM for making this place available, but a bigger thanks to the members who have made it what it is. A warm, friendly, supportive bunch !!! [:D][:D][:D][:D]
Most of us type in pidgin english! [:D]
I have never belonged to a club and it is amazing how close you can feel to people you have never met. I don’t think I have met anyone here that I wouldn’t gladly count as a friend. J-Hulk Maybe you could get togrther with the group and translate for them? I also would be completely lost if the typed in Japanese.
I’ve told the guys how great everyone is here at FSM, and a few of the fellas even said they’d at least have a look at the forums to see how much they could understand.
I think it’d be great to get some of these guys in on the fantastic community we all share here.
That way, you wouldn’t have to just take my word on all the cool stuff here in Japan![;)]
We started out years and years ago back in 1990 with dos based Airwarrior, and stuck with that for a very long time. We’re in Warbirds, and Dawn of Aces, Aces High, FigherAce, and WW2OL… If you look at the books for MS Combat flight sim and CFS2, you’ll find tons of Musketeers references, that’s because several of our guys were involved in making it. We got to beta test the first two cfs games, and fighterace too for that reason.
You guys might give a shot to aces high or fighterace or even warbirds. I bet you’d find that playing online with hundreds of people is seriously fun. Nothing like fighting real people. I always wanted to check out a copy of sdoe, maybe I can find one around here somewhere. Is it available as a download?
Shermie, Ah don’t know what yer talkin about. Yer the wun with the funy acksent. Ya know where ah’s at, Ah’s rat cheer. O corse ah knows yer jest funnin with me or ah’d haf ta thump yer head an gives ya an atty-tude adjustin. [:D] [;)]
(Translate that for your friends Brian [:D] [;)] )
This is our main forum for the sim…and I know for a fact there are a couple places where you can pick up SDOE just for the cost of shipping-- but I know not where These guys would know…
This is a great place to be “building models” when I dont have the time for it. All of the people here are wonderful and like Domi said, its our model club. We should all be proud! Hey if the Japanese can understand my Brooklyn accent on here, I am sure to they wont have any problem communicating [:p][:p][:p] with us.
erush. The bad thing is I understood every word you wrote.
To all. This site is not just for a specific country. It is international. I also consider many of you my friends. I have learned a lot from many of you and I like to think I have also contributed a little knowledge.
There is some joking, serious discussions, light hearted discussions and at times some disagreement. There are members that will go out of their way to find information for another member. Some are into aircraft, armor, ships or sci fi, but each has a common bond. That is a bond which can not be broken. We all have one thing in common. Model building.
If I should ever meet any member in person, I would be the first to offer to buy you a cup of coffee or a beer and just set around talking model building. Isn’t that what friends do?
These guys would know…