It’s been over 17 years since I wrote this page, the same year as 51 Stormo became it’s own wing within EAF. EAF has been around for over 22 years by now and I have been a member for over 21 of them. The only current member that joined before me was Puffman, he beat me by a month or two I think. Then again, in active years I win. 
It sure does bring out memories for me, all the people I have flown and fought with and against, and met IRL as well…
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How many memories Mikke in reading those names!!
You opened a door to my memory, when recruited by EAF51_MAX I started flying with 51 EAF. as an intern in December 2000, on the EAW simulator.
I still remember a normal training evening, that I was called for a flight 1 vs 1 with you, not knowing English well, Bear was me simultaneous translator to perform your commands.
I don’t know how long the flight lasted the concentration was maximum, it could have lasted a few minutes as more than an hour, I just know that I was so tense and focused that, time after it ended, I realized I was in a sweat bath and I had to go take a shower and change my shirt.
After a moment you told me that I had passed the exam, I had become a Spitfire pilot in EAF 51 and I could remove the T from my nick name and finally become EAF51_CHIP.
It was January 29, 2001
Since then it’s been almost 21 years and even now that I’m a “Grey Eagle” having spent some time the 60 years, I’m still among you to fly in the virtual skies!
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Time flies (no pun intended)
In some ways it seems only a few years since I joined. But the date don’t lie.
There are a lot of memories in those years.
A lot of war stories.
I was not around for EAW. But I saw the rise and prime of IL-2 Forgotten Battles and SEOW campaign system coming into its prime. EAF fought in many theathers around the world. Flying from both sea and land bases.
Some of my most memorable missions was 3 hours long, barely seing any action.
Thanks for all the memories.
Cheers
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I have never loved long boring missions, but one mission I do remember quite vividly was flying a conquered 109 against other 109’s in a desert mission. Quite a long flight, with some short bursts of action, but I think the naughtiness of the whole thing was the icing on the cake. 
Funny, another fight I have found memories of was also in a German plane, over the channel against 19 or 92 boys flying spitfires. Me alone in a 190 against a big group of Spits, everything happening about at cloud level, so I popped out of the clouds for a quick attack and then back to hiding in the clouds before the next attack. Can’t remember if I got all that many kills, but I managed to repeat the attacks many times before they realized what was happening.
Both of these where in late versions of IL-2.
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MultiSector Campaign’42
(Channel/Mediterranean/Libya/…and some other places in Asia
We flew the Bf109F at 2010-06-04 in Libya .
…and I came home with a lot of bullit holes from “friendly” fighters.
Another reason to not do it in sectors with friendly fighters operating 
But the feeling of naughtyness and showing of the bounty in their face was incredible.
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