re: As a World War One fighter pilot, if you could pick your plane . . .

If you had great eye sight that really gave you an advantage, TBH. But, I do think know which plane I would choose.

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fighter pilot

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A10 would be much better suited because of the short turning radius and high payload capacity.

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We aren't talking multi-role fighters. And if we were, A10 would not be my choice for anything other than ground support.

The British Buzzard came out at the very end of WWI but saw no combat.

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"The Last Flight" is episode 18 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. Part of the production was filmed on location at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, California. The vintage 1918 Nieuport 28 biplane was both owned and flown by Frank Gifford Tallman, and had previously appeared in many World War Imotion pictures.

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Flight Lieutenant William Terrance "Terry" Decker of 56 Squadron Royal Flying Corps lands his Nieuport biplane on an American airbase in France, after flying through a strange cloud. He is taken into custody and questioned by the American base commander, Major General Harper, and his provost marshal, Major Wilson. Decker identifies himself and his squadron and claims that the date is March 5, 1917. He is informed that it is actually March 5, 1959.

Decker tells the officers that he and his comrade Alexander Mackaye were fighting seven German aircraft; Mackaye was shot down and Decker escaped into a cloud. The Americans tell him that Mackaye is alive and is an Air Vice Marshal in the Royal Air Force, a war hero from World War II who saved thousands of lives by shooting down German bombers over London. The American officers add that Air Vice Marshal Mackaye, in addition to being alive and well, is coming to the base that very day for an inspection. Major Wilson tries to help Decker remember what happened. Decker finally confesses that he has consistently avoided combat throughout his service, and that he deliberately abandoned the greatly outnumbered Mackaye when the two were attacked by the German fighters. He refuses to believe that Mackaye somehow survived against such odds.

When Wilson suggests that someone else helped Mackaye, Decker realizes that he has been given a second chance. He tells the American officer that there was no one within fifty miles who could have come to Mackaye's aid, so if Mackaye survived, it had to be because he went back himself. Knowing he cannot have much time to go back to 1917, Decker pleads with Wilson to release him from custody. When Wilson refuses, Decker assaults him and a guard and escapes. Running outside, he locates his plane, punches a mechanic who tries to get in his way, and starts the plane's engine. He is about to take off when Wilson catches up and puts a pistol to his head. Decker tells Wilson he will have to shoot him to stop him, as he would rather die than remain a coward. After hesitating, Wilson allows him to escape and Decker flies his plane into white clouds and vanishes.

Major Wilson is rebuked by Major General Harper for believing such a fantastic story and for allowing Decker to escape. When Mackaye arrives, Wilson asks he if he knew a man named William Terrence Decker. Mackaye, surprised, says Decker saved his life. In March 1917, Mackaye and Decker were attacked while out on patrol by seven German aircraft. Decker flew off into a cloud, and Mackaye believed at first that Decker had abandoned him. Suddenly, Decker came diving out of the cloud, and proceeded to shoot down three of the German planes before being shot down himself. General Harper shows Mackaye Decker's badge and personal effects, startling Mackaye, who remarks that those items had never been returned by the Germans. Major Wilson suggests that he sit down while they explain how they came into their possession.

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that is definitely one of the better Twilight Zone episodes

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It was Australian ground fire that killed the Baron anyway.


Those planes flew much farther than I thought.

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No, you read that right. Australian anti-aircraft troops were stationed on the ground.

F-22 Raptor. Those bi-planes wouldn’t have a prayer.

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Fun fact: WWI aircraft engines used Castor oil for lubrication. Pilots had chronic diarrhea from the fumes.

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I don't think that ALL of them used castor oil for lubricant, brosef.

I do believe that it was only the Rotary engines that used castor oil. A true rotary engine revolves along with the propeller. The entire engine spins around with the propeller.

Looks like we do not have too many folks around here who know much about World War One aircraft.

Why not? None of you guys were alive to fly in either WWI or WW2. The Great War air-fighting was just as interesting as WW2 air-fighting. Bombers, night fighters, air-fights over the sea with seaplanes, recon flights, close air support -- The Great War had all of these.