Every soul must taste of death.
-Passage from the Koran

"I like a man who grins when he fights."
- Winston Churchill

The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
- Abraham Lincoln

There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at without result.
- Winston Churchill

Philosophy is a game with objectives and no rules. Mathematics is a game with rules and no objectives.
- Unknown

Above all, I shall see to it that the enemy will not be able to drop any bombs.

-- Hermann Goering. German original: "Vor allem werde ich dafur sorgen, dass der Feind keint Bomben werfen Kann."

The future battle on the ground will be preceded by battle in the air. This will determine which of the contestants has to suffer operational and tactical disadvantages and be forced throughout the battle into adopting compromise solutions.

-- General Erwin Rommel

The advent of air power, which can go straight to the vital centers and either neutralize or destroy them, has put a completely new complexion on the old system of making war. It is now realized that the hostile main army in the field is a false objective, and the real objectives are the vital centers.

-- Brigadier General William 'Billy' Mitchell, 'Skyways: A Book on Modern Aeronautics,' 1930

The best way to defend the bombers is to catch the enemy before it his in position to attack. Catch them when they are taking off, or when they are climbing, or when they are forming up. Don't think you can defend the bomber by circling around him. It's good for the bombers morale, and bad for tactics.

-- Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, USAF

Anyone who has to fight, even with the most modern weapons, against an enemy in complete command of the air, fights like a savage against modern European troops, under the same handicaps and with the same chances of success.

-- Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, Rommel Papers, 1953

We have the enemy surrounded. We are dug in and have overwhelming numbers. But enemy airpower is mauling us badly. We will have to withdraw.

-- Japanese infantry commander, situation report to headquarters, Burma, WW II.

If we should have to fight, we should be prepared to do so from the neck up instead of from the neck down.

-- Jimmy Doolittle

To use a fighter as a fighter-bomber when the strength of the fighter arm is inadequate to achieve air superiority is putting the cart before the horse.

-- Lt General Adolf Galland, Luftwaffe

In our victory over Japan, airpower was unquestionably decisive. That the planned invasion of the Japanese Home islands was unnecessary is clear evidence that airpower has evolved into a force in war co-equal with land and sea power, decisive in its own right and worthy of the faith of its prophets.

-- General Carl A. 'Tooey' Spaatz, 'Evolution of Air Power,' Military Review, 1947.

The most frequent last words I have heard on cockpit voice-recorder tapes are, 'Oh Shit,' said with about that much emotion. There's no panic, no scream, it's a sort of resignation: we've done everything we can, I can't think of anything else to do and this is it.

-- Frank McDermott, partner in McDermott Associates, specialists in cockpit voice recorders.

Of all my accomplishments I may have achieved during the war, I am proudest of the fact that I never lost a wingman.

-- Colonel Erich 'Bubi' Hartmann, GAF, aka Karaya One, worlds leading ace, 352 victories in W.W.II.

It was my view that no kill was worth the life of a wingman. . . . Pilots in my unit who lost wingmen on this basis were prohibited from leading a [section]. The were made to fly as wingman, instead.

-- Colonel Erich 'Bubi' Hartmann, GAF.

I opened fire when the whole windshield was black with the enemy . . . at minimum range . . . it doesn't matter what your angle is to him or whether you are in a turn or any other maneuver.

-- Colonel Erich 'Bubi' Hartmann, GAF.

The Yo-Yo is very difficult to explain. It was first perfected by the well-known Chinese fighter pilot Yo-Yo Noritake. He also found it difficult to explain, being quite devoid of English.

-- Squadron Leader K. G. Holland, RAF

Know and use all the capabilities in your airplane. If you don't, sooner or later, some guy who does use them all will kick your ass.

-- Dave 'Preacher' Pace

If you're in a fair fight, you didn't plan it properly.

-- Nick Lappos, Chief R&D Pilot, Sikorsky Aircraft

We were stripped down, even the turrets were removed. You were light and real fast, though. Our 12th squadron motto was 'Alone Unarmed Unafraid.' As you can imagine, this actually translated into something more like, 'Alone Unarmed and Scared Shitless.'

-- Theodore R. 'Dick' Newell, Korean War pilot, 12th TAC Reconnaissance Squadron, on flying the reconnaissance version of the B-26.

Yea though I fly through the valley of the shadow of death... I fear no evil ... for I fly the biggest, baddest, meanest, fastest motherfucker in the whole damn valley.

-- Anon.

There are only two types of aircraft -- fighters and targets.

-- Doyle 'Wahoo' Nicholson, USMC

Every day kill just one, rather than today five, tomorrow ten . . . that is enough for you. Then your nerves are calm and you can sleep good, you have your drink in the evening and the next morning you are fit again.

-- Colonel Erich 'Bubi' Hartmann, Luftwaffe

If he is superior then I would go home, for another day that is better.

-- Colonel Erich 'Bubi' hartmann, GAF

The propeller is just a big fan in the front of the plane to keep the pilot cool. Want proof? Make it stop; then watch the pilot break out into a sweat.

Cessna pilots are always found in the wreckage with their hand around the microphone.