August 28, 2007

A late notification but I have terminated the convention squadron competitions.  There was not enough interest to justify the efforts at maintaining the additional statistics and web pages.

December 29, 2006

Starting in January of 2006 I am retroactively changing how convention squadron rosters will be handled.  Now, starting each January, a squadron may start the convention season with no more than 3 blue max pilots.  Now, if because of mid-season promotions, a squadron finds itself with more than 3 blue max pilots, those pilots may remain active on the roster until the end of the year.  There is no longer any need to shuffle pilots around in the middle of the season because of promotions.

I plan to update the 2006 convention squadron pages and announce the pilot of the year later this winter.  While the pilot stats are updated, the other sections of the Aerodrome Great Lakes site are out of date.  I hope to devote time to that project this winter.

The Aerodrome Order of the Black Eagle has been given some new tweaks.  Now there are silver and gold star ribbon devices along with a V valor ribbon device that will be awarded to those few deserving pilots.

A reminder that following OWWCon in Toledo on December 30, all pilots fall under the December 2007 announcement in regards to blue max awards.  The 2006 grandfather clause is concluded.

September 18, 2006

Starting in January of 2007, any pilot wings earned will require the pilot to pay $1 for them to be awarded.  The wings cost a bit under $2 each and this step has been taken to reduce my financial liability.  As you all are aware, currently for $2, pilots may retain their silver wings when they earn their gold ace wings.  Under the new system, it will still only cost $2 to a pilot to keep both wings.  Because of the large cons I run with the staggering number of pilots processed through, this new policy will hopefully reduce the expenses for awarding scores of wings to people who will never play again.  Children will be exempted from this policy.

January 8, 2006

The 1st National Aerodrome 1.1 Championship Tournament will be held on January 22, 2006 in Dayton, OH.  Wexford Hill Hobbies is hosting the event.  It will run from 10am-6pm.  The top 5 pilots will be honored and there will be several other awards for "special" categories.  The tournament will be limited to 64 participants.   I encourage those interested to pre-register for the event.  Walk-up entries will be accepted at the tournament ONLY if there are still available slots.  We will not exceed 64 participants for any reason.  An entry fee of $5 is required to participate.  Those wishing to observe may do so at no cost.  For further information about the tournament click here.

December 7, 2005  (Pearl Harbor Day)

Four new items of interest.

1)  The date has been set for the 1st National Aerodrome Tournament.  On January 22, 2006, we will be holding the "Dogfight in Dayton" National Aerodrome Tournament.  It will run from 10am to approximately 6pm.  Mark it on your calendar and come earn bragging rights or the title of National Champion!  Prizes will be awarded.  Keep checking back for additional updates.

2)  Because of the increase in popularity of Aerodrome and also the increase in the number of missions/conventions the Aerodrome Great Lakes campaign accommodates, I am changing the Blue Max awards schedule.  In 2005, I awarded $618 worth of full size Blue Max medals in display cases.  I am expanding the Aerodrome Great Lakes schedule even further in 2006, even making use of newly sanctioned National/Great Lakes GMs.  I would expect to award at least the same number, if not more in 2006.  Since I am only an Aerodrome GM (I am not the owner of  the rule set), I do not wish to see this financial burden increase.  Therefore I am making the following adjustments in awarding of the Orden Pour le Merite medal:

1. At 25 aerial victories, a player will be awarded a Blue Max pin, promoted to colonel and given an in game bonus.
2. At 50 aerial victories, a player will be awarded a museum quality replica of the Orden Pour le Merite (Blue Max) in a display case.
3. At 75 aerial victories, a player will be awarded a museum quality replica of the Orden Pour le Merite (Blue Max), with oak cluster, in a larger display case.  As always, the original medal must be returned to be awarded the oak cluster medal display.

I am going to grandfather anyone who ended the 2005 convention season at the rank of major (10 or more victories), under the old 25/50 policy.  Anyone who was below the rank of major at the end of 2005, will fall under the new awards policy.

3)  Several conventions on the Great Lakes campaign 2006 schedule, will be hosted by other GMs.  These GMs are fully sanctioned Aerodrome Great Lakes and National Aerodrome GameMasters.  They will maintain stats and run the games under existing policies.  Any statistics earned at these events will count in both the Great Lakes and the National standings.  I have opted to utilize these experienced and enthusiastic GMs, so that I could maintain an Aerodrome presence at the usual conventions and expand our presence at new conventions.  In 2006, I expect to run Aerodrome at conventions in Tennessee and Missouri.  We should also be able to run 4 tables of Aerodrome at Origins in 2006.

4)  The decision has been made to definitely permit conventions squadrons to have 5 pilots on their rosters for the 2006 season.  Also, each squadron is permitted to contain no more than 3 Blue Max recipients.

August 22, 2005

It has been decided to permit 3 Blue Max recipients on each squadron starting next year.  The possibility of expanding the squadrons to 5 members is still in discussion.  Three new squadrons have joined the fray since Origins.

May 9, 2005

Big news for our Aerodrome Great Lakes campaign at Origins this year!  Contrary to what the event signups say, Aerodrome - Ace of Aces has been promised THREE tables for Origins 2005.  If an event is sold out in the Origins database, stop by and signup for the additional game positions.  I will have a signup sheet at my table.  Also, the tables are to be mine for the duration of the convention.  In between official events, I will be running squadron battles and free-for-alls.  So if you're bored, stop by and try to shoot me down for free.  During the official events, I will attempt to keep new and lower ranking players on a "newbie" table.  The campaign veterans will flesh out the other two tables and may freely slaughter each other.  With your help, I am going to make this a big year for Aerodrome at Origins.  Each table will be considered a single event, so 3 players will be event winners during each event time slot.  The Ace of Aces award will be an authentic 1915-1918 gold gilt WWI Bulgarian participation medal with the original document.  It was issued to Bulgarian Captain Boris Ivanov Chunchev, and the display case is HUGE!

I'm asking all players who plan on attending Origins to please bring extra aircraft and stands, provided you don't mind lending them out.  Remember, plane casualties are a fact of convention play....it could be yours that takes the dive.  If you are worried about that potential, don't offer them up for general use.

Finally, an Aerodrome tournament has been suggested for early-mid August in Toledo, OH.  This would be a nationally sanctioned tournament and hopefully would feature the best Aerodrome talent of the Aerodrome Great Lakes campaign.  I'll be by August we could even get some players to travel a decent distance in order to compete.  There would be strict enforcement of tourney rules and a very structured process for turns, movement and plotting.  Each side of a table would have a GM assigned to them.  I'm attempting to determine interest for this type of tournament, please post on the Aerodrome forums if you have interest in such an event.

March 10, 2005

Because of the national ranking system and the increase in quantity of Aerodrome awards, the Great Lakes campaign is placing a limit of 10 bonus points per convention.  In addition, these bonus points will no longer count towards the Ace of Aces competition.  The quantity of awards is making entirely unbalanced for lower ranking pilots attempting to compete for the Ace of Aces award.  Without bonus points, Captain Kevin Readman would have won the competition at Little Wars 2005.  The bonus points will continue to be counted and added to the individual pilot's statistics.  Before anyone asks, yes they will continue to be added to the squadron totals.

On the topic of awards, subsequent awards of the Aerodrome Order of the Black Eagle medal will be indicated by a silver oak leaf device that is to be attached to the medal ribbon.  A limit of one such device will be awarded, although records will be kept as to the number of subsequent awards a pilot earned.  A pilot may, at his own expense, purchase additional silver oak leaf devices from me for a cost of $.95.  I will authorize no more than 3 oak leaf devices to be attached to the Black Eagle medal at any time.  No exceptions.

October 29, 2004

After discussions with some high ranking players, it has been decided that our Aerodrome Great Lakes campaign is going to permit players to form squadrons.  Any players may officially form a squadron provided they follow simple guidelines.

1)  The squadron commander must be a Major or higher in rank.
2)  A squadron may consist of no more than 4 pilots.
3)  A squadron may never contain more than 2 recipients of the Blue Max.

The Squadron commander has only to notify me in person or email that he is forming a squadron and provide a non-offensive name for the squadron.  I will be creating a squadron web page listing existing squadrons and their members.  Squadrons will compete against each other via the compiled stats for member pilots.  The stats will be compiled for each convention season January through December.  Each member of the top squadron for the year will be awarded a prize.  I'll insist that there be at least 3 squadrons in existence before I will award prizes.

Squadrons may submit custom graphics, photos, recruitment posters or most anything they want on their squadron page.

 

Last Updated on 8/28/2007
By Rick