Fight in the Skies (later republished as Dawn Patrol) is a World War I aerial combat board game created by Mike Carr, first self-published in 1966, then published by Guidon Games (1972) and TSR (1975-1982). Each player controls a WWI aircraft, maneuvering on a grid map while tracking altitude on a separate log. The game simulates dogfights with rules for firing, damage, and aircraft performance. It holds the distinction of appearing on the event schedule of every Gen Con convention since Gen Con I.
Components
Grid map (square grid; later editions feature full-color terrain)
Aircraft counters (cardboard; full-color in later editions)
Altitude logs (one per player)
Aircraft data cards (performance specifications for various WWI planes)
Six-sided dice
Rules booklet (7 pages in basic form)
Setup
Select a scenario or agree on the engagement conditions.
Each player selects a WWI aircraft from the available data cards (Sopwith Camel, Fokker D.VII, SPAD XIII, etc.).
Place aircraft counters on the grid map at starting positions per the scenario.
Each player records their starting altitude on their altitude log.
Determine sides (Allied vs. Central Powers) and starting conditions.
Turn Structure
Each turn represents a brief period of aerial combat:
1. Movement Phase
All players simultaneously plot their aircraft’s movement.
Aircraft move based on their speed rating and current altitude.
Players may change altitude (climb or dive), which affects speed.
Turns, banks, and maneuvers consume movement points based on aircraft agility.
2. Firing Phase
At the end of each turn, players may fire on enemy aircraft within their firing arc and range.
Roll a six-sided die to determine if a hit is scored.
If a hit occurs, roll again to determine the amount and location of damage.
3. Damage Resolution
Apply damage to the target aircraft.
Check for critical effects (engine damage, pilot hit, structural failure, fire).
Severely damaged aircraft may spiral, stall, or crash.
Actions
Aircraft Maneuvers
Straight flight: Move forward at current speed.
Turns: Bank left or right; tighter turns cost more movement and may cause stalls at low speed.
Climbing: Gain altitude at the cost of speed.
Diving: Lose altitude to gain speed.
Immelman turn: Climb and reverse direction (requires sufficient speed and altitude).
Split-S: Dive and reverse direction.
Combat
Machine gun fire: Primary weapon; limited by firing arc (typically forward-fixed or rear-mounted).
Hit determination: Roll d6 against target number modified by range, deflection, and aircraft factors.
Dawn Patrol RPG variant: The 1982 TSR edition (7th edition, renamed Dawn Patrol) included rules for converting the game to a role-playing experience with persistent pilot characters, promotions, and personality.
National pilot names: Lists of period-appropriate names by nationality for creating pilot characters.
Simultaneous movement: Movement is plotted simultaneously, creating uncertainty about enemy positions.
3D combat: The altitude log system simulates three-dimensional combat on a two-dimensional grid.