Fri, Oct 11, 2002
Pilots, Virtual Pilots, Gamers Share Common Respect for the
Real Thing
Over 100 WarBird Pilots from around the world will
attend the annual WarBirds Convention in Pensacola (FL) this
weekend, to play and plan the historical events the coming WarBird
year. Commander Hamilton McWhorter III, US Navy Retired, World War
II Ace, with 12 confirmed kills, will be the keynote speaker at the
Con.
The annual iEntertainment Network Con has been held for 6 years
and has attendees from many parts of the world.
The annual Con has always been the kickoff for the
fall WarBird Flying season. "The Con has always signaled the
renewed enthusiasm of our online players, and has usually began our
period of highest online revenues as players fly more and bring
more players to our online simulation," IENT CEO JW "Wild Bill"
Stealey is fond of saying. "With the retail release of WarBirds
III, Fighter Pilot Academy, we expect this Flying season to be one
of our best in revenue for some time."
The Con will be held this year at the Clarion Suites Resort,
where the players will also have the opportunity to visit the
National Museum of Naval Aviation [a truly incredible place --ed.]
to see real versions of the aircraft WarBird players fly online on
the Internet.
"The Con is a great chance to get together to
meet, smile, and challenge other players from around the world who
regularly get together to fly historical World War II missions in
our WarBirds III Internet Simulation. The players always come away
energized and ready for another exciting year of Internet online
flying," said Wild Bill. "Having Commander McWhorter there will
really be a treat for the community."
Commander McWhorter qualified in the Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat in
January 1943. VF-9 was the first operational squadron in the new
Hellcat. He qualified aboard the USS Essex during March 1943.
McWhorter's first Kill was a zero at Wake Island. His next two
aerial victories came on November 11th 1943, during a raid on
Rabaul, with two confirmed. Mac made ace on November 18th 1944,
with a confirmed Pete floatplane and a Betty bomber off Tarawa.
Commander McWhorter authored the book, "The First Hellcat Ace."
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