Discovery Channel - Air Aces War Heroes of the Skies (2012) Part 6 'Gabby' Gabreski

Since the dawn of aerial combat in the First World War, the heroism of the men who put their lives at risk in the air has known no bounds. There were no more heroic airmen than the fighter pilots and bomber crews of the Second World War - men who sacrificed their own lives in order to save their crew or who, although in extreme pain, managed to get their aircraft home rather than risk becoming PoWs. Air Aces is the groundbreaking series that tells the stories of the most heroic airborne combat missions in history. Through the eyes of the heroes, experience realistic mid-air combat and see revealing interviews with the last surviving WWII veterans in Air Aces. From the WWII aircrew officer who doused a fire on the wing of his aircraft while 20,000 ft in the sky, to the phantom fighter pilot who took out four MiGs over Vietnam in the most celebrated dog fight of the modern era. Presented by Lord Ashcroft, these are all stories of superhuman endurance, selfless courage and heroism beyond the call of duty. Using real vintage aircraft, the series films the impossible by re-creating mid-air combat sequences. Featuring Spitfires, Lancaster bombers and Phantom fighters, as well as aerial stunt teams and state-of-the-art camera technology, the series dramatises the exploits of the world s greatest Air Aces. The series also features revealing interviews with the last surviving veterans and military historians, rare archival footage and cutting edge CGI to transport viewers back in time to experience the reality of air combat.

Part 6 'Gabby' Gabreski

In World War II, American pilots raced to shoot down the most German planes and be crowned the country's top flying ace. US Air Force pilot Francis ‘Gabby’ Gabreski made it his personal mission to be the best there ever was.. The child of Polish immigrants, Gabreski made his mission personal, seeking to avenge his family's devastating losses during the war. But despite his passion, the young wannabe was accident-prone and incompetent behind the controls. Gabreski squeaked by on his flying test. He then made a brave request to join one of the famed Polish figher units in England's Royal Air Force. In the heart of the war and mentored by the best, the rookie cut his teeth. But he struggled to shoot down a single Nazi plane. Everything changed when he was transferred back to the US Air Corps 61st Squadron. While escorting bombers over occupied France, Gabreski scored his first victory. When the top brass radically shifted tactics to protect allied ground troops storming Normandy, the fighters were ordered to find the enemy and shoot them down. Gabreski and his ace competitors all saw this as a golden opportunity to make history as the best that ever flew.

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