MIG54 From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 39 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 4523 times:
If this topic doesn't spark endless debate what will? On reflection my vote goes to Oswald Boelcke. He wrote the book for fighter pilots and the lessons still hold true today.
FlyBoeing From United States of America, joined May 2000, 866 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 4509 times:
Didn't Erich "Bubi" Hartman of the Luftwaffe shoot down something like 352 planes during WWII?
He's probably got the quality of sheer quantity - ironically, a Stalin quote - but there have to be people who have more skill.
Spectre From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2001, 81 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 4498 times:
What qualifies as 'best' fighter pilot?
Is it the number of kills recorded, even if against poor opposition or unarmed aircraft, or could it be the best tactition?
My belief is that the best fighter pilot is the one who lives to tell his grandkids tall tales of battles won.
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 29350 posts, RR: 62 Reply 4, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 4486 times:
Ohhh....this should be a good one.
Just to throw some names out there, Tuck, Galland, Foss, Boyington, Peake, Chanault, Richtofen, Rickenbacker, Immelman, and Foss to name a few in no particular order.
As one of the preceding individuals said, "It isn't the crate that matters, It is the person in it."
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
NKP S2 From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 1714 posts, RR: 6 Reply 5, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 4473 times:
A few others...Rall, Knoke, Johnson, "Gabby" Gabreski, Bong, Zemke, Sakai, Tuck, Deere. I doubt either of these men would have the temerity to state they were the best...but they, and others, were.
Lehpron From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 7028 posts, RR: 22 Reply 9, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 4433 times:
I think his name is Joesph Walker, he was the test pilot that took flight of an X-15 on it's record speed and altitude trails.
I wish I was in his place!
The meaning of life is curiosity; we were put on this planet to explore opportunities.
MikeN From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (11 years 9 months 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 4420 times:
After surfing the Web for a bit, I came across these pages. To me, these guys were the s**t in their day! Even though Hartmann got many of his kills against inexperienced Russian pilots in obsolete aircraft, they were kills none the less. I would say he is the all-time greatest fighter pilot.
MikeN From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (11 years 9 months 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 4411 times:
One more note....
Unlike American pilots, German pilots flew constantly for the duration of the war. Had Gabby Gabreski and Douglas Bader and Richard Bong flown constantly for 6 years, I think their totals would have been pretty high as well.
Oldelwood From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 14, posted (11 years 9 months 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 4396 times:
How about Chuck Yeager? I believe he was an ace WW2 AND Korea plus the greatest test pilot of all! By the way he flew the X-15 and broke the sound barrier.
MikeN From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (11 years 9 months 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 4396 times:
Chuck Yeager was a great test pilot, he was also an ace (with only 5 or 6 kills I believe). However, he was really famous for one thing, taking the X-1 (not X-15) past Mach 1 in 1947. There have been many other pilots out there much better at their trade than Yeager was. Yeager just happened to be in the right place at the right time and got a lot of notoriety for his accomplishments.
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 29350 posts, RR: 62 Reply 16, posted (11 years 9 months 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 4392 times:
Besides Bob Hoover was a much more accomplished test pilot then Yeager.
The only reason why Hoover did not break the sound barrier was because he was being punished for an incident that occured a couple of months earlier.
Sorry I don't have the specifics off the top of my head. I can look them up if you wish.
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
UA752 From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 142 posts, RR: 2 Reply 19, posted (11 years 8 months 3 weeks 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 4339 times:
He may not have the most kills ever but Scott O'Grady was certainly a remarkable airman.
Paulc From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2001, 1490 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (11 years 8 months 3 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 4306 times:
How about Roland Beaumont - started with BEF (British Expeditionery Force) in France 1939 on Hurricanes, survived the Battle of Britain and the rest of the war to become a well known test pilot. He was test pilot on Canberra but is probably best known for his work on the (sadly cancelled) TSR2
Fireblade From Portugal, joined Feb 2006, 0 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (11 years 8 months 3 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 4291 times:
if he use to be so great raf would give him a speedfire to fly .
i'm kidding hurricane is my favourire ww2 uk plane even if he was slower than speedfire
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