Pilots and Tankers!

On the second weekend of November it finally happened: Gaijin Entertainment followed through with it's slogan 'MEET THE REAL TANKS!' and invited four of the lucky winners from the recent gamescom 2014, who had won a drive in a real tank, to Königsee in Thuringia, Germany, where they switched mouse and keyboard for the controls of a real tank.
 

The conditions could not have been better: The test grounds welcomed our War Thunder fans with sunshine, bright blue sky and spring temperatures. The  facility itself had the charm of the old East German military barracks and the course offered all the challenges you could wish for when going out for a ride in a tank. From dirt roads, mud pits and waterways to ramps - everything was there.
 

The vehicles themselves were impressive, too. For our joyride the facility offered two BMP recon tanks, weighing  around 14 tonnes each and powered by a 300 hp engine. These vehicles of Russian production are fast and maneuverable and were thus the ideal toy for a hard and heavy ride across the terrain. Accordingly, our tank drivers were quite excited when they finally received their tanker's overalls after a brief theoretical instruction, complete with helmet and onboard radio. During the drive itself the excitement was followed by pure concentration: Technically, a BMP can be driven like a car with throttle, brake and clutch, but as the control column can only be used to slow down the inside curve track, the gas pedal was of significant importance when steering.
 

That the drive was fun besides all the concentration required was quite visible from their faces when they jumped off the vehicle. With still shaking hands and a big grin on their face they recalled the thirty-minute drive to those that came to watch. And although it was not quite enough for our drivers to receive a tank licence right away, they were not only awarded by the organizer with a tanker's diploma, but also received a War Thunder Certificate turning them into true Tank Pioneers! Honour to whom honour is due!
 

We also wish to thank our partners NoLimits24.de and Rollei, which greatly helped us bring this event to life.
 

The War Thunder Team

Find an album with pictures from the event here!