Post by Guest on Oct 8, 2010 5:26:55 GMT
Account E-Mail: EDITED
Name: Sam Coller
Nationality: Australian
Alignment:
USAF
Character History:
Sam was born in Byrock on the 12th of January 1912. His family moved around a lot due to his fathers job as a travelling salesman. They mostly lived in tents or hotels when business was good. When Sam’s mother fell pregnant with his sister Jessica the ever travelling family decided to settle down just outside of Perth. Due to the travelling nature of his parents Sam had very few toys, his favourite toy had always been a bi-plane.
Even as he grew Sam seemed to have a fascination with planes. Large or small if it flew it captivated him; he would spend hours imagining how great heavy chunks of metal could fly. His fascination with aircraft is what drove him to sneak into an airport one night. He was found by a group of mechanics who where working on an engine, they caught him and questioned him on what he was doing and when they found out he just wanted to know how the planes worked they sat him down and began filling his head with their mechanical knowledge.
Sam hung on their every word, he would often jump up and climb up to the engine to look at the parts that the men where talking about. When the men tried to send him home he refused, saying that there was so much more he wanted to know. The men managed to get him leave when they promised him that he could come by the next day and watch them work. The next day Sam raced down to the airport as soon as the sun was up. He waited in the hanger where the mechanics had been for hours until they began to arrive for the days work.
As they had promised they let him watch them work, some of the men even let him help them by passing tools and holding pipes in place until they tightened it. Because Sam’s parents where not wealthy enough to send him to school Sam spent everyday down at the hangers, the mechanics showed him how to read blueprints and instruction manuals, and as he grew stronger they even let him help out more with the repairs.
Eventually one of the mechanics fell ill and Sam jumped at the chance to replace him, he knew the planes inside and out and matched even the most experienced mechanic in the airport. But even though he could take a variety of planes apart with his eyes closed, he only knew the theory of actually flying them. The pilots where not cruel to the ground crew but they were by no means friendly. Every time Sam asked if he could just sit behind the pilots seat or in the co-pilots seat while they taxied the planes from one hanger to another he was cast aside.
But one day a new pilot landed, an American. Sam talked to the pilot about his love of planes and flying, and before he could even ask the American pilot offered to take him for a joy flight. Sam jumped at the chance and raced to the Douglas DC-2. During the flight Sam was even allowed to steer the plane once they had reached a safe altitude. After that flight Sam knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He took over the ill mechanics position shortly after the man passed away and put every dollar he had into getting himself though flight school.
He passed as one of the top pilots in his class, mainly due to his actual mechanical knowledge of the aircraft. Once he graduated he slipped into an international freight-carrying job, flying back and forth between Australia and the United States. When World War II first started Sam was grounded in the United States due to engine trouble. Due to the war building up the parts Sam needed to get home would take months to arrive. Not wanting to be sitting around waiting Sam got a job at a small airfield, when his piloting experience became public knowledge he became a flight instructor.
Shortly after America entered the war Sam was encouraged to join the Air Force. It didn’t take much persuading before he found himself behind the joystick of a P-47 and loved it.
Military Rank:
- Flight Sergeant
Writing Sample:
Scenario: You’re alone in enemy air space. Your wingman has been shot down, and you have a feeling that an enemy plane is stalking you. What does your charachter do, what does he feel? What is he thinking?
Dark grey clouds filled the water-streaked windshield in the cockpit of the C-47, they threatened to unleash a heavy payload of rain upon the ground far below. Normally Sam Coller would try to fly over the mountain of rain clouds, but they had been a blessing when a lone German fighter seemed to materialize out of the sun. The P-40 escort fighter had attempted to intercept the German Messerschmitt, but before the pilot could bank his wings to turn a hail of Nazi bullets shattered his cockpit. Piloted by a dead man the War Hawk spiralled towards the ground and smashed into the fields below.
Before the German aerial assassin could finish its tight turn Sam had the bulky C-47 diving into the clouds. Sam was transporting a couple of soldiers fresh from an aid station back into the heat of battle, he was betting they didn’t expect to be under fire again so quickly. He had the three soldiers scanning the clouds though the view ports lining either side of the fuselage, along with the soldiers he was transporting a few crates of ammunition and some 30. Cal Browning’s.
Sam’s co-pilot was a veteran fighter pilot who had been downed a few weeks back, Sam could see he was itching to start shooting back at the Messerschmitt by the way he gripped at the ghost joystick between his legs.
“You’re not in’a fighter at the moment mate, we can’t shoot back at that bastard.” The co-pilot closed his fists with anger but stayed silent. He knew there was nothing he could do.
One of the soldiers appeared at the door to the cockpit.
“How long can we hide in these clouds?” He asked as he looked thought the windshield.
“Not long enough.” The co-pilot growled.
“He’s right, sooner or later that Jerry-Bird is gunna clip out wings, these clouds are only buying us time.” Sam said as his eyes scanned the grey clouds, they where starting to thin out. Suddenly the co-pilot sat up straight, his eyes wide and he turned to the solider.
“You boys know how to use those machine guns back there right?” The soldier nodded. “Sam, they can set one of them up in the side door.”
“But we could only fire at him if he’s on our left.” The soldier said.
The co-pilot grinned. “Leave that to us.”
The soldier stumbled back to the others and relayed the plan. Within minutes the machine gun was set up on a tri-pod, the soldier manning it had his feet planted on the steel frame on either side of the door while one looked after the ammo and the third held them both by the belts to help keep them in the plane. A few minutes later the clouds that had kept them safe peeled back, the bright sun shining off the wet fuselage, practically sending out a beacon of light to the German Pilot.
Sam scanned the sky along with his co-pilot. They both swore as they spotted the dark shape of the Messershmitt far off to their right flank. As they watched the fighter banked hard and charged towards them, Sam started taking evasive action as the co-pilot shouted back to the soldiers, telling them to hang on. The steel frame of the C-47 groaned under the strain of the manoeuvre, and like any good combat pilot would, Sam ignored it. He knew the limits of the aircraft he was flying, and he knew just how far he could push them.
Clanks and twangs filled the plane as a burst of machinegun fire ripped though the mid section of the plane, glass shattered and the wind howled though the openings, making hearing anything else all but impossible. Sam spotted the fighter turning a hard left, trying to get behind the C-47. If it got on their Six they would be a sitting duck for the German Fighter, Sam banked hard to the left and the two planes began circling each other. Yellow streaks of light started flying towards the Missershmitt, Sam couldn’t even hear the gunshots from the Browning over the howl of the wind. Like a screaming banshee the C-47 spat fire and steel at her attacker. The rounds fell short at first due to the soldiers not leading the target far enough, but soon the yellow streaks of light started raining around the fighter, punching holes in its wings and slowly ripping it apart bit by bit. Suddenly the right wing burst from the main body and the fighter began to tumble from the heavens.
Sam straightened up and brought the C-47 back onto her correct heading, the wind still howled over every other sound but no one had to hear the cheers and laughter of the soldiers and pilots as they flew away as the unlikely victor.
Name: Sam Coller
Nationality: Australian
Alignment:
USAF
Character History:
Sam was born in Byrock on the 12th of January 1912. His family moved around a lot due to his fathers job as a travelling salesman. They mostly lived in tents or hotels when business was good. When Sam’s mother fell pregnant with his sister Jessica the ever travelling family decided to settle down just outside of Perth. Due to the travelling nature of his parents Sam had very few toys, his favourite toy had always been a bi-plane.
Even as he grew Sam seemed to have a fascination with planes. Large or small if it flew it captivated him; he would spend hours imagining how great heavy chunks of metal could fly. His fascination with aircraft is what drove him to sneak into an airport one night. He was found by a group of mechanics who where working on an engine, they caught him and questioned him on what he was doing and when they found out he just wanted to know how the planes worked they sat him down and began filling his head with their mechanical knowledge.
Sam hung on their every word, he would often jump up and climb up to the engine to look at the parts that the men where talking about. When the men tried to send him home he refused, saying that there was so much more he wanted to know. The men managed to get him leave when they promised him that he could come by the next day and watch them work. The next day Sam raced down to the airport as soon as the sun was up. He waited in the hanger where the mechanics had been for hours until they began to arrive for the days work.
As they had promised they let him watch them work, some of the men even let him help them by passing tools and holding pipes in place until they tightened it. Because Sam’s parents where not wealthy enough to send him to school Sam spent everyday down at the hangers, the mechanics showed him how to read blueprints and instruction manuals, and as he grew stronger they even let him help out more with the repairs.
Eventually one of the mechanics fell ill and Sam jumped at the chance to replace him, he knew the planes inside and out and matched even the most experienced mechanic in the airport. But even though he could take a variety of planes apart with his eyes closed, he only knew the theory of actually flying them. The pilots where not cruel to the ground crew but they were by no means friendly. Every time Sam asked if he could just sit behind the pilots seat or in the co-pilots seat while they taxied the planes from one hanger to another he was cast aside.
But one day a new pilot landed, an American. Sam talked to the pilot about his love of planes and flying, and before he could even ask the American pilot offered to take him for a joy flight. Sam jumped at the chance and raced to the Douglas DC-2. During the flight Sam was even allowed to steer the plane once they had reached a safe altitude. After that flight Sam knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He took over the ill mechanics position shortly after the man passed away and put every dollar he had into getting himself though flight school.
He passed as one of the top pilots in his class, mainly due to his actual mechanical knowledge of the aircraft. Once he graduated he slipped into an international freight-carrying job, flying back and forth between Australia and the United States. When World War II first started Sam was grounded in the United States due to engine trouble. Due to the war building up the parts Sam needed to get home would take months to arrive. Not wanting to be sitting around waiting Sam got a job at a small airfield, when his piloting experience became public knowledge he became a flight instructor.
Shortly after America entered the war Sam was encouraged to join the Air Force. It didn’t take much persuading before he found himself behind the joystick of a P-47 and loved it.
Military Rank:
- Flight Sergeant
Writing Sample:
Scenario: You’re alone in enemy air space. Your wingman has been shot down, and you have a feeling that an enemy plane is stalking you. What does your charachter do, what does he feel? What is he thinking?
Dark grey clouds filled the water-streaked windshield in the cockpit of the C-47, they threatened to unleash a heavy payload of rain upon the ground far below. Normally Sam Coller would try to fly over the mountain of rain clouds, but they had been a blessing when a lone German fighter seemed to materialize out of the sun. The P-40 escort fighter had attempted to intercept the German Messerschmitt, but before the pilot could bank his wings to turn a hail of Nazi bullets shattered his cockpit. Piloted by a dead man the War Hawk spiralled towards the ground and smashed into the fields below.
Before the German aerial assassin could finish its tight turn Sam had the bulky C-47 diving into the clouds. Sam was transporting a couple of soldiers fresh from an aid station back into the heat of battle, he was betting they didn’t expect to be under fire again so quickly. He had the three soldiers scanning the clouds though the view ports lining either side of the fuselage, along with the soldiers he was transporting a few crates of ammunition and some 30. Cal Browning’s.
Sam’s co-pilot was a veteran fighter pilot who had been downed a few weeks back, Sam could see he was itching to start shooting back at the Messerschmitt by the way he gripped at the ghost joystick between his legs.
“You’re not in’a fighter at the moment mate, we can’t shoot back at that bastard.” The co-pilot closed his fists with anger but stayed silent. He knew there was nothing he could do.
One of the soldiers appeared at the door to the cockpit.
“How long can we hide in these clouds?” He asked as he looked thought the windshield.
“Not long enough.” The co-pilot growled.
“He’s right, sooner or later that Jerry-Bird is gunna clip out wings, these clouds are only buying us time.” Sam said as his eyes scanned the grey clouds, they where starting to thin out. Suddenly the co-pilot sat up straight, his eyes wide and he turned to the solider.
“You boys know how to use those machine guns back there right?” The soldier nodded. “Sam, they can set one of them up in the side door.”
“But we could only fire at him if he’s on our left.” The soldier said.
The co-pilot grinned. “Leave that to us.”
The soldier stumbled back to the others and relayed the plan. Within minutes the machine gun was set up on a tri-pod, the soldier manning it had his feet planted on the steel frame on either side of the door while one looked after the ammo and the third held them both by the belts to help keep them in the plane. A few minutes later the clouds that had kept them safe peeled back, the bright sun shining off the wet fuselage, practically sending out a beacon of light to the German Pilot.
Sam scanned the sky along with his co-pilot. They both swore as they spotted the dark shape of the Messershmitt far off to their right flank. As they watched the fighter banked hard and charged towards them, Sam started taking evasive action as the co-pilot shouted back to the soldiers, telling them to hang on. The steel frame of the C-47 groaned under the strain of the manoeuvre, and like any good combat pilot would, Sam ignored it. He knew the limits of the aircraft he was flying, and he knew just how far he could push them.
Clanks and twangs filled the plane as a burst of machinegun fire ripped though the mid section of the plane, glass shattered and the wind howled though the openings, making hearing anything else all but impossible. Sam spotted the fighter turning a hard left, trying to get behind the C-47. If it got on their Six they would be a sitting duck for the German Fighter, Sam banked hard to the left and the two planes began circling each other. Yellow streaks of light started flying towards the Missershmitt, Sam couldn’t even hear the gunshots from the Browning over the howl of the wind. Like a screaming banshee the C-47 spat fire and steel at her attacker. The rounds fell short at first due to the soldiers not leading the target far enough, but soon the yellow streaks of light started raining around the fighter, punching holes in its wings and slowly ripping it apart bit by bit. Suddenly the right wing burst from the main body and the fighter began to tumble from the heavens.
Sam straightened up and brought the C-47 back onto her correct heading, the wind still howled over every other sound but no one had to hear the cheers and laughter of the soldiers and pilots as they flew away as the unlikely victor.
