Squadron Formation
Formed in 1990 or 1991, the Arabian Knights are one of the oldest virtual flight squadrons in internet gaming history. They gained renown as elite early combatants in Sierra’s Red Baron and SimGuild’s Flying Circus, which were pioneering multiplayer World War I flight simulators.
Origins — Flying Circus
SimGuild
A group of programmer friends with shared gaming interests formed Simguild, identified by the “SG” prefix. One member, SG_Scummy, had previously developed a WWII flight game for DOS in 1991. When SG_PolarBear sought a WWI simulation, he recruited SG_Nobody, SG_RocketMan, SG_RedBaron, and SG_DECula to create “Flying Circus” (FC). The team’s first client-server version launched in April 1997, eventually establishing SimGuild Inc. above an internet service provider in Lawton, Oklahoma. The developers’ enthusiastic gameplay attracted Doc (David Maury), later known as AKDoc, who discovered the game through their laughter and subsequently joined.
Arabian Knights in Aces High
The late 1990s saw explosive growth in online aviation gaming. Competitors included War Birds, Air Warrior, Microsoft’s Game Zone offerings, and others. HiTech and Pyro conceptualized what became Aces High, entering beta in late 1999. Several future Arabian Knights participated in testing, leading AKCurly to establish “Arabian Knights 2AH” when the game launched in 2000.
Coat of Arms
The squadron’s heraldic shield contains symbolic elements representing their identity. The upper-left features an orange “A” for “Arabian,” while the lower-right displays an orange “K” for “Knights,” with orange representing Arabia’s desert sands. The lower-left quadrant displays the Order of the Red Eagle, “an honor bestowed upon only an elite few in Germany at the time of the Great War,” featuring a white and gold cross with a red eagle holding an olive branch, flanked by golden rapiers and topped with a crown.