Pilot kill after pilot kill. How do they do it??

[Bikerjack]

People play single player and feel themselves as absolute aces and then the rude awakening of the multilayer brings them down a notch and produces cognitive dissonance that leads to them talking about cheating... People are much better than the AI ok?

I agree with this sentiment. I know I have to improve both my flying and dogfighting/aiming skills in order to survive online.

Situation awareness is of paramount importance. It's difficult to spot other planes in the first instance and even then to identify a friend from foe is never easy. You have to get up close to check out the plane you are targetting and so your concentration is 100% on that aspect. Check your six and your eyes can easily lose track of the plane you were originally flying towards. This is surely close to reality? How many actual WW2 pilots were shot out of the sky without even knowing what hit them?

I really like to hear other pilots on teamspeak who seem to work in teams and support each other. Fundamentally, the need to fly with a wingman was almost a given in real combat. Personally, I would love to be good enough to fly in close formation with others and therefore support each other in spotting, targetting and engaging enemy aircraft. It would be good if we "regrouped" at a given point after combat and therefore, hopefully live a bit longer?

Too often there are lone "maverick" pilots (me included) flying about without any coordination. Suddenly, you are attacked by a "better" pilot or, simply, he has seen you first, and - game over.

I recall a note from one poster who said it took a year or two in IL2 to perfect flying skills and dogfighting. I can well believe it.

I don't know enough about the potential for cheating to comment. I just accept that I have a lot to learn and believe that "practice makes perfect" to be the only way forward

Communication is the key. Fly alone and you are gonna die!