Flying ace: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

A flying ace is a military aviator who has shot down five or more enemy aircraft. The term originated in World War I in France, when French newspapers described Adolphe Pegoud as a flying ace after he became the first pilot to shoot down five German aircraft. Ace is also used to refer to non-aviators who have distinguised themselves by sinking ships, destroying tanks, etc. (i.e. U-boat ace).

Aces of World War I
Name Country Service Victories Notes
Manfred von Richthofen Germany Luftwaffe 80 "The Red Baron"
René Fonck France Aviation Militaire 75 Top Allied
Billy Bishop Canada Royal Flying Corps 72 Top British Empire
Ernst Udet Germany Luftwaffe 62
Raymond Collishaw Canada Royal Naval Air Service 61 Top RNAS
William Barker Canada Royal Flying Corps 53
Georges Guynemer France Aviation Militaire 53
George McElroy Ireland Royal Flying Corps 47 Top Ireland
Robert Little Australia Royal Naval Air Service 47 Top Australia
Albert Ball England Royal Flying Corps 44
Oswald Boelcke Germany Luftwaffe 40
Francesco Baracca Italy Corpo Aeronautico Militare 34 Top Italy
Eddie Rickenbacker USA US Army Air Service 26 Top US
Frank Luke USA US Army Air Service 18 Medal of Honor
Max Immelmann Germany Luftwaffe 15 "The Blue Max"
James White Canada RNAS 12
Christopher Draper UK RNAS 9 "The Mad Major"
Cyril Lowe UK RFC 9
Aces of Spanish Civil War
Name Country Service Victories
Alois Vasatko Czechoslovakia Republican Air Force 17
Abel Guides France Republican Air Force 10
Werner Mölders Germany Condor Legion 14
Wolfgang Schellman Germany Condor Legion 12
Harro Harder Germany Condor Legion 11
Mario Bonzano Italy Nationalist Air Force 15
Brunetto di Montegnacco Italy Nationalist Air Force 14
Guido Presel Italy Nationalist Air Force 13
Aces of World War II
Name Country Service Victories
Erich Hartmann Germany Luftwaffe 352
Gerhard Barkhorn Germany Luftwaffe 301
Günther Rall Germany Luftwaffe 275
Otto Kittel Germany Luftwaffe 267
Walter Nowotny Germany Luftwaffe 258
Wilhelm Batz Germany Luftwaffe 237
Erich Rudorffer Germany Luftwaffe 222
Heinz Bär Germany Luftwaffe 220
Hermann Graf Germany Luftwaffe 212
Richard I. Bong U.S. Army Air Forces 40
Thomas McGuire U.S. Army Air Forces 38
Francis "Gabby" Gabreski U.S. Army Air Forces 28
Robert S. Johnson U.S. Army Air Forces 28
David McCampbell U.S. Navy 34
Cecil E. Harris U.S. Navy 23
Johnnie Johnson UK Royal Air Force 38
Ilmari Juutilainen Finland Air Force 94
Hans Wind Finland Air Force 75
Eino Luukkanen Finland Air Force 56
Karel Miroslav Kuttelwascher Czechoslovakia RAF 20
Adolph Malan South Africa RAF 32
Stanislaw Skalski Poland Polish Air Forces 22
Josef Frantisek Czechoslovakia Polish Air Forces 17
Ivan Kozhedub Soviet Union VVS 62
Alexander Pokryshkin Soviet Union VVS 59
Constantine Cantacuzine Romania 60
Alexandru Serbanescu Romania 56
Aces of Korean War
Name Country Service Victories
Capt. Joseph M. McConnell United States Air Force 16
Major James Jabara United States Air Force 15
Capt. Manuel J. "Pete" Fernandez United States Air Force 14 1/2
Maj. George A. Davis United States Air Force 14
Nikolay Sutyagin Soviet Union VVS 21
Yevgeny Pepelyaev Soviet Union VVS 19
Lev Shchukin Soviet Union VVS 13
Sergei Kramarenko Soviet Union VVS 13
Aces of Vietnam War 1. Advisor to NVPAF
Name Country Service Victories
Nguyen Van Coc North Vietnam Air Force 9
Mai Van Cuong North Vietnam Air Force 8
Randall "Duke" Cunningham/William Driscoll United States Navy 5
Charles B. DeBellevue United States Air Force 6
Vadim Petrovich Shchbakov Soviet Union PVO Strany (1) 6
Aces of Arab-Israeli Wars
Name Country Service Victories
Col. (Res.) Giora Epstein Israel Air Force 17
Yiftah Spector Israel Air Force 15
Amir Nahumi Israel Air Force 15
Djur Abid Adib Syria Air Force 5
Majad Halabi Syria Air Force 5
Majid Zugbi Syria Air Force 6
Aces and Highest Number of Victories in Indo-Pakistani Wars
Name Country Service War Victories
Muhammad Shams-ul-Haq Pakistan Air Force 1971 4
Syed Sa'ad Akhtar Hatmi Pakistan Air Force 1971 3
Two F-15 Eagle pilots were credited with three victories each.
Highest Number Victories of Persian Gulf War Note: There were no aces in the Persian Gulf War of 1991. The pilots with the greatest number of victories is included
Name Country Service Victories

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