The Best Pilots ever

[Panzer_land]

Who do you think were the best pilots that ever conquered skies??

I think WW1 saw an era of unmatched war pilots, eventhough most massive aces appeared in WW2

WW1 pilots were really piooners, they had to face technological odds and start the war in the air. Technological difference between planes was much more narrow, thus the discipline and skills of pilots were much more influential in dogfights ( phenomenun that nowadays, with new warplanes, is less evident)
They had to deal with unreliable and primitive planes ( begg of war) and their life expectancy was extemly low. The Flying circus of the Lafayette escadrille will never appear again in history.

This is my view thx for reading

[T. A. Gardner]

Piloting in war is alot like driving a race car. Either you have it or you don't. Experiance and training can take you 90% of the way but the other 10% is pure talent. Some will have it, others won't.
I don't think you can easily point to one or another group of pilots flying at some point in history as "the best." There were individual pilots that were astounding. A few of these survived. What really counts is that most of a nation's pilots and air crew are well enough trained to have a reasonable chance of success regardless of whom they meet in the air.

[spidge]

To have made it to the starting line in the first place was a feat that cannot be underestimated. Look at the thousands of accidental deaths in the Air Forces during ww2.

The Racing car driver is a good analogy TA!

[Harry Ree]

At pilot training schools.As the course progressed, pupils were being continuously assessed and those who completed the course were identified as being capable of undertaking further training as fighter pilots or bomber pliots, usually split into the handling of single engined aircraft or multi engined aircraft.The training did not stop there as trainee pilots were exposed to the training and assimulation of the aircraft that they were to fly on operational squadrons.They would not be allowed to fly on operations until they had the flying hours experience on their chosen type.When they did they were still training on the job until their superiors decided that they were capable of greater responsibility within their squadron.

As regards Bomber Command, training was honed and improved as aircraft and instructor availability improved on the lastest aircraft types such as the ultimate training facility made available from about 1943 onwards of the LFS Units. The training at the Lancaster Finishing Schools meant that a whole crew would receive enhanced training using the latest feedback from air operations over enemy territory.

While aerial bombing techniques had been honed during the interwar years, real feedback for improving performance only came about from progressive operational experience and the introduction of scientific aids.The techniques of aerial fighting had already been established over the Western Front in 1917 and these fundamental principles were found to be the same that were required for the Second World War figher pilot.Stay within these principles and given quality equipment, a pilot would have an increased chance of survival.A rejection of the the discipline required from these principles would lead to a foolhardy performance in the air and the loss of an aircraft and the pilot.

Whether single or multi engined training, success depended on the initial assessment and selection of those airman who were deemed to have the capability for flying an aircraft, the quality of the instructors, the quality of the training aircraft and the ability to keep those aircraft flying.Also the location of the training facilities which should be as far as possible from the front line as to avoid the enemy interfering with flying training.

The other important point was that experienced pilots on one type had to received conversion training before they were deemed capable of flying a new type operationally.There were some who used their personality and standing to circumvent this requirement and there were cases where this was the contributory factor into the loss of an aircraft and an experienced pilot.

[4th wilts]

imo,most of the best german pilots were dead or captured,by mid-late 42 the allies were downing mainly novices.lee.

[Panzer_land]

10% talent only??. I dont think so, if talent was so irrelevant i dont think the luftwaffe would have produced aces that shot down more than 300 planes.

[4th wilts]

the luftwaffe had a few very high scoring pilots.the western allies had imo,lots more aces with less highly scoring pilots.what would be better.i would prefere the latter,not the former.but hey,im no expert am i.lee.

[Gotthard Heinrici]

Originally Posted by 4th wilts

the luftwaffe had a few very high scoring pilots.the western allies had imo,lots more aces with less highly scoring pilots.what would be better.i would prefere the latter,not the former.but hey,im no expert am i.lee.

How do you come up with this statement Lee, The Allies had lots more Aces than the Germans? I dont think so. The Germans had far more Aces than the Allied Air forces, They fought in machines that became obsolete as the war went on, they faced increased numbers of enemy aircraft and unlike Allied Pilots, there was no "tour of duty", they fought until they died or the war ended. Tell me how the Allies were better pilots?

[Scaramooch]

Gents, to say he or the other was the best could not do justice to the other. I hae read that there where pilots from Germany thats score was in the hundreds. Was there any of the Allies with such scores. yes the Germans did fight until they where either shot down and killed or died in a plane crash. There where individuals that springs to mind. For me it is Sailor Malan, not only because I am South African, but this man fought with two artificial legs. He had been shot down and turned up as a POW. The Germans even took his legs away from him to attempt to stop his attempts to escape. Now that to me is one of those individuals. Lets not forget the Tuscan airmen, the coloured squadren. At a stage the bomber pilots first refused to fly if they knew these guys where up there to protect them. But when they had the chance they proved that they where worse than a bulldog seeing red with a turbo up his never regions. After that the bomber guys only wanted them for protection. So for the best, no, this can not be said. I think all pilots where the best it was just oppertunaty that had elluded them.

Peter

[4th wilts]

like i said,im no expert,but by mid 42 most western allid squadrons,had more pilots who were better trained.lee.