Combat Quotes

519 quotes by 381 authors

So it was that the war in the air began. Men rode upon the whirlwind that night and slew and fell like archangels. The sky… — H.G. Wells
. . . my pilot pointed to his left front and above, and looking in the direction he pointed, I saw a long dark brown… — James McCudden
Speed is the cushion of sloppiness. — Unknown Author
Their element is to attack, to track, to hunt, and to destroy the enemy. Only in this way can the eager and skillful fighter pilot… — Adolf Galland
Aggressiveness was a fundamental to success in airtoair combat and if you ever caught a fighter pilot in a defensive mood you had him licked… — Unknown Author
The smallest amount of vanity is fatal in aeroplane fighting. Selfdistrust rather is the quality to which many a pilot owes his protracted existence. — Eddie Rickenbacker
The air battle is not necessarily won at the time of the battle. The winner may have been determined by the amount of time, energy,… — Pappy Boyington
The experienced fighting pilot does not take unnecessary risks. His business in to shoot down enemy planes, not to get shot down. His trained hand… — Eddie Rickenbacker
The first rule of all air combat is to see the opponent first. Like the hunter who stalks his prey and maneuvers himself unnoticed into… — Adolf Galland
The British were sporting. They would accept a fight under almost all conditions. — Gunther Rall
Victory smiles upon those who anticipate the change in the character of war, not upon those who wait to adapt themselves after the changes occur. — Giulio Douhet
There was only one catch and that was Catch22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real… — Joseph Heller
No guts, no glory. If you are going to shoot him down, you have to get in there and mix it up with him. — Unknown Author
Watching the Dallas Cowboys perform, it is not difficult to believe that coach Tom Landry flew fourengines bombers during World War II. He was in… — Len Morgan
The aggressive spirit, the offensive, is the chief thing everywhere in war, and the air is no exception. — Manfred von Richthofen
If I were, to pick out the most valuable personal traits of a fighter pilot, aggressiveness would rate high on the list. Time and again,… — Unknown Author
There are pilots and there are pilots; with the good ones, it is inborn. You can't teach it. If you are a fighter pilot, you… — Robin Olds
Today it is even more important to dominate the . . . highly sophisticated weapon systems, perhaps even more important than being a good pilot;… — Adolf Galland
An excellent weapon and luck had been on my side. To be successful, the best fighter pilot needs both. — Adolf Galland
The man who enters combat encased in solid armor plate, but lacking the essential of selfconfidence, is far more exposed and naked to death than… — Robert S. Johnson

Who Wrote These Combat Quotes

381 authors contributed a total of 519 Combat Quotes, led by these top contributors: