acepilots.com banner
FAQ button

Acepilots FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

By , Oct. 2002. Updated June 24, 2011.

After a couple years of running this website, I discovered why so many websites have FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) sections. It is because so many emails inquire about the same issues. Now, I love getting email from the website visitors, but you might imagine what it's like to answer the same question many, many times.

After finding my answers getting briefer and briefer, I realized that the 20th person to ask a question deserved the same detailed answer as the first person who asked it.

This FAQ section allows me to provide a full (if general answer) most questions that come up. By all means, if your question isn't answered here, then please, I would love to hear from you. Webmaster

Questions

Why Did You Build This Website?

Do you have the email or postal address for any of the aces?

Why don't you have a page on a certain ace or other pilot?

I would like to contribute an article or photos about a particular pilot.

Where can I get videos of the TV show Baa Baa Black Sheep/Black Sheep Squadron?

How accurate are the book and the TV show Baa Baa Black Sheep?

I thought that Greg Boyington shot down 28 enemy planes. Why do you show 22?

Can you help me research a particular pilot (such as grandfather, father, uncle) who served in World War Two?

Can you tell me details about a particular plane that I am interested in?

Please tell me everything you know about a certain ace.

Do you have pictures of a particular airfield, airplane, pilot, base, city, or island that figured in World War Two

I am doing school project/paper on a WW2 aviation topic. Can you help me?

In my school paper, I used your website, and need to credit it as a source.

I noticed a factual error (e.g. date, name, place) or typo in your website. Are you interested?

What about these Google ads and books you offer through Amazon.com? What's the deal?


Answers

Do you have the email or postal address for any of the aces?

Sorry, I don't. Virtually all of the information in this site I found in published books, that I bought, or borrowed from the library. Many years have passed since these great men flew for their country, and many of them have made their final flights.

Why don't you have a page on a certain ace or other pilot?

There were over 1200 American aces in World War Two. This site does not claim to be a comprehensive list of all of them. Allan Magnus' excellent Air Aces Homepage is a compilation of fighter aces from all wars, from WWI to the Balkans conflicts. The U.S. WWII section consists of an alphabetical list of all 1200+ aces.

While this site started with a few profiles of a few high-ranking aces, it has grown and grown, taken on a life of its own. Maybe someday, I will have all 1200.

I would like to contribute an article or photos about a particular pilot.

Great! Send me an article, similar to the ones written here, in an electronic format (HTML file, Word document, or text file) and I'll fit it in somewhere. You might notice that this question closely resembles the previous question, revised and with a different orientation.

But a caution on timing. This website is a part-time hobby for me, which I squeeze in between other activities. I update it when I can and when the spirit moves me. I can't guarantee any sort of "turnaround time" on information sent in. But I do welcome it, and will get to it, eventually.

Where can I get video copies of the TV show "Baa Baa Black Sheep/Black Sheep Squadron?"

I wish I knew. Seriously, of all the FAQ's, this is the one I most wish I knew the answer to.

Update, June, 2005: They are now available on DVD!

How accurate are the book and the TV show "Baa Baa Black Sheep?"

Boyington's book is self-serving and inaccurate. The TV show was totally fictionalized. Except for the names of few Marine officers and the name/number of the squadron, all the episodes were made up, but it's still a lot of fun.

I thought that Greg Boyington shot down 28 enemy planes. Why do you show 22?

Uh-oh. This one gets me into more trouble than any other. In short, Pappy lied and inflated his record. Pappy was a great leader and fighter pilot, however many planes he shot down. For those who would like to understand more about this complex man (and his combat record), I heartily recommend Bruce Gamble's Black Sheep One: The Life of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington. Most other web sites, and the USMC "official" records do credit Pappy with 28 kills.

Another way to look at it would be to note that 6 of Boyington's 28 were claimed with his service with the Flying Tigers in China. And since the website only covers U.S. aces, those six weren't included. But it gets complicated. Some of those six are in question, and even some of the 22 are in question. The words here "in question" go beyond the doubt that accompanies virtually all aerial claims. Pilots always "over-claim," but generally in good faith.

Can you help me research a particular pilot (such as grandfather, father, uncle) who served in World War Two?

Actually, I'm not very qualified to write about this topic, because I haven't done any primary research. I've found everything on my website in published sources: books and other websites.

But since I've had a number of e-mails asking for help on this task, here are a few links which should help:

One thing I do know is that the better you can identify your relative, the better chance the administrators can find something. Name, rank, serial number, branch of service, unit, dates of service, date of birth, etc. are all very helpful.

Can you tell me details about a particular plane that I am interested in?

I can try. If it's one of my reference books, I'd be delighted to help. If not, try some web searches on Google, or try to find a book on the topic.

Please tell me everything you know about a certain ace.

Sorry, the information I've summarized for the various pilots is on the web site. There are many books containing more details for virtually all of the aces covered here.

The web is an ever-growing source of all information. Generally, I have the most complete coverage of any pilot (except for Lindbergh, Earhart, and Yeager). But I encourage anyone with an interest in any pilot, or other aspect of WW2 aviation, to search the web thoroughly (Google is excellent). I would also be delighted to add a link to any sites that offer more detailed info on any pilot.

Do you have pictures of a particular airfield, airplane, pilot, base, city, or island that figured in World War Two

Once again, I would direct you to the web, using Google, or some other search engine. With a few exceptions, the photos on my site were obtained from public domain web sites, or from scans from books I own.

I am doing school project/paper on a WW2 aviation topic. Can you help me?

I am always delighted when students are studying World War Two, and I want to help in any way I can. Of course, that doesn't mean that I will write a paper for someone, not will I direct a student in his or her research. But I would be delighted to share my thoughts on interesting questions and issues related to a certain topic.

For example, a typical inquiry might be "I am writing a paper on Pappy Boyington, please help me." (By the way, it probably does not help to add, "My paper is due on Tuesday, so make it snappy.") In response to that assignment, I would recommend that the student read my pages on Pappy Boyington carefully, read a couple books about him, and then think about the following type of questions:

In my school paper, I used your website, and need to credit it as a source.

Crediting a website as a source should follow this format: author's name (that's me - Stephen Sherman), the name of the article or website, the month and year it was published (e.g August, 1999), the URL of the site/article, and the date YOU accessed the site to get the info.

For the month and year published, check the What's New page to see the date of the article. If you don't see it there (and you may not), you can use August, 1999 - when I started the site.

You can check the Chicago Manual of Style for question about proper citation of electronic sources.

I noticed a factual error (e.g. date, name, place) or typo in your website. Are you interested?

Please let me know that right away. Accuracy is the most important feature of any historical website or book. I make every effort to fix factual errors as promptly as possible. In a sense, no detail is too small. For example, if I wrote that on a certain date, a certain squadron landed at Munda, but you know they landed at the Russells, let me know.

Bad or outdated links are also of interest to me, and I'll try to fix these too, but perhaps with a little less urgency than historical, factual errors.

What about these Google ads and books you offer through Amazon.com? What's the deal?

Google pays website owners when visitors click on their adds. The TOS prevents me from saying how much, but it is NOT a lot. Amazon pays me 5% to 15% for each book that a visitor from this site buys, by clicking thru to Amazon. Commissions average out at about 6%. I am not retiring on these yet, but they cover the web hosting, ISP, and telephone costs.


Least Frequently Asked Questions

How was Lindbergh's plane returned to the US? And if it was broken down into pieces and shipped over in a crate - where is the crate? (The Spirit of St. Louis was returned to the U.S. in a Navy cruiser. I didn't know about the crate, but a correspondent supplied me the following info:

Noticed your FAQ on the crate used to transport the Spirit of St. Louis and I can add some information. My cousin, Larry Ross purchased and moved the crate to his property in Canaan, Maine. You might find the story interesting, so I encourage you to view it on uncommondays.com. The crate is the size of a small building and has been made into a museum to Lindbergh and the early days of flight. Hope that clears up a little of the mystery.

What actor and WW2 airman had a $5,000 bounty put on his head by Hermann Goering? (Clark Gable, not Jimmy Stewart as I had guessed)

Where was Dick Bong's wedding reception held? (Don't know)

Did World War Two really happen? (Yes)

I mean no disrespect to the readers who posed these questions. Actually I wish I had more unusual questions.