Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
First Impression: Nova Squadron (Steam Next Fest Alpha Demo 0.1.0)
Our first impression of alpha demo 0.1.0 for Nova Squadron by Clara Gale. Play this demo early before Steam Next Fest 2023.
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STAFF PROFILE
Co-founder
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He continues to explore past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers.
WORKS
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- 7 days ago
- 3 min
DCS World: Buddy Bombing!
An uncommon tactic for helping wingmen that have lost situational awareness get their laser guided bombs on target. Form up, pickle now!
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Jan 18
- 4 min
PICO-8: Combat Chopper
No longer satisfied with occasionally roaming around on the website, I recently made the plunge and purchased a PICO-8 "fantasy game...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Jan 4
- 4 min
Apache Air Assault: Presentation of Ranged Combat
An analysis of Apache: Air Assault's reasonable presentation of ranged combat using radar, sensors and FLIR and more.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Dec 28, 2022
- 5 min
Ace Combat: Player-Controlled Strategic Bombers
A retrospective piece discussing the era of player controlled strategic bombers in the Ace Combat series.
Skyward Staff
- Dec 14, 2022
- 2 min
Flight Sim Expo 2023 Registration Begins December 17th, Skyward Discount Code
Registration for Flight Sim Expo 2023 begins on December 17th. 10% discount code available. Read for more information.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Nov 16, 2022
- 13 min
VRChat Airshow Management with the Black Aces Stunt Team
An interview with Riko and Uni Power, leaders of the Black Aces Stunt Team, about performing airshows for live VRChat audiences.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Nov 8, 2022
- 4 min
Creator Highlight: Dslyecxi
Dslyecxi and his group, Shack Tactical, provide examples of air operations I've always dreamed of flying in Arma 3.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Nov 2, 2022
- 3 min
Clouds 2.8: An Opinion on DCS 2.8's New Dynamic Weather
I have hopes that the fair weather flyer status quo will begin to change with DCS 2.8's dynamic weather.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Oct 18, 2022
- 5 min
TALD: Enhancing DCS World Coordinated Strikes
The Tactical Air Launched Decoys, or TALDs, are one of DCS' most underrated tools! Let's talk about their usefulness on the battlefield.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Sep 17, 2022
- 5 min
DCS World: Understanding the Interest in the "Foothold" Mission
The easiest way to describe what it provides is "task-focused gamification" without compromising simulation.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Sep 10, 2022
- 4 min
VRChat Aviation: The potential of the Open World Movement Logic System
The Open World Movement Logic system brings long distance flights to VRChat aviation and new potential to flight on this platform.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Sep 3, 2022
- 4 min
Macross: Flying 4th Generation Fighters Against Futuristic Mecha
Two games from the Macross series let stubborn fighter jocks fly fixed-wing fighters against futuristic transforming robots.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Aug 24, 2022
- 3 min
Ace Combat 7: Playing with the Fog of War
In my view, the closing missions of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown continue to be some of the most memorable missions in the series as far...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Aug 17, 2022
- 3 min
Flying Carrot CAP in Hare Fare
My latest adventure into indie flight games led me to a cutesy planetoid in need of irrigation, bug swatting, and a long-eared pilot hero.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Aug 12, 2022
- 7 min
DCS World: Keybinds for Improved Jester AI Coordination
Multi-crew capable aircraft are some of the most interesting modules in the Digital Combat Simulator World. Operating a full-fidelity...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Jul 27, 2022
- 5 min
Aggressor: 'New Horizons' Looks to the Future
The first major update to Aggressor since its early access launch now positions the game for a better future.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Jul 19, 2022
- 3 min
Project Wingman MG-29: Cost Effective Multirole Master
An opinion piece about the MG-29 and why it is the cost effective multirole master of Project Wingman.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Jul 13, 2022
- 4 min
DCS World: Dying for the "Perfect Shot"
An opinion piece that discusses the concept of getting the "perfect shot" Digital Combat Simulator and the problems with pursuing it.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Jul 8, 2022
- 6 min
Interview: Aerovery Lab, Developer of Flight of Nova (Early Access 2022)
Flight of Nova is a space simulation title that has been striking out on its own when compared to other space flight games and simulators...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Jun 29, 2022
- 5 min
GroundFall: June 2022 Bush Flight Survival Testing
Testing the latest survival elements in GroundFall; a still in development open world bush flight simulator.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Jun 1, 2022
- 3 min
Hands on Console and Stick: Atari 2600 F-14 Fighter Simulator
As someone that collects and plays retro video games as a hobby, the Atari 2600 has a special place in my collection. Something akin to...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- May 18, 2022
- 7 min
Star Wars: CAS Strikes Back!
The counterattack on Takodana in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens solidified Poe Dameron's position as "one hell of a pilot"....
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- May 10, 2022
- 7 min
Flight in Ghost Recon: Wildlands
A helicopter drops a sniper onto the side of a cliff in the dead of night. Minutes later, a pair of operatives leap from the aircraft,...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Apr 13, 2022
- 4 min
Opinion: Tiny Combat Arena Is Better Than Ever
Tiny Combat Arena is better now that it ever has been. A staunch supporter presents their opinion.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Mar 29, 2022
- 5 min
Yukikaze: DIY CIWS
That's not a fluke, that's a feature. Since the beginning of the genre, combat flight simulators of all difficulties and complexity have...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Mar 9, 2022
- 6 min
Wing Breakers: First Impression
Have you ever aileron roll a pair of flying cows off your wing while flying through a barn? Well, I have, and let me tell you, the guy in...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Mar 1, 2022
- 8 min
The Brew Barons (Demo): First Impression
Launching from the dawn-soaked sea as night turns to day, with a fresh batch of brews in the cargo hold and distant islands holding...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Feb 16, 2022
- 4 min
Ace Combat Stealth Missiles: Historical Inspiration, Real World Technology
Even the most unconventional and outright sci-fi elements of the Ace Combat series often have connections to real-world aircraft,...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Feb 8, 2022
- 3 min
Eole: Letting the Mind Soar
The beauty of indie games is their willingness to do the unexpected. To intentionally step outside of the well-worn pathways games have...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Feb 5, 2022
- 14 min
Creator Highlight Month 2022: Solutus Eversol
The fifth entry of Creator Highlight Month 2022 is with Solutus Eversol. A guide to the worldbuilding of Ace Combat.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Jan 29, 2022
- 15 min
Creator Highlight Month 2022: Sacchan
The fourth entry of Creator Highlight Month 2022 is with Sacchan, founder and lead developer behind VRChat aviation.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Jan 26, 2022
- 4 min
DCS World: Winning the Entire Mission in a Single Sortie?
Recently formed opinion on why people do too much at once in DCS World PvE.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Jan 7, 2022
- 16 min
Creator Highlight Month 2022: Shadé
A flight machinima creator that has brought aviation to Besiege through her detailed aircraft designs and dynamic videos.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Dec 18, 2021
- 8 min
Jester A.I: Unexpected FAC(A) in DCS World
Forward Air Controller (Airborne) (FAC-A) is one of the most complex roles a modern-day military pilot could engage in.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Dec 3, 2021
- 11 min
The Brew Barons: Kickstarter Pre-Launch Interview with Lifetap Studios
There are times when you experience an unanticipated piece of media that leaves a lasting impression. Weeks ago, while scrolling through...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Nov 30, 2021
- 4 min
Vital and Versatile Heliborne Transports
Flying transports in Heliborne is a fun as it is vital to completing missions. Finally, a game that makes transports worth it.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Nov 20, 2021
- 11 min
Ita-Planes: Flying Devotion
An insightful look into one of the traditions of virtual (and real) aviation.
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Nov 10, 2021
- 3 min
Gyroscope: Intro to Advanced Project Skyscape Controls
A concept that only a first-person sandbox flight game could execute well. Project Skyscape is a still-in-development game by Flyleap...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Oct 30, 2021
- 7 min
Over G Fighters: Appreciating Arena Mode
This opinion is probably a decade and a half late, but Over G Fighters is such an excellent flight-sim lite. When I was forced to notch...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Oct 20, 2021
- 4 min
SATAL: Studying Air Combat Tactics from DCS Competitors
Cheering, jeering and learning from competitors fighting their hardest The first week of the 2021 season for the Squadron Air to Air...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Oct 12, 2021
- 5 min
Surviving the Waves of Vertical Strike Endless Challenge
A look at Vertical Strike Endless Challenge!
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Oct 5, 2021
- 5 min
First Impression: Manta (Steam Next Fest 2021 Demo)
Seamlessly transitioning between high-flying dogfights and deep-sea battles is not something I thought would mix well. I can vaguely...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Oct 1, 2021
- 5 min
Flight Sim Expo 2021: Seminar Highlights
The post-event impression of Flight Sim Expo 2021 is impactful. Though Skyward staff was unable to travel in person to the event because...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Sep 22, 2021
- 8 min
Hardpoint: Cloud Obscured Air-to-Ground Tips for DCS World
How many times have I watched wingmen and flight leads die because of cloud-fueled impatience? When a thick cloud deck throws off an...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Sep 15, 2021
- 4 min
Conflicts: Comanche Leaves Early Access with Content Doubling Game Mode
The newest entry in the Comanche combat helicopter series has completed its early access period. It has "landed" as a full-game release...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Sep 10, 2021
- 7 min
Interview: Flashpoint Studios, Developer of 'Aggressor'
It has been roughly six weeks since 'Aggressor' began its early access period. During that time this visually striking lowpoly arcade...
Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza
- Aug 24, 2021
- 4 min
Torpedoes: Mid-ranged Sledgehammers of Star Wars Squadrons
As this unexpected Star Wars first-person space dogfighter nears one year since its release, the combat style is still firmly within...
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