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The following are lists of World War I flying aces. Historically, a
flying ace 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 co ...
was defined as a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy
aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...
during aerial combat. The term was first used by French newspapers, describing
Adolphe Pégoud Adolphe Célestin Pégoud (13 June 1889 – 31 August 1915) was a French aviator and flight instructor who became the first fighter ace in history during World War I. Biography Adolphe Célestin Pégoud was born 13 June 1889 in Montferrat, F ...
as ''l'as'' (the ace), after he downed seven
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
aircraft.


Victory standards used in World War I

The notion of an aerial "victory" arose from the first aerial combats, which occurred during the early days of World War I. Unsurprisingly, different air services developed their own definitions of exactly what an aerial victory might be, as well as different methods of assessing and assigning credit for aerial victories.


Conditions affecting accuracy of scores

Ownership of the terrain below had its effect on verifying victory. An enemy aircraft that crashed in enemy held territory obviously could not be verified by the victor's ground troops. Because aerial combat commonly took place over or behind the German lines, German scores are generally considered more accurate because German aces' victories were more easily confirmed on the ground. Additionally, the British handicap of returning home against prevailing wind on the Western Front fattened German scores. The scores presented in the lists cannot be definitive, but are based on itemized lists that are the best available sources of information. Loss of records by mischance and the passage of time complicates reconstructing the actual count for given aces. Aces are listed after verifying the date and location of combat, and the foe vanquished, for every victory accredited by an aviator's home air service.


Lists

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List of World War I flying aces from Argentina Pilots of the 91st Squadriglia. From left: Sgt. Mario D'Urso, Sgt. Gaetano Aliperta, Lt. Gastone Novelli, Lt. Cesare Magistrini, Capt. Bartolomeo Costantini">Cesare_Magistrini.html" ;"title="Gastone Novelli, Lt. Cesare Magistrini">Gastone Novelli ...
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List of World War I aces from Australia The following is the list of World War I aces from Australia. During the war Australian pilots served in a range of units in the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) and in the British Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and lat ...
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List of World War I flying aces from Austria This list of World War I flying aces from Austria contains the names of aces born in the territory of the modern-day Republic of Austria, which formed part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria-Hungary was a constitutional union of the Austrian E ...
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List of World War I flying aces from Austria-Hungary This list of World War I flying aces from Austria-Hungary contains the names of aviators from the countries ruled by the Habsburg dynasty. Austria-Hungary was a constitutional union of the Austrian Empire (''Cisleithania'') and the Kingdom of Hung ...
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List of World War I aces from Belgium Although Belgium was neutral as the initial attacks of World War I were launched, it was soon invaded by Germany and partially overrun. The Belgian Air Force had been founded in 1909, and now found itself struggling to survive and expand under the ...
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List of World War I flying aces from the British Empire The following aviators from the British Empire were credited with five or more aerial victories during World War I. This list is complete. 20 or more victories (83 names) * Billy Bishop * Edward "Mick" Mannock * Raymond Collishaw * James McCu ...
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List of World War I aces from Canada This is a list of flying aces in World War I from Canada. A flying ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Canadians served in the British flying services–the ...
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List of World War I flying aces from Croatia The Austro-Hungarian Empire's '' Luftfahrtruppen'' contained many pilots from many ethnic minorities. The following list of their World War I flying aces contains those Austro-Hungarian aces identified as ethnic Croatian or born in the territory ...
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List of World War I Czech flying aces Austro-Hungary's ''Luftfahrtruppen'' contained many aviators of Czechs, Czech origin, i.e. ethnic Czechs and men born in the territory of the modern-day Czech Republic. The flying aces among them are listed below. At least one flier in the German ' ...
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List of World War I aces from Ecuador Military aviation was not officially established in Ecuador until 27 October 1920. However, one of its aviation pioneers was an Ecuadorian of Italian heritage and served in Italian aviation in the ''Corpo Aeronautico Militare'' during World War I ...
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List of World War I flying aces from Estonia The list of World War I flying aces from Estonia contains one name: * Jaan Mahlapuu reputedly scored six aerial victories while flying for the Imperial Russian Air Service. References Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Est ...
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List of World War I aces from Fiji A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
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List of World War I flying aces from France This is a complete list of French flying aces of World War I. While Roland Garros is often called the first French Ace, he has only four confirmed victories. The distinction of being the first French Ace goes to Adolphe Pégoud. Aces are lis ...
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List of World War I aces from Georgia The list of World War I flying aces born in Georgia is incomplete but contains one name: * Alexander P. de Seversky, credited with six confirmed aerial victories while serving with the Imperial Russian Air Service.Franks, et al, p. 213. Reference ...
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List of World War I flying aces from Germany This is a complete list of World War I flying aces from the German Empire. Aces were listed after verifying the date and location of combat, and the foe vanquished, for every victory accredited by an aviator's home air service. Aces awarded honor ...
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List of World War I aces from Greece This is a list of fighter aces from Greece. World War I Greece provided only one flying ace in World War I: World War II Greece had six flying aces in World War II. See also * List of World War I flying aces *List of World War II aces by cou ...
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List of World War I flying aces from Hungary This list of World War I flying aces from Hungary contains the names of aces from the territory of modern-day Hungary, which formed part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria-Hungary was a constitutional union of the Austrian Empire (''Cisleith ...
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List of World War I flying aces from India This is a list of World War I flying aces from British India. * Captain Lawrence Coombes, born in Madras, garnered 15 aerial victories as a Sopwith Camel pilot for the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Air Force. * Captain Maurice Douglas ...
* List of World War I aces from Italy *
List of World War I aces from Latvia The list of World War I flying aces from Latvia contains only one name with five confirmed victories, as well as the names of two others whose claims were unconfirmed. * Eduard Pulpe was credited with five confirmed aerial victories while flying ...
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List of World War I aces from Lithuania The list of World War I flying aces from Lithuania, at the time a part of the Russian Empire, contains two names, both flew with the Imperial Russian Air Force: * Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationalit ...
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List of World War I aces from New Zealand Below is the list of World War I flying aces from New Zealand. While New Zealand did not have its own military air service during World War I, many New Zealanders did join Australian or British military aviation to fight in the war. Some of New Z ...
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List of World War I aces from Poland A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
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List of World War I flying aces from Romania During the campaigns of 1916-1919, Romanian airmen achieved about 10,000 flight hours, had about 700 aerial fights and shot down some 51-91 enemy aircraft, including observation balloons. World War I Romanian aces During the First World War, ...
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List of World War I flying aces from the Russian Empire A list of World War I flying aces from the Russian Empire. All aces served in the Imperial Russian Air Force unless otherwise noted. References ;Notes ;Bibliography * * * {{Lists of flying aces * Wor Lists of Russian and Soviet military ...
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List of World War I flying aces from Serbia Three of the flying aces of World War I were ethnic Serbs or born in the territory of the modern-day Serbian Republic. They were: * Petar Marinovich, who scored 21 victories while flying for France's ''Aéronautique Militaire''. * Johann Lasi, ...
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List of World War I Slovakian flying aces Many men among the aviators of the Austro-Hungarian '' Luftfahrtruppen'' were of the Slovak ethnic minority, living in what was then part of the Kingdom of Hungary. Austria-Hungary was a constitutional union of the Austrian Empire ('' Cisleithan ...
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List of World War I flying aces from Swaziland Two World War I flying aces were born in Swaziland. They were: * Leonard A. Payne * Percy Frank Charles Howe References

{{Lists of flying aces Lists of World War I flying aces, Swaziland Swazi people of British descent, World War I flying a ...
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List of World War I aces from Switzerland While Switzerland remained neutral during World War I, three of its citizens served in other nations' air forces and became flying aces. * Alfred Michael Koch – 10 confirmed aerial victories while serving in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air ...
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List of World War I flying aces from the United States The following is a list of flying aces from the United States of America who served in World War I Overview Even before the United States entry into World War I in April 1917, many Americans volunteered to serve in the armed forces of Great Bri ...


See also

* Blue Max * Sanke card


References


Bibliography

* ''Above Flanders' Fields: A Complete Record of the Belgian Fighter Pilots and Their Units During the Great War, 1914–1918''. Walter M. Pieters. Grub Street, 1998. , . * ''Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918''.
Norman Franks Norman Leslie Robert Franks (born 1940) is an English militaria writer who specialises in aviation topics. He focuses on the pilots and squadrons of World Wars I and II. Biography He published his first book in 1976. He was an Organisation a ...
, Frank W. Bailey, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1993. , . * ''Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920''. Christopher F. Shores,
Norman Franks Norman Leslie Robert Franks (born 1940) is an English militaria writer who specialises in aviation topics. He focuses on the pilots and squadrons of World Wars I and II. Biography He published his first book in 1976. He was an Organisation a ...
, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. , . * ''Above the War Fronts: The British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, the British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, and the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914–1918: Volume 4 of Fighting Airmen of WWI Series: Volume 4 of Air Aces of WWI''. Norman Franks, Russell Guest, Gregory Alegi. Grub Street, 1997. , . * ''British and Empire Aces of World War I''. Christopher Shores, Mark Rolfe. Osprey Publishing, 2001. , . * ''German Air Forces 1914-18''. Graham Sumner. Osprey Publishing, 2005. , 9781841769240. * ''Italian Aces of World War 1''. Paolo Varriale. Osprey Pub Co, 2009. , 9780764316647. * ''Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918'' Norman L. R. Franks, Frank W. Bailey. Grub Street, 1992. , . * ''Pusher Aces of World War 1''. Jon Guttman, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Pub Co, 2009. , .


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:World War I flying aces list List of aces
Flying 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 co ...