PLAYING DAWN PATROL WITH ITS CREATOR, MIKE CARR
By Jay Smith, Executive Editor | jays@modelaircraft.org
I’VE JUST RETURNED from a vacation in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Lake Geneva is the birthplace of TSR, the company that released Dungeons and Dragons, among many other games. TSR was started by Gary Gygax, who is the co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons.
While there, I had the opportunity to play Dawn Patrol, which is a World War I game designed by Mike Carr. Mike himself taught me how to play the game. A group of us met at the Lake Geneva Museum, which houses a beautiful collection dedicated to local history and will debut a permanent exhibit on Gary in time for the 50th anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons next year.
Nine of us participated in aerial dogfighting on a board with hexagonal spaces and cardboard airplanes. We used dice to help determine the outcomes of battle. Being quite interested in World War I aviation, I found the game fun to play, and all of my new friends were very inviting and helpful. By the time we completed the game, I was still flying and had come extremely close to shooting down an enemy aircraft during combat.
Interestingly, Dawn Patrol, formerly known as Fight in the Skies, is the only game that has been played at every Gen Con gathering, which is now held every August in Indianapolis, for more than 50 years, and Mike has attended every one! The Fight in the Skies Society even has its own quarterly publication called Aerodrome.
Interestingly, Dawn Patrol, formerly known as Fight in the Skies, is the only game that has been played at every Gen Con gathering, which is now held every August in Indianapolis, for more than 50 years, and Mike has attended every one! The Fight in the Skies Society even has its own quarterly publication called Aerodrome.
A big thank-you to the Lake Geneva Museum, Mike, and all of my new friends in Wisconsin!
