Royal Caledon Air Force

Official motto: Altitude with Attitude

Unofficial motto: FSFP (Flying, Shooting, Fencing, Partying)

The Royal Caledon Air Force, also known as the RCAF or Connolly's Crazies, is headquartered at the Connolly Aerodrome in Caledon Penzance. It is responsible for defending the skies over the Independent State of Caledon, taking over from the now defunct Caledon Air Corps.

This group also facilitate air-ground and air-air chatter within Caledon.

Officially sanctioned by Guvnah Desmond Shang (who also serves as honorary Marshal), the RCAF was founded October 24th, 2007.

Ranks[]

Marshal of the RCAF (Zoe Connolly, with honorary Marshal Desmond Shang)
Air Chief Marshal (Sin Trenton, Phineas Messmer)
Air Vice Marshal (Virrginia Tombola, Edward Pearse)
Group Captain (Mordecai Scaggs, August Breed, Burton Newall, Expedition Offcourse, Thadicus Caligari, Noddeh Slade, Josh Noonan, Sumie Kawashima)
Wing Commander (Cornelius Fanshaw, Eladrienne Laval, Zabrina McMahon)
Squadron Leader (Aether Inglewood, Diamanda Gustafson, Pilot Sopwith, Valentine Janus, Mishi Rossini, Dan Gervasi)
Flight LT (Vi Paravane, Abigail Raymaker, Crap Mariner, Elrik Merlin, Soleil Snook, CronoCloud Creeggan, Jaksoi Pak, Julian Slade, Pamus Bing, Scarlett Qi, Soarhead Vuckovic, J8ke Hawker, J8ke Segall, Roberto Viking, Roy Smashcan, Equine McMillan, Zoetrope Cryotank, Sered Woollahra, Autopilotpatty Poppy, Caine Beresford, Kandy Tomorrow, Sigal Rau, Natacha Chernov, DrBob Margulies, Kazuki Iuga)
Flying Officer (Annabelle Fanshaw, GrahamRoss McCullough, Barmy Rubble, Cogsworth Gears, Phaedrus Upshaw, Henri Godenot, Krystine Qinan)
Pilot Officer (Avery Robbiani, Crosshaven Barbosa, Zoie Clowes, Jacen Quan, Hunter6 Hynes, Apollo Kronos, Peaches Latrell, LordAlbert Heron)

Ranks used by The Royal Caledon Air Force are very loosely based upon the UK RAF rank system as outlined in the following link to NATO Air Forces on Wikipedia

Specialist Squadrons[]

Caledon Screamin' Tinies, formed November 2007 for tiny aviators, commanded by Wing Commander Eladrienne Laval.
Red Devils Squadron, formed 22 December 2007 for jetpack operators, commanded by Squadron Leader Diamanda Gustafson.
RCAF Lightning fencing team, formed 5 February 2008 to promote personal readiness and esprit de corps, commanded by Squadron Leader Valentine Janus.
Search and Rescue formed August 2008, commanded by Squadron Leader Dan Gervasi.
Sumie's Task Force formed 17 December 2008 for Anti-AirPirate Patrols and Interdiction. Named in honour of Group Captain Sumie Kawashima, commanded by Squadron Leader Aether Inglewood.

Communications[]

Air Chief Marshal Sin Trenton will gather intelligence on various Flight resources on the Grid that may be of interest to the RCAF.

Aethernautics[]

Air Chief Marshal Phineas Messmer will direct all operations related to exploration of Aethernautical-Space under a separate group known as the Caledon Aethernautical Society.

Special Operations Command (RCAF-SOC)[]

See the RCAF Special Operations Command page.

Callsigns[]

The RCAF uses callsigns to aid communication over the wireless. A popular mode for the pilots to address each other are using these callsigns even when not airborne. They are either chosen by the pilots themselves, usually tongue-in-cheek, or in some cases given in remembrance of a particular incident.

Here is a list of the current callsigns:

Marshal of the RCAF Zoe Connolly....."Foxy"
Air Chief Marshal Sin Trenton...."Biggles"
Air Chief Marshal Phineas Messmer...."LiftOff"
Air Vice Marshal Virrginia Tombola...."HorseShoe"
Air Vice Marshal Edward Pearse...."Graf"
Group Captain August Breed....
Group Captain Burton Newall...."Spud"
Group Captain Noddeh Slade...."Creaky"
Group Captain Expedition Offcourse ...."WrongWay"
Group Captain Sumie Kawashima...."BoingBoing"
Wing Commander Cornelius Fanshaw....."Bulldog"
Wing Commander Zabrina McMahon....."Psycho"
Wing Commander Eladrienne Laval...."Skeeter"
Squadron Leader Diamanda Gustafson...."Cuckoo"
Squadron Leader Valentine Janus...."Spinner"
Squadron Leader Dan Gervasi.... "Big Daddy"
Flight LT Pamus Bing...."Soapy"
Flight LT Crap Mariner...."Drag"
Flight LT Elrik Merlin...."Rik"
Flight LT CronoCloud Creeggan...."Maven"
Flight LT J8ke Hawker...."Flash"....(Missing in Action)
Flight LT Vi Paravane...."Desi"

Quartermasters[]

The RCAF is blessed with many talented members and friends who provide us with various flying machines, textures, and ordnance for our testing and daily usage.

August Breed
Denver Hax
Noddeh Slade
SimplyAmy Iwish
Sin Trenton
Virrginia Tombola

Tools of the Trade[]

RCAF members make regular use of a wide range of equipment for training, rescue operations, and military sorties. This necessarily incomplete listing names the inventors/creators/Quartermasters behind the gear used in the RCAF. Items are listed by category.

Aircraft[]

August Breed - 1909 Bleriot Fighter, 1912 Blackburn Fighter
Burton Newall - Newall's Steam Dirigible
Cubey Terra - Nieuport 17 Fighter (1917)
Denver Hax - Boojum Bomber, Snark Fighter, Fighter, Flying Carrier
Edward Pearse - "Air Kyak", 1871 Steamray, Air Ship "Parsival",
Karl Reisman - de la Cierva C-30 Autogyro
Marcos Fonzarelli - ARMORD Jetpack
Noddeh Slade - Flying Carrier
SimplyAmy Iwish - HGS Valkyrie
Sumie Kawashima - Soyokaze reconnaissance aircraft, Yokokaze combat aircraft (biplane)
Syxx Craig - HGS The Insatiable (Aphid Class), HGS Inconstant (Aphid Class), HGS The Defiant (Aphid Class)
Virrginia Tombola - Ornithopter
Vi Paravane - Steam Jetpacks

Airfield Weapons[]

Kara Wind - Steam-powered Cannon, Steam-powered Gatling Gun

Personal Weapons[]

Rifkin Habsburg - En Garde
Sigau Rau - RCAF M1917 Colt Revolver
Sin Trenton - RCAF Carbine, modified from Ordinal Malaprop's Carbine

Miscellaneous[]

August Breed - RCAF insignia textures
Sin Trenton - RCAF Callsign attachment

Facilities[]

Official RCAF property owned and operated by Zoe Connolly and Phineas Messmer...

RCAF Connolly Aerodrome - Penzance Airfield - Caledon Penzance (RCAF Headquarters on 2 lots)
RCAF Messmer Park Harbour - Skybox Platform - Caledon Mayfair (Skybox at an altitude 700+ meters above the park. This Platform is a multi-use facility for Large Social Gatherings, Machinima Studio, Aircraft Building and Assembly. Please ask Phineas Messmer for permission to use facility)
RCAF Cape Messmer - Caledon Morgaine

RCAF Events[]

1-on-1 Dogfighting (time and place to be determined by the two participants)
Ace of Aces! Air Combat Tournament (ACT)
Cross-Caledon Air Race (XCAR)
The Great Cross-Caledon Multi-Vehicle Race (GXCMVR)
Weekend Air Combat (Free-For-All Dogfighting)

Places for Air Combat Engagement (Dogfighting)[]

Caledon Argylle

Caledon Sound

Lovelace

1944

Aeronautica

Sister Military Branches within Caledon[]

Imperial Navy of Caledon

Allied Military Branches outside Caledon[]

Extropia Defense Force of the Independent State of Extropia

Unofficial Haunts[]

We at the RCAF appreciate a good time! (See the official and unofficial mottos above) We thank those RCAF members and non-members who provide great venues for us to enjoy. These are great places where we celebrate promotions, unwind, drink, dance, and chat about our flights and crashes....

Smuggler's Cove in Caledon Wellsian
Prop Spinners Pub owned by Thadicus Caligari in Caledon SteamSkyCity
The Norseman owned by Roy Smashcan in Caledon Cape Wrath

Known Dangers[]

Caledon Murdann Many pilots shudder at the mere mention of Murdann, this Caledon sim is the graveyard of many lost flying machines. The Murdann Phenomenon seems to reach into Caledon Wellsian, Caledon Morgaine, and Caledon Mayfair.

Molly Earnshaw Miss Earnshaw is a Rogue Time-Traveler Pilot who uses a Spitfire Aircraft to strafe Connolly Aerodrome and RCAF members. She will also attack from sniper positions.

Numerous SkyPirates have made their presence known in the area of the Firth since October 2008.

Official RCAF Aethernet Resources[]

Caledon Forums hosts an RCAF forum in the Our Community section.
Royal Caledon Air Force (RCAF) Flickr Group
Royal Caledon Air Force (RCAF) Ning.com Forum

Other Aethernet Resources of Interest[]

offGrid Air Combat on other platforms[]

(under construction)

In Loving Memory[]

We salute our dearly departed who have left their loved ones in the real world and the virtual world for a greater world beyond....

Group Captain Sumie Kawashima 12 December 2008 * Sumie's Obituary on Zoe Connolly's blog

Disclaimer[]

It should be noted that Connolly Aerodrome is a facility open to anyone in Second Life. It is encouraged that people stay within theme, however...all avatars in SL are welcome to use whatever flying machine they wish to use. Connolly Airfields will not be closed to outsiders to satisfy strict Victorian RealLife Timeline sensibilities nor will individuals be banned from such unless an avatar is particularly bothersome to patrons or a definite griefer.

The RCAF group itself, endeavors to stay within a Victorian Steampunk/Gaslamp Fantasy Theme of an alternate 19th Century Timeline where some developments from the very early era of 20th Century Aviation are possible decades earlier than in RL History.

We consider some aircraft from the World War I era an acceptable conveyance because we presume the development of science and technology within our Steampunk SecondLife world would be different from the RealLife Historical Timeline. Although some officers are free to use World War I aircraft, we are not World War One re-enactors.

Some Twentieth Century Aircraft and Military Techniques/Protocols are used within RCAF but it should not be presumed that a World War II British Spitfire (for example) is an acceptable aircraft within our theme and roleplay. It is generally accepted within our group that any aircraft beyond World War I era is NOT acceptable. Any questions regarding acceptable aircraft should be directed to Zoe Connolly.