A DECADE LONG FLIGHT SIM COMMUNITY

So where did this flight sim community start? Like most things that endure it starts with a passion then turns into an obsession. Your wife thinks you spend too much time on the computer, and your dog is your new best friend again! ( just kidding - which part I leave that to you )

My name is Big G, and my passion like many others in this community started with iconic flight sims in the 1990s like The Red Baron, Jane's AH-64D Longbow, Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator (and it's many versions) and who can't forget the ultimate flight sim of this decade Falcon 3.0.

HANGING FROM THE CLIFFS OF DOVER

But this community started with one specific flight sim that would unite four Bettys from four different countries called IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover. As friends we began to dabble in a new high fidelity flight simulator in 2009 called Digital Combat Simulator. I cut my teeth on the A-10C in a fully clickable cockpit with real flight dynamics. It was amazing!!!, but...

THE EARLY DAYS OF DCS

But the early days of DCS was a wispy shadow from the immersive top shelf combat simulator we know today with VR support, a skeleton framework with one free map, plenty of bugs and the not so high fidelity aircraft package from a game called Lock On, which offered the SU-27, MiG-29 and the F-15C and lets not forget the SU-25T or the ugliest aircraft in the world the Frog Foot.

It reminds me sadly enough of the vintage aircraft the Canadian Snowbirds demonstration team continues to fly called the CT-114 Tutor but belches huge amounts of black smoke with more powerful but maybe not as efficient engines?

Soviet planes love to belch smoke ;p

A NEW COMMUNITY IS BORN!

From the flight sim foundations of IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover was born a new community called ANON6 started by Wolfie from Norway, Furious from England, Injerin from the US and Big Ginger (that's me) from Canada. Over a decade we played, we laughed, we made fun of each other in ridiculous ways and survived the turmoils and tribulations of life, I think Injerin spent a night in Jail but that's a story for a another blog, and most importantly we made a few friends along the way.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE BITCHIN BETTYS

Over the years DCS grew into the premier combat flight simulator we love today with a wide variety of aircraft, maps and VR support. After the word ANON become a political word and we lost the website for some unknown reason, out of the ashes like a rising phoenix sprung a new flight gaming community the Bitchin Bettys with a renewed focus on sharing and building community missions tailored to our needs for co-operative play and from time to time a good old fashion head to head beat down.

We invite anyone who loves to fly or simply interested in an amazing VR experience for the first time to join us on discord and come fly with the Bitchin Bettys.