Psycological Warefare

The English: Innate respect for all things foreign and cultural
Shedsie anoints the history of Gubbio

As any seasoned comp pilot will tell you, the battle for supremacy in the air is fought not in the air, but in the mind. Psychology (maintaining a positive mental attitude even in the face of insurmountable adversity... like when you're at the arse-end of the field, can't see the lead gaggle for dust, and find yourself bombing out in the unlandable boonies), psychology is key to winning the day... or at least fooling yourself that you couldn't have done any worse!

Where is all this leading, you may well ask?

Shedsie thanks his German friend for
"rearranging all the buildings in London during the war!"

Well, there's a flip-side to the coin also... While maintaining a positive mental attitude is indeed key to personal success, the experienced comp pilot will engage his devious mind and employ raw cunning and strategy to achieve his goal (which for most of us is to do slightly less badly than the next guy.) Chief amongst his arsenel of psycho-weaponry is the tried and tested tactic of Psychological Warefare. If one can reduce one's opponent to a quivering bundle of nervous self-doubt before he even takes off, then the battle is already half one. All you have to do then is to bomb out ever so slightly further along the course line to vanquish your foe. Simple!

In a completely un-planned, random encounter on the north launch at Monte Cucco, our Langer Report camera-man was lucky enough to witness this tactic being deployed to devistating effect at the Pre-Worlds by Britain's fastest rising star when, without a second's hesitation, and drawing upon his in-depth knowledge of his nation's pride and glorious history, Shedsie went toe-to-toe with England's old arch-nemisis... The Hun. By the end of the encounter it is clear that the steely facade of German self confidence (sporting a tanned, ripped bare chest, a finely chisseled tutonic jaw and a pair of uber-cool shades - all calculated to intimidate) had taken something of a battering. After this bruising encounter it was clear that the only place that Barron von Cool-Shades was going was down, on a guilt trip to the bomb out field!

You have to admire the Brits for their indefatigable nerve... and the Germans for their uncharacteristic restraint! 

RAF: 1 - Luftwaffe: 0

Open University course: British History 101