Okay - so I finally bought the game and I CANNOT take off from Dunkirk (evacuation). Everytime I try, I crash into the buildings or the harbor. Anyone have advice? To say I'm a novice gamer is putting it mildly. I really enjoy the game, but am getting incredibly frustrated with not being able to take off and continue!
Thanks!

I just got the game for Christmas myself. You have to increase your speed all the way and pull back on the stick to lift off. I am using the Wii Nunchuck, so for me, I have to push the joy stick forward to increase speed, and rotate the nunchuck upward to pull the nose of the plane up and off the ground. Dont forget to retract the landing gear after you are off the ground. Hope this helps.

you dont need to pitch forward before pulling back. You just throttle it and the plane tips forward. Then you pull back, plane tips back, back wheel bounces then liftoff!

I can do it on the "holding Guadalcanal" mission and that is one of the shortest runways I've seen so far! it took me loads of tries to land on it.

OK you've got flakked by a Jap warship and you've got to land with a plane on fire and damage even Joe can't fix. Then you change planes to a torpedo bomber and own the ships and get revenge!