“When you look into the eyes of a pilot, the lights are usually on.”
— Col. John S. Rivers, USAF (Ret), Squadron Commander, 306th TFS, 1968 — Vietnam War
This month, we feature some of the famous and not so famous military pilots from aviation history. Many of the names are widely known, from Georges Guynemer to Chuck Yeager, yet others are less recognized. Most are American, but some come from around the world, including even some from North Vietnam. All have that one thing in common: friend or foe, they are truly expert pilots.
These are the real faces of “The Real Top Gun” — not from Hollywood nor drawn from pilots who fly at NAS Miramar, but rather the men who together represent the tradition of the fighter pilot. Even though today there are fighter pilots who are women, none are included — yet, though we will be featuring a special edition on women pilots.
From the earliest days of aviation history to today, these pilots represent the true “Right Stuff”.