EAF Rules
THE EAF RULES(v.3.0. – December 2015)
THE EAF ORGANIZATION
The European Air force is a group of WW2 online flying simulation enthusiasts. We believe that this is a game. We also believe that part of the pleasure within the game is a full immersion in roleplaying and historical accuracy. Therefore, we organized ourselves as a mirror image of an Air Force unit. As every existing organization, we have rules. In order to become EAF members you have to know and respect the EAF rules. Those who would repeatedly break those rules will lose their EAF membership.All EAF squadrons must obey these rules and use them as their own. All squadrons are free to add their own rules and policy as long as they do not conflict with the rules of the European Air force.
THE EAF MEMBERSHIP
To join the EAF, you must be at least 16 years old. For time zone and lag reasons, the European Air Force only accepts players from Europe. We can certainly consider exceptions, but any related decision need the previous approval of the EAF HQ. We consider the EAF membership as an “exclusive” membership. Therefore, we ask EAF members not to be part of another virtual squadron playing the same online flying simulator. Members who like to play other simulation games not supported by the EAF can join other virtual squadrons and communities too, as long as they inform their Commanding Officers.We identify EAF pilots by a nickname and their squadron number. Squadrons have to be identified by adding the squadron number to the call sign of the pilots (e.g. EAF331_Mikke is pilot Mikke belonging to the 331 squadron).EAF membership is not a given right, and membership goes through an evaluation process. If you ask to become a member of the EAF you will be invited to play with us for some online game, allowing us to understand which kind of person you are. In case your application is accepted, you will get the status of EAF Trainee (EAF_T), and you will go through a training process. Our Training Officers will take care of make you learning the basis of flying combat, making you able to survive in the virtual skies. The training usually last one to three months, depending on your frequency of participation to our on-line sessions and your learning curve, and will never last less than 4 weeks. When you will be able to get through all the training modules, you will get your “combat ready” wings, and become an EAF pilot, losing the “T” from your callsign.All EAF members should be “active” pilots. We suggest EAF members would fly at least once per week on average. Of course, we understand there may be exceptions: some people work in shifts, or may have work and/or family duties. In that case, we can agree about different participation engagement.All those who want to leave the EAF can do it in any moment, by communicating their decision to their Squadron Leader. If you plan to stop flying on-line for a while, let us know. If you are on holiday for a month then tell us you are ON LEAVE. If you would like to stop flying, tell us you want to RETIRE. You can re-join later again, when you feel you like it. Prolonged absence from the community (no flying nights, no messages on the forum) may end in cancellation of your EAF membership. If we do not hear from you in the forum, and/or do not see you for more than 4 weeks you get the status MIA (missing in action). After a longer time you will have the status of KIA (Killed in Action) being banned from the EAF and not able to rejoin the EAF anymore. In case you will come back after a long absence is very likely that you lose your rank, especially when you have a leading rank.The European Air Force is existing since year 1999, and some people are EAF members since the foundation of the EAF. Many relationships within some of the members developed in a way that overcome the simple on-line gaming, becoming the foundation of longtime friendship, even in real life. For this reason, the EAF members who are not anymore online flying with the EAF can maintain their EAF membership with the status of “Ground Crew”. The Ground Crew have the access to the Officers’ Club and to the respective Squadron public and Tactical forum granted, so they can keep in touch with their fellow squadron members.
THE EAF ORGANIZATION
The common EAF language is English. Within The EAF we have two Wings. One or more Squadrons compose each Wing. The EAF created the Squadrons organization by people from the same country, or by people speaking the same or similar language. To enable players from other countries to join squadrons, any EAF squadron shall adopt these players if they want to join. We respect our member’s privacy. We ask to EAF members to communicate their e-mail address to the C.O. of their squadron. We ensure that EAF member’s e-mail address will be not be published or distributed to others without prior permission of the e-mail address owner. We will never publish or distribute any member’s IP addresses.Within the EAF, we use military ranks. Those are part of the simulation and the role-playing, and are useful to the virtual community organization, as well as for game immersion. This is a virtual hierarchy: we do not consider this as a limitation of personal freedom. Nevertheless, within the simulation and community life, EAF members have to respect ranks of authority and the chain of command. As we are often saying, this is the virtual mirror image of a military unit, not of a democracy. We have fixed flying nights, every Monday and Thursday. This gives us the opportunity to fly together. Every EAF pilot should try to join at least one flying night per week.
THE EAF GAMING CODE
We believe in gentleman behavior, correctness and respect for people, both in virtual and in real life. You shall never use offensive language, either in the game or in public or restricted forums. Neither will there be references to Nazi’s. Terms that are ‘in the spirit of things’ are allowed, as well as historically correct markings on planes. You should never open fire on a member of the EAF or against any other pilot flying on the same side, unless previously authorized by him/her. You shall not deliberately pick on any particular person for a prolonged amount of time.During coop missions and dogfight, you shall not fire on a damaged pilot attempting to land, unless previously agreed at the beginning of the game. In case a heavily damaged plane put gear down, we consider this as a sign of surrender, and you shall respect it. This rule does not apply for War missions, unless specific rules are applied.You shall respect all rules of any online war in which you participate wearing the EAF tag. You will not influence your kill or someone else score (e.g. firing on a plane which is already fatally damaged). Your behavior will reflect the sense of honor of the whole European Air Force. Be proud of it.The EAF members do not use cheats or hacks. Anyone suspected of such kind of actions will be expelled from the EAF without hesitation.Trainees can only fly War Missions after passing Stage 4 of OTU (formation flying) and approval of respective Squadron Leaders. Ask your Training Officer or Squadron Leader if you are unsure what this means.
THE EAF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
Do not pass EAF tactics and forum passwords to others.Check in at your squadron HQ on a regular basis. Read the messages in the Officers Club at least once a week. Theys is our way to keep in contact, and at the Officier’s Club we post all the information related to the community life.
THE EAF CHAIN OF COMMAND AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Group Captain – C.O. of the EAFThe C.O. of the EAF is responsible for the structure and the organization of the European Air Force, setting the vision, defining and revising the rules and the way we do things. He owns and manage the EAF website, and is the top-level decision maker, delegating deployment tasks to the other members of the EAF.
X.O. of the EAFThe X.O. of the EAF – regardless the rank he has within the EAF organization – is the Executive Officier to the Group Captain, supporting the C.O. in defining the vision and the direction in which the EAF is going to develop. He helps the C.O. in managing the organization and in the rollout of the main initiatives.
Wing Commanders (W.C.)
Wing Commanders are responsible for the organization and the lead of the EAF life. They are the moderators of the Wing forum. They ensure the respect of the EAF rules within the Squadrons, and make sure that the EAF members follow the orders from the Group Captain and HQ according to their intention. Leading by example, they come up with ideas for our activities, improvement or changes to put in place within the EAF leadership. They take care of the motivation and morale of the EAF members, welcoming new members, looking after pilot’s career and internal relationship between the wing members.Squadron Leaders (Sq.L)Squadron leaders are responsible for the day-by-day organization of the EAF activities (coop missions, campaign, squadron training sessions, real life meetings). They keep track of personnel status in the squadrons. They are also responsible for the discipline administration within the EAF organization, proposing to the HQ’s rank promotions and/or decorations for their Squadron members, or punishments whenever needed, and applying the HQ’s decision taken. In case they are Wing XO they also participate to the HQ’s decisional process.
Squadron Executive Officers (X.O.)
The Squadron X.O. job is helping respective Squadron Leader in their duty, keeping track of personnel and with other S/L duties. They also stand in for the Squadron Leader when he is away.Training Officers (T/O)They are responsible for training the EAF personnel, welcoming the new trainees within the EAF and evaluating the progress and dedication of trainees until they become “combat ready”, get their wings and will be assigned at a Squadron as operational EAF personnel.
THE EAF HEADQUARTERS
The EAF Headquarters is the logistic and decisional core of the EAF. All major decisions affecting the EAF organization and structure are taken together within the EAF HQ’s, taking into consideration the opinion of the HQ’s members. The EAF Headquarters’ members are:The Group Captain, CO of the EAFThe XO of the EAFWing Commanders, one for each WingTwo Squadron Leaders for each Wing, acting as Wing XOThe CO of the O.T.U.
As we are a mirror image of an Air Force, in order to keep “the spirt of things” we organized the EAF Headquarters with a Strategic Command and an Operation Command. The C.O. and the X.O of the EAF compose the EAF Strategic Command. They are responsible for the vision, the website administration, and the preservation the “EAF spirit”. The Wing Commanders, their Executive Officers and the head of the O.T.U. compose the EAF Operational Command. They are responsible for the day-by-day organization of the EAF activities.Within the EAF HQ’s we take the crucial decisions trough common consensus. The operational HQ’s will have the freedom to decide the activities to put in place. In case the Operational HQ is stuck into a discussion, not finding a common agreement, they can escalate to Strategic HQ who will have last word.