Head on Ramming. Its your fault too....

Everybody has seen them, everybody has been a victim, and sadly, EVERYBODY is at fault. The Head On Ram (HOR), is an all too common happening in the arena. People would LOVE to say that it is the newbies, but that would make them hypocrites. You may say to yourself "I don't do that!". Well, yes you do. There are only a few pilots who don't, and rest assured, you ain't one of them.

The HOR comes from a few faults and reasonings that are common to all flight sim. First, everyone believes that their armement load out is big enough to make the other plane explode before contact. Truth is, I fly an 190 A-9, and even I know thats not true. Even if it was semi true, why do I see lightly armed fighters doing this. A heavier armament does mean more offensive power, but that power has to hit the other plane, and you are firing at the smallest plane silhouette that can be exposed to you. The leading edge of wings provide the smallest target profile possible. Unless you can group into the engine, you aren't gonna hit as much as you think.
Second, there is no penalty for stupid flying that causes your own death. You get to log right back an and fly. Death for an online sim is a chance to drink some soda between dogfights. Had it been a penalty of 10 minutes for both pilots, the HOR might not happen as much as you think.
Third, in Il-2, if you blow up the other pilot, all debri becomes nonexistant in the physical realm. Fly right through that fireball! That wing that was coming at you at 400 mph no longer has substance! Its a ghost wing! Maddox forgot that a 10,000 lb plane that blows up becomes about 9000 lbs of flying shrapnel. Forget the burning airplane fuel, its in heaven with your dead pets. It can't hurt you.
Fourth, the thrill of that kill. Gotta get that kill! Forget the otherplanes around! Forget extending and escaping and landing! Forget dragging back to a base or to a close friendly! Forget living! (see rule #2). Sometimes its better to land than to push your luck. That goes hand in hand with rule 5, bad air combat manuevers (ACM) and bad situational awareness (SA). Some pilots know only to turn back into someone and attack. How about a spiral climb to get him to bleed energy? Know your plane and know his, and a world of new ACM becomes available. Treat every fight like your fighting Zeroes, and your screwed.

Only you can prevent HORs, and isnt it about damn time you did?