Accession Number:

AD1023611

Title:

From Les Chevaliers du Ciel to Steely-Eyed Killers: Intersecting Influences of Hollywood and Reality on the Romanticization of Fighter Pilots

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

Air Command and Staff College Maxwell Air Force Base United States

Personal Author(s):

• Bellamy,Shaun G.

Report Date:

2013-12-01

Pagination or Media Count:

29.0

Abstract:

Stories of epic heroes abound throughout human civilization and have served as paragons of cultural ideals since before recorded history. Based loosely on reality, these mythic figures are typically drawn from a societys warrior caste whose larger-than-life personas and exploits are easily transmitted by means of storytelling. This paper will examine how the intersecting influences of modern storytelling via motion pictures and reality have contributed to the rise of one modern American warrior-hero persona in particular, the fighter pilot.

Descriptors:

• military aviation
• aerial warfare
• air force
• Korean war
• military aircraft
• combat effectiveness
• department of defense
• first world war
• second world war
• military history
• pilots
• motion pictures

Subject Categories:

• Military Aircraft Operations
• Military Forces and Organizations

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE