Volume 33, Number 1 

​Covid-19 vs Dawn Patrol – Who Will Win and Why
Stephen Skinner
​
An email was recently sent to Fits Society members regarding the 2021 Spring Mini Con. The discussion quickly degenerated into demands that unvaccinated players be barred from participation. Alternative ideas were ridiculed (so much for diversity) and players rejecting vaccination were sarcastically ​told they would be "sorely missed" (so much for inclusion). But the exchange offered real insight into the vast chasm that separates us from the men whose exploits we recreate in Dawn Patrol. 

Many Dawn Patrol gamers feign respect for the great flyers of World War I but in reality despise the values, culture, religion, loyalties and love of liberty commonly held by those men.

Few Fits players would have lasted five minutes in 1918. If they were to run their mouths as loudly and loosely on an actual World War I airfield as they do at the gaming table, they would soon get their teeth knocked out. The pilots of the early 20th century would not tolerate the arrogance of a know-it-all Dawn Patrol player whose six-Mountain-Dews-per day physique would not stand a snowball's chance in an honest fist fight against an angry flight lieutenant.

​Volume 32, Number 8

DOUBLE ISSUE
Volume 32, Number 6-7

10th Indy Title for Stephen

For the first five turns, the Indy Squadron's 2020 Armistice Day Fits Tournament appeared to be just another well-matched title game. The contest was held on Saturday afternoon, November 7th at the home of Nelson and Sharon Skinner in Lewisville, Indiana. A fresh, hot lunch of brats, hot dogs, chips and dip, soft drinks and snacks was served as the first turn was getting underway. 

It was difficult balancing a seven-player game, so the scenario offered evenly-matched airplanes and a pot luck dice roll as to who would get the odd player. The only concession made to even the scenario was that rookie player Taylor Morgan (who did not, in fact, end up playing like a rookie) would be on the side with a numerical advantage. The sides stacked up like this: 

Volume 32, Number 5 

Armistice Day Championship Preview 

This one is for all the marbles! The Indy Squadron's most prestigious event will be held for the 32nd consecutive year on the first Saturday in November. The winner receives a very special edition of the squadron's most coveted prize, the Victory Medal. Every Victory Medal is a gold medal hung on a red ribbon, and this year's version is a re-purposed award from a rifle shooting competition in 1947. There will only ever be one such award and it goes to the 2020 Indy Squadron champion! 

We will return to our Lewisville, Indiana venue for this year's Indy Squadron Armistice Day Fits Championship. A short warm-up game will begin at 11:00 am on Saturday, November 7, 2020. Please expect an early end to this game. It is merely a warm-up. We would like to have dice rolling for the first turn of the tournament by 1:00-1:30 pm. Here is the full data: 

Indy Squadron's Armistice Day Fits Tournament 2020
Saturday, November 7, 2020 
11:00 am 
108 S Market Street 
Lewisville IN 

Please note that Google maps consistently gets the address as being north of US 40. This address is south of US 40, regardless of what your digital map claims. 
​

Volume 32, Number 4 

​New Venue for Indy Gaming, October 10 Gaming Report 

The Indy Squadron has a wonderful new venue for gaming at a private residence in Lewisville, Indiana. The town represents a nice halfway point between the players in the Indianapolis area and those in the eastern part of the state. The venue is an open, double garage with climate control, refrigerator and a table that can easily accommodate 10 or more players. There is also a secondary room attached with recliners and a pool table nearby for those who inadvertently exit the game early. 

The Indy Squadron held five games on October 10, 2020 in Lewisville with five players present (Stephen, Rick, Ethan, Dory, Michael). Nearly every player scored a victory at some point in the day. Missions included North Sea assignments as well as SE 5a's, SPAD VII's, Fokker Triplanes, a rare balloon victory by a SPAD XI crew, another balloon victory to Ethan's SPAD pilot and an appearance by Italian ace Sgt. Melchoire Giovanni (Stephen, 20/12). 

It was great to see Michael return to the gaming table, and for Dory to be able to spend an entire gaming day with the squadron. A photo journal of the day is below courtesy of Nelson Skinner photography.

Volume 32, Number 3 ​

Skinners Sweep Red Baron Fight XXXI 

Experience was not the deciding factor in the 31st annual Indy Squadron Red Baron Fight, held at the Meister's home outside of Thorntown, Indiana on May 25th. It was the gun jams of his opponents and a dash of luck at just the right moment gave Stephen Skinner his 10th Silver Goblet. 

The sides on this year's six-player event were as follows: 

Germans
A. J. Meister                     Fokker DrI              (Edmund Meister, 4/0) 
Ethan Skinner                  Fokker DrI (red)      (UNT Ludwig Vogal, 2/0)
Rick Lacy                         Fokker DrI               (VZFW Sasha Diederich, 6/1) 

British
Stephen Dale Skinner      Camel 150              (LT James Sadler, 10/2)
Bob Meister                      Camel 150              (2LT Jonny Wilson, 10/0) 
Stephen Daniel Skinner   Camel 150              (2LT Demetrius Hall, 7/4) 

April 25 Game Report 

The Indy Squadron gathered at the Meister's new gaming center for the first time on April 25, 2020 to replicate four World War I aerial battles in the Dawn Patrol board game. Six players attended and a full tour of the Meister's beautiful new property preceded the games. As always, Donna Meister went above and beyond the call to provide everyone a delicious menu throughout the day. 

Game 1

The first game featured three Clerget-powered British Camels (Stephen Dale, Ethan and Stephen) against a trio of Fokker DVII's with high compression 160 horsepower engines (Bob, Rick and A.J.). Ethan and Stephen Dale were particularly effective and although the Brits failed to score any confirmed victories, they held a slight advantage over the Germans for most of the game. All pilots on both sides returned from the mission safely. 

Volume 32, Volume 1

Society Announces 2020 Spring Mini Con 

The annual Fight in the Skies Society Spring Mini Convention is to be held April 23-26 at the Comfort Suites at the Milwaukee Airport. This year's convention will showcase some of the Society's most prestigious events, including the 7th Kerry Nash/Al Christensen Memorial, the "Big Game" and Dawn Patrol's ultimate prize, the Masters. 

The official flyer for the Mini Con is below, complete with game schedule, hotel and travel information. 

Volume 31, Number 4

Bob Dominates 2019 Indy Title Game
Germans Prevail in Route 

For just the second time in Indy Squadron history, both Red Baron Fight and the Armistice Day Fits Tournament were held on the same day. On Saturday, November 16th, 2019, seven players gathered at the Danger Room (833 E 53rd St, Anderson IN) to hold both events. Red Baron Fight XXX began around 11:30 am (story below), followed by Indy's 31st annual championship tourney. Rick Lacy designed a well balanced scenario that stacked up like this: 

Allies
Kevin Richeson, Camel 110 
Stephen Dale Skinner, Sopwith Dolphin (no Lewis)
Ethan Skinner, SPAD XIII
Stephen Skinner, Morane Saulnier AI 

Germans
Bob Meister, Pfalz DXII
Rick Lacy, SSW DIII 
Bruce Yoder, Fokker DVI 

On paper the Allies should have had a slight edge in a reasonably balanced game. In reality, things started badly for the Allies and only got worse. 

Volume 31, Number 3 

2019 Armistice Day Tourney, Red Baron Fight XXX Set for This Weekend 

It's been a long time coming, but the Dawn Patrol season opens this weekend with two of the Indy Squadron's three premier events. The 30th edition of Indy's Red Baron Fight was postponed from its usual spring time slot. Despite repeated attempts at rescheduling, the decision was finally made to push the event into autumn. That means defending champion Rick Lacy got to wear his crown for another few months, but the Silver Goblet is up for grabs this weekend to a new winner.

​It also means that both RBF and Armistice Day games will be held on the same day for the first time since 1994, and for only the second time in the squadron's thirty-year history. Records are not precise, but it appears that both RBF V and the 1994 Indy Squadron championship were held on November 12, 1994 according to Indy Squadron Dispatch articles from the period.