WWI Dogfights and Military Aviation Advice from WWI to WWIII
(Advice taken from a variety of sources which, in spite of a myriad of attempt at verification, may or may not be accurate, but are nonetheless good advice and generally amusing.)
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WWI British bombers on a mission at the Western Front, 1918
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At the start of WWI, airplanes were used for reconnaissance. Enemy pilots would trade insults and rude hand gestures.
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| Biplane crash during training, 1910 |
"Try to stay in the middle of the air. Do not go near the edges of it. The edges of the air can be recognized by the appearance of ground, buildings, sea, trees and interstellar space. It is much more difficult to fly there." - Basic flight rules
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Crash of a WWI advanced German reconnaissance aircraft known as the Walfisch (Whale).
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"You've never been lost until you've been lost at Mach 3." - Test pilot Paul F. Crickmore
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Crewman prepares to drop a bomb on a U-boat in the North Sea.
"Even with ammunition, the USAF is just another expensive flying club."
WWI pilots started to bring up bricks to lob at each other and pistols to take shots at anyone in range.
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French pilot and observer demonstrate the arc of machine gun fire in a pusher plane.
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Eventually, the planes were modified to accommodate heavier fire power. Front mounted machine guns had to fire through the spinning propeller. A Dutch designer created a timing system to correlate propeller spin and bullets.
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| Biplanes from 1914-1918, flying in formation. |
"Their Lordships are of the opinion that they would not be of any practical use to the Naval Service." - British Admiralty, in reply to the Wright's offer of patents for their airplane, 1907.
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A captured German Taube monoplane, on display in the courtyard of Les Invalides in Paris, in 1915.
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The Etrich Taube was the first military airplane to be mass-produced in Germany. Not suitable as a warplane, it was replaced by newer and more effective designs.
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On January 18, 1911, Eugene Ely, 24-years-old, was the first pilot to land an airplane on a ship. He died in a plane crash nine months later.
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"Because during World War Two I was responsible for the destruction of six aircraft, fortunately three were enemy." - Captain Ray Lancaster, USAAF, when asked why he was called 'Ace'.
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Dramatic dogfight scene, created using models of aircraft suspended by string and wires.
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Death in the Air:
The War Diary and Photographs of a Flying Corps Pilot was published in 1933. Years later, the photos and diary were determined to be fake.
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At the beginning of World War I, the US Airforce consisted of 18 pilots and less than a dozen airplanes.
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"If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a helicopter -- and therefore, unsafe."
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Practical parachutes were invented in the late 18th century.
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Military leadership refused to provide parachutes for the WWI pilots assuming that the pilots would unnecessarily abandon their airplanes.
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Photos of WWI crashes, collected by an officer at the Royal Naval Air Service school of flying.
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Military controller inquired if a pilot needed assistance as his plane skidded down the tarmac when the landing gear malfunctioned. "Dunno - we ain't done crashin' yet."
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| WWI German seaplane incident, 1918 |
Make your own picture record of the War.
- Kodak advertising, WWI
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Pilot instructor at Kelly Field in San Antonio TX, 1917
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Kodak created a Vest Pocket Kodak (VPK) or the "Soldier's Camera." The company encouraged pilots to take the portable camera with them during their flights.
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Belgian “Death’s Head” piloted by Lt. Jaumotte with observer Lt. Wouters, 1915-1917
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Responding to a test pilot crash, "What happened?" "I don't know, I just got here myself!" - Attributed to Ray Crandell (Lockheed test pilot)
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| Priest blesses an airplane, France, 1915 |
"The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely kill you." - Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot)
The Red Baron
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WWI German flying ace, The Red Baron and his dog, 1916.
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Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, The Red Baron, crashed his first time piloting a plane. By the time he died, he shot down 80 enemy aircraft in 20 months of combat, including 21 planes in the month of April 1917.
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The Red Baron’s Albatros, second from the front. Northern France, 1917
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The Red Baron painted his Albatros red when he became a squadron commander. Other members of squadron also painted parts of their aircraft red.
They became known as "The Flying Circus" due to the unit's brightly colored aircraft and the rapidly advancing unit's use of tents, trains, and caravans.
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Triplane fighter brigade. The Red Baron, and his Flying Circus.
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In 1917, Richthofen suffered a head wound during a flight. An attempt was made to keep him from flying from fear that his death would seriously undermine the morale of the German people.
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The Red Baron Triplane, dismembered by souvenir hunters.
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In 1918, a single bullet hit The Red Baron in the chest, damaging his heart and lungs. In the last seconds of his life, he managed to retain sufficient control to make a rough landing behind enemy lines.
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Funeral for The Red Baron, at Bertangles Cemetery, France, April 22, 1918
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The allied soldiers held a military funeral for Richthofen and hundreds of Allied soldiers filed by to pay their respects. RAF pilots dropped canisters containing news of Richthofen’s death and pictures of his funeral over the airbase where Richthofen's squadron was stationed.
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The Red Baron was 25 years old when he died.
May 2, 1892 – April 21, 1918
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"I would become miserable if now, honoured with glory and decorations, I became a pensioner of my own dignity in order to preserve my precious life ... while every poor fellow in the trenches endures his duty exactly as I did mine." - Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, The Red Baron
#pilot #fly #quote #WWI #ace
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