The Pilot. A Battle for Survival

I never expected an overly enthusiastic writer to come up with the idea of a flying tank performing an Immelmann turn in a battle with a Bf 109, but here we are. There was plenty of nonsense, most of which has already been discussed and dissected by others before me. So, I'll just touch on a few points. Despite the Luftwaffe being the air force of the evil Nazis, it did bring many innovations to aerial warfare. One of these was the concept of German fighters flying in formations of four. Other countries adopted this system later in the war, recognizing its flexibility and effectiveness. The film's attempt to convince me that every Soviet aircraft was equipped with a radio transmitter was quite amusing. In reality, this technological feature was only available to the leader of a larger formation for a significant period after the war began. Setting aside these details, which most viewers probably overlooked, the movie was fairly decent until the disappointing ending. That final scene, filled with tearful salutes, felt completely out of place for me. Cheers to the real heroes who not only fought against the Germans but also against the inflexibility of their commanders. / Lesson learned: When you can't walk, crawl. (20.03.2022)