Home / Quotes / Quote by Erich Hartmann

Quote by Erich Hartmann

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

Author

A renowned German pilot during World War II, known as the 'Red Baron'. Limited information is available, but Erich Hartmann achieved remarkable combat victories, becoming the pilot with the most aerial victories in history. more

“And I have yet to find one single individual who has attained conspicuous success in bringing down enemy aeroplanes who can be said to be spoiled either by his successes or by the generous congratulations of his comrades. If he were capable of being spoiled he would not have had the character to have won continuous victories, for the smallest amount of vanity is fatal in aeroplane fighting. Self-distrust rather is the quality to which many a pilot owes his protracted existence.”

Source: Fighting the Flying Circus

“In every squadron there were, perhaps, four or five pilots who exuded confidence. They knew that they were going out to shoot. The rest knew sub-consciously, that they would make up the numbers, mill about, and get shot at.”

Numbers Five Four Shots Aviation Combat Pilots Going Out Mills

Author:Lynn Garrison

“Nothing makes a man more aware of his capabilities and of his limitations than those moments when he must push aside all the familiar defenses of ego and vanity, and accept reality by staring, with the fear that is normal to a man in combat, into the face of Death.”

Men Moments Reality Faces Accepting Ego Normal Defense Familiar Vanity Limitation Staring Aviation Combat Capability

Book:Thunderbolt! The Extraordinary Story of a World War II Ace

Source: Thunderbolt! The Extraordinary Story of a World War II Ace

“The duty of the fighter pilot is to patrol his area of the sky, and shoot down any enemy fighters in that area. Anything else is rubbish.”

Enemy Sky Duty Areas Fighter Aviation Combat Pilots Rubbish Fighter Pilot Fighter Jets

Author:Manfred von Richthofen

“Anybody who doesn't have fear is an idiot. It's just that you must make the fear work for you. Hell when somebody shot at me, it made me madder than hell, and all I wanted to do was shoot back.”

Made Wanted Hell Military Shots Idiot Combat Fighter Pilot

Author:Robin Olds

“The most important thing in fighting was shooting, next the various tactics in coming into a fight and last of all flying ability itself.”

Important Lasts Fighting Next Ability Military Important Things Various Flying Shooting Aviation Combat Pilots Tactics Air Force Aces Aviator Fighter Pilot

Author:Billy Bishop

“In nearly all cases where machines have been downed, it was during a fight which had been very short, and the successful burst of fire had occurred within the space of a minute after the beginning of actual hostilities.”

Has Beens Fighting Space Cases Successful Fire Minutes Machines Aviation Combat Hostility

Author:Billy Bishop

“I fly close to my man, aim well and then of course he falls down.”

Men Wells Fall Courses Aim Aviation Combat Falling Down

Author:Oswald Boelcke

“I had no system of shooting as such. It is definitely more in the feeling side of things that these skills develop. I was at the front five and a half years, and you just got a feeling for the right amount of lead.”

Years Feelings Sides Half Five Fronts Amount Skills Shooting Aviation Combat Half A Year

Author:Gunther Rall

Quote by Erich Hartmann

Author

You May Also Like