Hey Guys!

[Kippy]

I'm Kippy, formerly known as "Sleepy" from the disbanded 163rd vFS.

After being introduced to a WWII sim called "Aces High" seven-ish years ago that started an addiction, I eventually found DCS in August of 2014, and now I find myself here. I never would have guessed that flight simming would be such a rewarding hobby that would envelop so much of my free time.

A brief stint at the 8th Virtual Fighter Wing in Falcon BMS in 2017, flying the F-16C Blk.40 taught me about applying realistic operations to a realistic simulator. Before the 8th VFW, things like DCS and BMS were merely sandboxes to me - I had no concept of combining a cutting edge, realistic sim with cutting edge, realism-centered operations. Sadly, I just couldn't make the time commitment to fly with the 8th, and I sucked at it anyhow.

After a few largely unsuccessful attempts to stand up my own squadrons - I pretty much shifted through the DCS community for a few years, flying only with close friends, spending most of my time designing missions and campaigns for fun.

One day, while making at what would seem like another unsuccessful pass at starting up an A-10 squadron, I got a PM from RyboPops on the ED forums asking me about what my plans were. I didn't really have a whole lot of plans, so I just kinda rolled with the punches and shrugged my shoulders a bunch. What followed were many late night discussions on standing up a squadron - these discussions were where I earned the handle "Sleepy," - and after a while, the 163rd was truly "born." It existed before that, but it was pretty much amateur hour. Now, Rybo sometimes objects to this, but I credit him with being the true brains and horsepower behind what the 163rd became. I pretty much just flew and paid for the website - all of the documentation and critical thought behind the squadron was his. I thought I knew about realistic ops - Rybo knew about realistic ops. Much of what I know today, I attribute to him helping me build - or more accurately, building - the 163rd.

My memory is a bit foggy as to the particulars - but along the 163rd's way, we bumped into the 57th. We became a partner with the 57th under the Buddy Wing Program - and that was wonderful. Sadly though, the 163rd fell into a state of inactivity, and eventually disbanded. We had operated for just about a year - a relatively short time, but a year jammed with flight hours, briefings, debriefs, docs, and "threat wall" jokes.

After drifting for another year, mostly flying 747-8Fs in P3D, I find myself winding up here at the 57th. The 57th is an embodiment of what I had always wanted for myself and for the DCS community - and I'm glad to have the opportunity to be a part of it.

Glad to be here!

- Spencer Y.
Fort Wayne Indiana, USA.
ATTACK

[Rybo]

Ha! I forgot all about the threat wall jokes!

Glad to have you here dude!

[Reaper]

Hi Kippy, thanks for the intro! In some areas I know how you feel. Welcome at the v57th!