In 1989 GDW released the second edition of their Blue Max World War I aerial combat board game. At its heart it is a simple game. Each plane has a "Maneuver Schedule" which defines how it may move. Each pilot (player) selects the maneuver to be executed. All the planes then move. Planes in front of the enemy get shot. Damage is determined by drawing chits from a bag. A plane which takes enough damage in the right places, is destroyed. Easy, simple, quick to play; and lots of fun.

Nothing is so simple that it can't be improved (i.e., made more complicated). In the early 1990s the gamers at The Keep in Fort Wayne, Indiana were playing a locally created World War I aerial combat game. It was fun, up to a point, but had serious problems. Someone brought in Blue Max. It was an immediate hit with everyone. As a result, in early 1992 we decided to start a campaign.

To support this campaign, a set of rules modifications was created, and then modified as the campaign progressed. This was known as the Blue Max Rules Modifications, Clarifications, and Additions (MCA). These rules made the game a bit more realistic, and somewhat (but only slightly) more difficult.

A set of campaign rules was also created, known as Heroes in the Sky. These rules set their emphasis on the development of flying characters (mainly pilots, but also gunners). The campaign was extremely well received. It ran every weekend and holiday afternoon and evening (plus one double all-nighter over a New Year's weekend) for well over two years. A total of 106 people participated at one time or another.

In late 2004 the local group decided to start another campaign. Acquiring and preparing new 1/144th scale models took over a year (the first campaign had used 1/72nd scale models). When it became clear that the campaign would occur, the MCA and the Heroes in the Sky rules were updated. The second campaign ran until well into 2009.

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		Blue Max Rules Modifications, Clarifications, and Additions (MCA)
		Heroes in the Sky Campaign Rules
		Aircraft Data Sheets  (This item and link are not yet implemented.)
		Indiana Escadrille (YouPlay.It)