Salute to a RCAF Colleague

From the notice:

"Sumie Kawashima passed away in RL Friday evening, Dec 12 of complications from a bone infection. Sumie's rezday was Aug 13, 2007, & she became a Caledon resident soon thereafter. A designer, builder, and test pilot of various aircraft, she founded Kawashima Aero. Sumie was a Group Captain in the Royal Caledon Air Force, head of the Risen Demons, and demon-protectress of the Tamrannoch Sanitorium. Her friends will sorely miss her. Memorial service will be announced at a later date. Boing boing, Sumie."

Fair skies Capt. Kawashima...

RCAF Anniversary

On a lighter note, I went to Connolly Aerodrome in Penzance and celebrated the first anniversary of both the Aerodrome and the Royal Caledon Air Force with its founder Zoe Connolly and other pilots and well-wishers. I do believe a good time was had by all...

'Shroom Searching!

Caledon's gone mushroom hunting crazy. Mushrooms are appearing all over the Realm of the Roses, and some only appear during the night. There are 24 documented ones, but there are rare ones out there too. Gryffin invited me to go hunting with him and I resisted at first, given my normal streaks of bad luck regarding hunts in our fair nation, but I was reassured that it would be fun...and it was! Until I took a nibble of a Caledonus Ordenalis... While in Glengarry, we were joined by Miss Discovolante and Mr Fourwzy when the Guvnah appeared and gave us a preview of things to come involving hunts in Caledon. He filled the ring with them before reassuring us that the 'shrooms will be a permanent feature and there was more fun to come!
As you can see, I did not learn my lesson well and took a nibble of a Xenobiologus Horgidae...uggghhh. Gryffin told me to quit that or I'd get grass stains...
We had a great time running all over Caledon and Winterfell waiting for the mushrooms to appear. Join the hunt!
Later on that evening, I joined Phin at the Aerodrome where Miss Wind was showing us new uniforms for the RCAF paratroopers...

The Few. The Proud. The Tiny.

The RCAF Screamin' Tinies were out in full force for a weekend of tiny dogfights over the Sound filled with thrills and spills!

(pictured: DrBob Margulies, Corn. Fanshaw, Zoe, Dia, Elle)

Dogfight #1 Saturday: Got taken down to 9 hit points before finding myself in a ditch somehow in Lionsgate...
Dogfight #2, Midnight SLT: The Crimson Koala (Lord Primbroke) appears. Here he is being pursued by Zoe...
Dogfight #3, Sunday: Miss Nika Dreamscape took some fun videos of the Squadron in action. Here we are defending HQ against sky pirate Alex Chadbourne...
Here is a poster I made with a fun motto I quipped while we were posing for it...
Afterwards, we all went to the Prop Spinner in SSC for their "Memory of Lara" event for RFL...
My tiny colleagues, as your Squadron Leader I salute you!

Busy Sunday!!

The dogfighting over the Sound wore me out...a swing was the solution...And afterwards, I headed to Tanglewood for Dame Lapin's birthday party! Wore my best pink dress and had cupcakes and a bunneh hat! Life is good!

Announcing Tiny Dogfights: May 3 & 4

As posted by Air Commander Zoe Connolly:

Officers of the Royal Caledon Air Force are planning two days of aerial combat fun during the first weekend of May 2008.

All participants will meet at the Connolly Aerodrome in Caledon Penzance at 10:00 AM SL time on Saturday May 3rd or Sunday May 4th (or both days if you prefer) for what may be the biggest air battle ever fought by tiny avatars!

All you need is a tiny plane with the Terra Combat System (TCS) and a tiny avatar. A tiny dog avatar would be perfect, but if you have your heart set on another, we'll be glad to see you in another tiny incarnation.

Everyone is welcome. You do not need to be a Caledon resident or pilot with the Royal Caledon Air Force. All we ask is that you join the RCAF group during the time of the event itself to facilitate communication in group chat during the events and use a tiny avatar and tiny plane during the dogfights. Tiny planes will be provided by RCAF Marshal Zoe Connolly. The Tiny Avatar you use is up to you. Once we start, air battles usually last 30 to 40 minutes.

Fair Skies!

RCAF Screamin' Tinies Uniform!

After a certain Air Chief (by the name of Messmer) said he wanted one way too many times, I sat down and created the tiny version of the RCAF uniform. It will be distributed to all members of the Screamin' Tinies squadron and made available to those who would like one...I thought I'd test Mr Denver Hax's Boojum Bomber, which has beautiful textures...
I took it for a few laps around the Firth. It handled sim crossings beautifully, was very (almost too) responsive, and...
Was the first tiny aeroplane (airships aside) that I've actually managed to land on the runway! I will test its TCS and bombing capabilities another time...

Tiny by Sea and Air

I thought I'd take my little sailboat out for a spin. I think some folks in Morgaine did a double take at seeing a tiny ferret sail by...Afterwrads, I thought I'd test Denver Hax's tiny version of his JubJub Airship Bomber. It was a nice leisurely ride around the Firth to the Sound and back. It handled sim crossing very well and was easy to fly, using a Boomslang-style system...
And for once, I was actually able to land on the runway!

About the RCAF Disbanding

I came inworld to find that Miss Connolly has disbanded the RCAF. I don't know if you all know how much we at the Aerodrome and Cape Messmer have been dealing with the comments regarding both. It is something that I have addressed before. My time in the RCAF has been wonderful and it has brought me much happiness to meet inventors and other aviators and the camaraderie among my fellow RCAF colleagues has been a lot of fun. I believed in and still believe in her dream. I don't write letters to the Guvnah, but this time I just felt compelled...

Dear Guvnah,

I'm sure you have heard all about the brouhaha surrounding the RCAF by now...

When Zoe had her dream of creating an airfield for everyone-- not just Caledonians--to share, I believed in her and her vision. So did you.

When she envisioned an air corps, I believed in that too. I had never really flown before, but she inspired me...and a little ferret was soon a squadron leader patrolling Caledon's skies.

When Mr Messmer created Cape Messmer, I believed in his dream too. I worked hard on the project, helping to create a place where folks could learn about the Victorian-era space stories and beliefs that influence us even today.

So the snide remarks, the comments, all of that...about theme or whatever else was hurtful. The RCAF was a group of very nice folks who not only enjoyed each other and what they did, but brought in others from outside of Caledon to share the dream. This is unfortunate and I hope she will reconsider. I don't even know what writing you and telling you would or will accomplish in any way, but I just thought you'd like to know as one of Caledon's dreamers' dreams became a nightmare...

Respectfully Yrs.,
Eladrienne Laval

**A note, 2/6: Zoe has reconsidered. Let's move on and past, shall we?

Attack at RCAF HQ

I got a call to arms from my RCAF colleagues and rushed over to RCAF HQ in Penzance, where Miss Bing ("Soapy") and AirChief Connolly ("Foxy") were standing anxiously with their .264 RCAF Ordinal carbines at the ready. Before I could barely arm myself, I found myself in Middlesea having been hit by one of Miss Molly Earnshaw's teddy bear bombs. She got me and Soapy. Where did it come from? We realized she had the high ground, picking us off from the mountain. I went to the back and up the mountain to give chase, only to have her take me down. Later, I was to get my revenge getting her at the base of the HQ. She's awfully accurate and I've heard quite a pilot at well. She gives those of us in the RCAF quite a time...On a quieter, less violent note, Lord showed me around the Nantucket sim, which is quite lovely with its boats and New England feel...