SALUTE! ST_Marx,
You did the right thing. We use the honor system in FIF. As a pilot if you get killed or captured you can't be a pilot again for the rest of the session,but you can be a gunner as many times as you want.
When you get disconnected no harm no foul,you can come back and jump in the pilots seat again.
Since you're a member of the blue team you'll always use the No.42 TS regardless of what server we fly on.
Hope this helps and glad you had a good time. I know we did.