if I may be allowed, he was really a man to admire Jimmy Stewart


In August 1943 he was finally assigned to the 445th Bombardment Group at Sioux City AAB, Iowa, first as Operations Officer of the 703rd Bombardment Squadron and then as its commander, at the rank of Captain. In December, the 445th Bombardment Group flew its B-24 Liberator bombers to RAF Tibenham, Norfolk, England and immediately began combat operations. While flying missions over Germany, Stewart was promoted to Major. In March 1944, he was transferred as group operations officer to the 453rd Bombardment Group, a new B-24 unit that had been experiencing difficulties. As a means to inspire his new group, Stewart flew as command pilot in the lead B-24 on numerous missions deep into Nazi-occupied Europe. These missions went uncounted at Stewart's orders. His "official" total is listed as 20 and is limited to those with the 445th. In 1944, he twice received the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in combat and was awarded the Croix de Guerre. He also received the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters. In July 1944, after flying 20 combat missions, Stewart was made Chief of Staff of the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing of the Eighth Air Force. Before the war ended, he was promoted to colonel, one of very few Americans to rise from private to colonel in four years.

I think he even had to lie about his weight to get into the services. Then the powers that be didn't want to risk him in combat for fear of bad PR is he was killed or captured. He was the real deal and a true hero.

Splitter

---UN PILOTA RITORNA--- ITALIAN MOVIE BY ROBERTO ROSSELLINI CANT.1007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi4TeWUnvf4

Dark Blue World
12 O'Clock High
Midway
Top Gun
Flyboys

Don't get me wrong.. I liked The Tuskegee Airmen and most if not all the othr movies mentioned that I have seen... All I need are planes in it.. but these movies had a lot of what I like.. and I have no doubt that Redtails will go down as a great film. Just looking at the cast alone means it will be quality work.IMO DBW was the finest aviation movie I have seen to date..

The Great Waldo Pepper.

Probably the best film about aviation pioneers and superbly and sympathetically acted.

The Aviator

Howard Hughes made air travel comfortable and affordable. He also designed and flew some great aeroplanes, but pork barrel politics and nepotism saw his designs sidelined.

By Dawn's Early Light.

A B52 bomber crew decide not to carry out their assigned mission and turn off a first strike nuclear war before it turns into an all-out exchange. Flawed by the 2 main leads Powers Boothe and Rebecca DeMornay, who were simply...Wooden.

A few more in no particular prefence,

Strategic Air Command
Always
Catch 22 (especially when Milo bombs his own base, because 'it's good for business')
Dr Strangelove