How many aces are in the US military?

The American Fighter Aces

Fighter Aces

A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually considered to be five or more.

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Flying ace - Wikipedia

Association currently recognize 1,442 fighter pilots as Aces. In general, the World War I list includes those accepted by the individual services under the rules at that time.

How many aces does the US military have?

American Fighter Aces Association is a non-profit organization which recognizes the 1,450 combat American pilots (referred to as Aces) who have had five or more aerial victories in combat.

How many US fighter pilots are aces?

Becoming an ace in a day became relatively common during World War II. A total of 68 U.S. pilots (43 Army Air Forces, 18 Navy, and seven Marine Corps pilots) were credited with the feat, including legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager.

Are there any active duty aces?

50 years ago, between May 10 and August 28, 1972 Captain Richard “Steve” Ritchie, Reidsville, NC 's native son, became the only United States Air Force pilot to achieve Ace status (*). He will likely be the last. “Ace” is the title bestowed on those downing 5 enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat.

Who is the biggest ace in USA?

Known as the “Ace of Aces,” Major Richard Ira Bong is credited with the downing of an impressive confirmed total of 40 enemy aircraft. Top Image: Major Richard Bong courtesy of the US Air Force.

These are the Top 10 Aces of Aces

Who is the deadliest fighter ace of all time?

Erich Alfred Hartmann (19 April 1922 – 20 September 1993) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare.

Who is the highest female ace?

Born in Moscow in 1921 Lydia (or Lilya) Vladimirovna Litvyak caught the flying bug early, piloting light aircraft at the age of just 15. She secured her flight instructor license in the late 1930s, training 45 students by the time of the German invasion in June 1941.

How many kills for ace pilot?

The term "ace" is unofficially bestowed on those pilots and weapon systems officers who have shot down five enemy aircraft. The label became popular among military pilots during World War I, when French newspapers christened Adolphe Pégoud as l'as after he downed several German airplanes.

How many air kills does it take to be an ace?

The term 'ace' is generally taken to mean any fighter pilot credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft. Lone aerial combat provided an outlet for acts of personal bravery.

Who has the most kills as a pilot?

Erich “Bubi” Hartmann

Erich Hartmann is the most successful fighter pilot of all times – with 352 kills. A number that will never be surpassed. His nickname “Bubi” means “little boy” – and it's easy to find out why he was called like that. He was also called “The black devil”.

How many US aces are in Vietnam?

There were only two fighter pilot Aces to emerge from the conflict in Vietnam. The first was Navy F-4 pilot Randall H. “Duke” Cunningham who, with Bill Driscoll as his rear seat man, became an Ace on May 10, 1972.

What is the hardest pilot rating?

The airline transport pilot (ATP) is the most advanced pilot certificate one can obtain, and it's necessary for those who want to fly commercial airliners for a living.

Who was the last American ace fighter pilot?

"Billy" Watts, USN. Billy Watts and his Hellcat destroyed eight enemy aircraft and shared credit for three others, but that wasn't what earned him the Navy Cross for “extraordinary heroism” in combat. It was March 19, 1945, and he was staring down at a fleet of Japanese ships and the anti-aircraft fire coming from them ...

How many current pilots are ACEs?

The American Fighter Aces Association currently recognize 1,442 fighter pilots as Aces. In general, the World War I list includes those accepted by the individual services under the rules at that time.

Were there any ACEs in Vietnam?

The claimed flying aces of the Vietnam War, pilots who shot down five or more enemy aircraft, include 19 North Vietnamese pilots (six MiG-17 and 13 MiG-21 pilots), and five Americans.

What percentage of serves are ACEs?

The average was around 7%. Again, aces alone don't tell us how effective a server is because a weak serve can result in an ace simply because of poor communication, random passing miscues, or a serve hitting the tape and trickling over untouched.

Has an F 15 been shot down?

“The lore of the F-15—its' got 104 air-to-air kills and it's never been shot down in combat,” said Lt.

Is it hard to be a fighter ace?

It is extremely hard to become a fighter pilot.

On average, each year only three candidates become fighter pilots out of over 1000 applicants. After obtaining a bachelor's degree it only takes two years to become a fighter pilot, but these two years are grueling with intense training and tests.

Does the F-22 have any kills?

The F-22, the top US air superiority fighter jet, finally has it's first air-to-air kills. In a week, this jet downed a Chinese spy balloon and an unidentified "object" in two separate engagements. Neither kill was a jet that the F-22 was designed to fight.

How many a 10 warthogs have been shot down?

The A-10 force, flying more than 8,000 combat sorties, suffered only five A-10s destroyed (a loss rate of . 062 percent).

Are Blue Angels TOPGUN pilots?

Some current and former Blue Angels pilots have gone through TOPGUN; however, it is not a prerequisite.

Who is the best pilot in Ace Combat?

The famous ISAF pilot Mobius One takes the top spot on today's list. Mobius One is an ace pilot who helped win the Continental War for the ISAF against Erusea.

Who was the youngest ace?

On June 19, his 55th mission and first as an element leader (which meant he was in the shooting position), he made his first kill. His fifth victory came on June 30, 1953, making him a flying ace. He was the USAF's 36th ace and the youngest ace of the war at 24 years and 4 days.

Who was the best American ace?

Maj. Bong scored 28 air-to-air victories. When he returned to the Pacific for his second tour, he was assigned as a gunnery instructor. He voluntarily flew numerous combat missions and in "self defense" scored 12 more victories to bring his total to 40, making him the highest scoring ace in American history.

Who is the highest scoring living ace?

With 16¼ victories to his credit, Clarence Emil “Bud” Anderson Jr., 100, is the highest-scoring living American fighter ace.