NARRATOR: December 1950. [jets whirring] Jet fighters roar across
the skies above Korea. , For half a century dog fights
have been won or lost with propeller planes driven
by piston engines. Now, for the first
time in history, swept wing fighters
with jet engines slug it out at extreme altitudes
at near supersonic speeds. American F -89 Sabres head
to head against the communist [inaudible]. [jets whirring] Their contrails will
write a new chapter in the annals of air warfare
in a place called Alley. [blazing and jet roaring] Experience the battle. Dissect the tactics. Relive the dog fights. [buzzing and crashing] [action music] [gunshots] [action music] August 5th, 1952. Four US Air Force F -86 Sabres
move into the hostile skies of MiG Alley above
Northwest Korea. [jets hovering sound] For over two years,
nimble Russian built MiG-15 fighters have been
darting sanctuaries in China, challenging American
bombers and fighters. [gunshots rattling] The Sabre flight is led by
Captain Robinson Risner. His mission is to find
the MiGs and kill them. [jets hovering sound] All eyes are
outside the cockpit, scanning, searching
for a contrail, a telltale flash of metal. Suddenly, there they are,
eight silver MiGs, passing left to right, a
1,000 feet below. --perfect setup. --too perfect. [jets hovering sound] ROBINSON RISNER: I can still
remember seeing those MiGs below me. That was unusual. Any time you saw a MiG below
you, it was an exciting thing, but we learned quickly
to suspect the situation. NARRATOR: Risner
instinctively calls check-six. His wingman responds, "Lead,
we've got MiGs at 3 o'clock." Six MiGs scream in from
overhead, lethal cannon flashing. The Sabres are in a trap. Now they are the prey. Risner calls a right brake. The Sabres stand on one
wing, pull hard around, neck muscles strained
to keep heads upright against the heavy
pull of [inaudible].. The Sabres turn into
the face of the enemy. Risner is screaming headlong
into his first life and death encounters in MiG Alley. [jets hovering sound] Two years earlier
on June 25th, 1950, the North Korean
People's Army swarmed across the 38th parallel,
the dividing line between the communist North and
the Republic of South Korea. US armed forces, under
United Nations auspices, are committed to the fight. The North Koreans have
the manpower and tanks, but their primitive air forces
quickly shot to ribbons. American aircraft are
free to roam the skies. Communist troop concentrations
and supply lines are relentlessly
pounded from the air. [GUNSHOTS RATTLING AND
EXPLOSION] FREDERICK "BOOTS" BLESSE:
It had a great effect because we were able, in
a lot of circumstances, to either curtail or certainly
decrease the amount of enemy army activity. NARRATOR: But then
in November 1950, the Americans are stunned by
the appearance of new Soviet built MiG-15 jet fighters. With a top speed of
670 miles per hour, the MiG is 100 miles per
hour faster than older F -80 and F -84 jets in Korea. [jets hovering sound] The critical air supremacy
achieved early in the war is now in jeopardy. The MiG was built as
a point interceptor. It was light. It had a lighter wing
loading, and it didn't carry as much fuel which
limited the range but made it very good for
climbing purposes and turning purposes. BARRETT TILLMAN: It was
optimized to shoot down B-29s. That's why it had the
heavy cannon armaments that it did, 223 millimeters
and a 37-millimeter. [scraping sound] FREDERICK "BOOTS"
BLESSE: The cannon was really a surprising weapon. If the guy was within about
700 or 800 feet behind it and he fires it, you could feel
the vibration in the rudder pedals. When that happened
to you, you know you better do something
pretty quick left or right, but don't stay where you are. NARRATOR: The MiG-15s
dash from bases in China, just across the
North Korean border. Any aircraft venturing
into a 6,000 square mile slice of airspace above north
west Korea is vulnerable. [action music] American airmen
call it MiG Alley. It is here that the fiercest
air battles of the Korean War will be etched across
the cold blue sky. [jets hovering sound] The US Air Force rushes the
4th Fighter Interceptor Wing to Korea. The 4th is equipped with
a new F -86A Sabre jet. It is the only airplane in the
western arsenal that approaches the MiG's capabilities. [swishing] ROBINSON RISNER: The F -86
was my very favorite plane that I've ever flown, which
I used to kiddingly call my little sports car. BARRETT TILLMAN: The F
-86 was a pure fighter. It was not intended to intercept
or shoot down enemy bombers, but it was meant to
take on enemy fighters, destroy them, and
achieve air superiority. NARRATOR: The Sabre is a strong,
maneuverable and stable gun platform, the very qualities
needed in a good fighter aircraft. Although the Sabre is slightly
faster in the crucial areas of rate of climb and
altitude, the MiG is superior. That's assuming that you've
got the same pilots operating both of them. One of the main
things that we enjoyed over the communist aircraft,
was that our pilots were better trained, and we had
better tactics eventually. NARRATOR: F -86s launched
their first combat air patrols into MiG Alley in December. 1950. Captain Bruce Hinton takes
first blood for the Sabre on December 17th. [jets hovering sound] The F -86s do
well, but there are 400 MiGs based across the Yalu. In 1950, there are fewer
than 50 Sabres in Korea. Even though outnumbered,
the experience and history of the Sabre pilots makes
the critical difference in MiG Alley. It's called flight
suit attitude. Robbie Risner has it. Arriving in Korea in
the spring of 1952, Risner's flying skills
are quickly recognized. He soon advances to
flight lead status. Today, in MiG Alley,
Risner's Sabre flight has just been jumped
by eight MiG-15s. ROBINSON RISNER: They
normally had high escort. My wing man called out. We had more MiGs coming in
on our 3 o'clock position, making a pass on us. [jets whirring] NARRATOR: The MiGs are higher
and have the speed advantage. If the Sabres continue
straight and level, they present broadside
targets to the MiGs. If they turn left, the MiGs
will attack from the rear. Risner's only option is to turn
directly into the attackers, presenting a smaller
cross-section while forcing the MiGs to overshoot. [action music] Risner calls a hard
break into the MiGs. Being a typical fighter pilot,
flying that wonderful F -86, we weren't really
concerned about these guys. We didn't want them to hit us
so we broke into them, made a high-G turn into. NARRATOR: The abrupt
maneuver derails the ambush. Two MiGs overshoot
and streak by. [JETS WHIRRING AND GUNSHOTS
RATTLING] The F -86s reverse. As the MiGs dive
at the Americans, the Sabres make a hard climbing
turn directly into them. The MiGs overshoot. The Sabres then reverse
their direction, putting them on their attackers 6 o'clock. [jets whirring] The tables have
turned within seconds. The hallmark of jet H
combat in MiG Alley. I took the Tail End
Charlie because he's the closest one to me. When I put the paper on the
tail pot, pulled the triggers, he lit up like Christmas tree. [gunshots rattling] You see, we had armor-piercing
incendiary bullets in those six 50-caliber machine gun. [gunshots rattling] NARRATOR: The burst riddles
the Bandit's engine. The MiG pulls into a climbing
turn in a desperate attempt to shake his tormentor. [jets whirring] Trailing smoke, the
MiGs claws for altitude. [jets whirring] The smoke suddenly stops. His engine quits. The MiG posts upward,
bleeding off airspeed. [clanks and buzzing] Risner's F -86 shudders as he
chops power and pops his speed brakes to stay in trail. The MiG hangs
suspended motionless, then drops off into a spin. [buzzing and metal clanks] The F -86 buckets as
it too loses energy, and enters a storm. Risner kicks in the left rudder. Nose is over. --fires another burst into the
spiraling MiG only 300 feet away. [GUNSHOTS RATTLING AND CRASHING
] ROBINSON RISNER: It was a thrill
to hear their guns chattering 'cause something was going
to happen up in front, and sure enough, it did. NARRATOR: 50 caliber
armor-piercing incendiary rounds slam into the
MiG's aft fuselage. The vertical stabilizer
is blown clear away. [buzzing] [gunshots rattling] The MiG pilot ejects. The fight is over. It is Risner's first kill. ROBINSON RISNER: I tell you,
that was a grand feeling. We were doing what we
were assigned to do, and that was to knock
every big down we could. And that's what I did. NARRATOR: This fight
is just a prelude. Four months later, Risner will
lock horns with the best pilot he's ever seen in one of the
most heart-stopping encounters of MiG Alley. [jets roaring] September 15th, 1952. Captain Robbie Risner is
leading a flight of four F -86s into MiG Alley. It's four months
since his first kill. In the effort to maintain air
supremacy in the MiG infested area, the Sabres are escorting
F -84 fighter bombers to an industrial area near
the mouth of the Yalu River. [jet roaring] The mission profile
puts Risner's flight into a protective orbit for
what is normally prohibited Chinese airspace and directly
above the largest concentration of MiG airfields in Manchuria. Midway into their
protective sweep, the Sabres run into four MiGs. The MiGs bank away as if
retreating from the area. [jets whirring] But Risner suspects a trick. He continues tracking
the enemy fighters. Sure enough, the MiGs turn back. They're heading for the bombers. The MiGs are initiating one
of the Korean War's most remarkable encounters. Although at maximum range, the
Sabres' radar ranging gunsight finds the target with
deadly efficiency. [gunshots rattling] One of the technological
advantages that the F -86 had over the MiGs as opposed
to aerodynamic features, was that the -86 had a
radar ranging gunsight. And that meant that Sabre
pilot could get a fast accurate tracking solution on a
maneuvering enemy target, and it would
automatically compensate for the ballistic drop of
those 50 caliber rounds. And when it was
working properly, it was deadly accurate because
the first round would likely impact on target. [heavy explosion] NARRATOR: Risner's machine
guns shatter the MiGs canopy. [gunshots rattling and clinks] [jet whirring] The other three MiGs run away. [jets roaring] [action music] Risner, covered by his wingman,
counters the MiG's turn. --fires another burst. [gunshots rattling] The MiG initiates violent
evasive action in an attempt to get Risner off his tail. He noses over into a dive, rolls
inverted, then rolls again. The MiG pilot demonstrates
superb mastery of his machine. He will put Risner's flying
skills to the ultimate test. This is a special
breed of aviator. [jet whistles] When MiGs first
encountered Sabres in 1950, they usually made diving
attacks from higher altitudes. They rarely maneuvered
or turned into the F -86s to fire another burst. This was largely due
to the inexperience of the communist pilots as well
as the MiG's limited range, but there was another reason. Moscow and Peking needed to hide
the identities of their airmen. The Soviets were using MiG
Alley as a clandestine training arena. Russian pilots couldn't fly
within 60 miles of UN lines or over the Yellow Sea for
fear of being picked up and their true
identities revealed. The Russians even strafed
one of their own pilots who had parachuted
into the ocean. [shutter sounds] In the summer of 1951, the
Soviets changed their tactics, replacing trainees with
instructors and high time fighter pilots, veterans
of the Great Patriotic War. The Americans call them honchos,
Japanese slang for big shot. And they are good. Today, Risner is tangling with
a honcho he will never forget. ROBINSON RISNER: The
MiG was so aggressive. He also was so well-trained. He did not intend for me
to get right behind him and shoot him down. So what he did was, he
turned that thing upside down in a split-S. That means
he reversed his direction. NARRATOR: The split-S is a
commonly used fighter reversal technique. The aircraft rolls inverted
and dives, pulling out in the opposite direction. ROBINSON RISNER: He was so low,
and I was sure he wasn't going to make it. And I said to my wingman, this
is going to be the easiest kill I ever had. Well, it turned out,
this guy made it. NARRATOR: There should
have been a fireball, but the MiG recovers
miraculously into a dry riverbed. [jet whistling] Risner watches in disbelief
as the MiG twists and turns right on the deck. ROBINSON RISNER: He was
so close to the ground. He hit rocks and debris up. I, meanwhile, had managed
to get in behind him. I got dints all
over my aeroplane where he'd knocked rocks, blow
rocks up off the riverbank. Well, from there on,
it was a real fight. This guy was some pilot. NARRATOR: Risner can barely
keep the stick in his hand as he's thumped hard
by the MiG's jet wash. The MiG flies like a banshee. [jet whirring] He chops power and pops
out his speed brakes. The MiG is trying to force the
Sabre to overshoot which would expose Risner to
the MiG's cannon. [jet whirring] Risner counters by rolling his
jet over the MiG, bleeding off airspeed while keeping on
his adversaries 6 o'clock. Then, the MiG
firewalls the throttle and accelerates away in a
hard turn, pulling maximum G. ROBINSON RISNER: He
took me on a mad race, and I'd get in the shot
aim every once in a while. We were tenacious as a bulldog. We just didn't want our lose. NARRATOR: The MiG
reverses his turn. --another burst from Risner. Parts of the tail fly off. The fuselage begins to smoke. [distant jet whirring] Risner can't believe his eyes. The MiG goes inverted,
pushes vertically up the side of a mountain and over the top. ROBINSON RISNER:
When that happens, you're putting negative
Gs on your body. Your eyeballs pop
out about this for. The blood rushes
through your head. You can get red [inaudible]. I wouldn't even attempt it. I have to do a half
roll and pull down. NARRATOR: --down
again in the riverbed. [action music] [jets roaring] The MiG chops power. Risner reacts instinctively
to slow with the MiG. ROBINSON RISNER: I close
it right up beside him, wingtip to wingtip. I looked into his cockpit. He looked right into my cockpit. He raises his fist
and shook it at me. And I thought, man,
this is like the movies. NARRATOR: But it's not a movie. The MiG suddenly
banks to the right. Risner is snapped
back to the moment. Black puffs of anti-aircraft
fire fill the sky. The honcho has led them
directly over a Chinese airbase. [jet whirring] September 15th, 1952. A desperate but
enormously skilled pilot has led Robbie Risner and
his wingman on a wild twisting chase all the way to his
home base, Tak Tung Kau, 35 miles inside China. [jets whirring] Antiaircraft fire
surrounds the Sabres. ROBINSON RISNER: He was so low. He'd blowing dust
off the runway. He must have called ahead and
said, shoot these guys off of my tail. The wingman's name
was Joe Logan. Then he said, hey, lead,
they're shooting us. Well, they certainly
were, and the guns were shooting from everywhere. And black explosions
is all around us, but it didn't concern me
enough to turn him loose. I guarantee. I was behind him, and that's
where I was going to stay. And I did. NARRATOR: Risner can't drop
low enough for a clean shot. The MiG runs out of options. --pulls up sharply
into a climbing turn. When he ran out of
runway and he pulled up, I was able to get angle
off which I needed. I hit him heavy. NARRATOR: The MiG's wing is
shredded by the Sabre's guns. [gunshots rattling] His only chance for survival
is to land immediately, forcing or spiking the
jet onto the ground, and hope for the best. Risner has another idea. ROBINSON RISNER: He
never put his gear down. He had made 180-degree turn. And when he was
headed back down, it looked like he will
land beside the runway, not on the runway, in the grass. Well, I poured all my ammunition
into him at that time. Every 50-caliber I
had was chattering. He never completely leveled off. NARRATOR: The MiG slams into
the ground and explodes. Hot shards of burning
metal and debris sliced through a
line of parked MiGs. Risner's wingman exalts
at the fiery spectacle. I know Joe Logan
was so enthusiastic. He said, hey, lead, you just
destroyed their air force. (LAUGHS) [jet whistling and crashing] What a wonderful site. NARRATOR: The whole engagement
has lasted some five minutes. The MiG is destroyed, but
the mission is far from over. The Sabres must run [inaudible]
with a deadly radar controlled anti-aircraft artillery
to get across the Yalu and back to home base. [distant explosions] Throughout the war, crossing
into Chinese airspace was officially forbidden
except in cases of hot pursuit. But aggressive flight
leaders routinely violated orders so they
could engage the MiGs on their own turf. Cruising for MiGs in
Manchuria was conducted within a conspiracy of silence. Flight leaders chose wingman
who would play along and keep quiet. Squadron commanders
didn't discuss it, and many rolls of
incriminating gun camera film mysteriously disappeared. [distant whirring] Leaving a trail of flaming
MiG wreckage in their wake, Risner and his wingman
turned south out of China. [distant cannon firing] ROBINSON RISNER: Joe
Logan got hit in the belly with anti-aircraft fire. He started losing fuel, and
I ran over and got under him to check him out. Well, it was evident he was not
going to make it because he was really pumping that
fuel overboard. NARRATOR: The jets are
over hostile terrain. The closest rescue
point is Ch'o do island, a 100 miles to the south. It's too far away. Risner is going to do
something unprecedented. ROBINSON RISNER: I had him
throttled back gradually and let the nose down. And I don't know where
I got the wild idea. Nobody had done before. What I did was I hooked
my nose in his tailpipe. NARRATOR: In a display of
superb airmanship for over half an hour, Risner repeatedly
nudges his wingman's lifeless jet over the sea. [heavy breathing] [low jet whistling] With rescue planes
in sight, Logan tells Risner he'll see him
back at Kimpo, then he injects. [bursting] ROBINSON RISNER: Now when
Joe landed in the water, the choppers and the
Amphibious were having argument who got to rescue him. Well, the chopper finally
won by saying, it's my turn, you got the last one. NARRATOR: The helicopter
attempts to use its rotor wash to fill Logan's parachute
and blow him to shore. The young pilot is ensnared
in his parachute lines. ROBINSON RISNER: Some
of the rip chords tangled around Joe's
neck, and he drowned. So after all that effort,
we lost Joe Logan. NARRATOR: There is
a war to be fought. Two days later, Robbie Risner
scores another kill in the MiG Alley. He'll leave Korea with a total
of eight MiGs to his credit. Robbie Risner will return
to combat in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War,
flying F-105 Thunderchiefs into the heavily defended north. [JETS WHIRRING AND GUNSHOTS
RATTLING] In September 1965, he
is shot down and sent to the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Seven years later, Risner will
emerge battered but with spirit unbroken. It is the same
flight suit attitude that led him to vanquish
his enemies 20 years earlier in the MiG Alley. June 30th, 1953. By now, the ground
fighting in Korea has seesawed back and
forth for three years, grinding to a virtual stalemate. Ceasefire talks have
dragged on for two years. There is a palpable sense
that peace could break out at any moment. The communist air training
program in Manchuria is rotating as many
students and instructors through MiG Alley as possible
for combat experience. [distant jets whirring] On this clear June day, Captain
Ralph Parr is only too willing to oblige. He's part of a four-ship Sabre
sweep into the hornet's nest. Today, on his very first
flight into MiG Alley, Parr will be locked into an
extended adrenaline pumping duel with a MiG honcho. [jets whirring] The flight leader is
Vermont "Garry" Garrison, 335th squadron commander. The flight moves
into combat spread. Parr sees movement at
his 1 o'clock position. RALPH PARR: They
call the flight out, and we had a flight of 16 MiGs
flying almost opposite us. NARRATOR: Undetected,
the four Sabres stalked the 16 MiGs
like cheetahs moving through tall grass. [jets whirring] RALPH PARR: The MiGs
don't know we're there, and we're closing
on them slowly. I'm doing everything but
pushing the aeroplane by hand, trying to get it to go faster. I'm quietly saying to myself,
don't shoot yet, Garry. Garry, don't shoot. Don't shoot yet. [jets whirring] NARRATOR: Sabre
tactics in MiG Alley emphasized the finger-four,
two pairs of two Sabres, with each pair or element
providing mutual support and protection. FREDERICK "BOOTS" BLESSE: If
I spotted a MiG, my number two man, he knows that
from that call on, I'm not going to be
looking around at all. NARRATOR: Only the flight lead,
the most experienced pilot, would fire on a MiG. The second most
experienced pilot was number three
or element lead. He was the alternate shooter in
case the flight got separated. Numbers two and four were
wingman, newer pilots who at all times were to protect
the flight leads or element leads rear end. [action music] The high speed combat
of the MiG Alley demanded hawk-like
awareness and concentration. The key to winning and
surviving was flight integrity. UNIDENTIFIED MAN: When
we're talking about tactics, integrity doesn't have
anything to do with telling lies or things of that nature. This has to do with maintaining
the cohesive force of flight goes out, and it's trained
to go out and fight as a four-ship flight. It sees the enemy. It fights as a four-ship
flight, and it comes back as a four-ship flight. That's integrity. NARRATOR: Before they
arrived in Korea, new Sabre pilots went through
grueling F -86 training at the Air Force
fighter's school at Nellis Air
Force Base, Nevada. So many pilots were killed at
Nellis in simulated dogfights that new arrivals
were told only half jokingly, if you see the flag
at full staff, take a picture. Even the greenest F -86
pilot arrived in Korea with a high level of training. Captain Ralph Parr
was more than ready. He knew Korea well, having
flown F -80s in support of ground troops in 1950. [DISTANT JETS WHIRRING AND SHOTS
RATTLING] After his F -80 tour,
Parr returns to the States and to the cockpit of the F -86. He earns a reputation as one of
the most skilled and aggressive Sabre instructor pilots. [action music] In fighter pilot lingo,
Parr is a good stick, and he's champing at
the bit to kill MiGs. In the summer of 1953,
with the 4th Fighter Wing, Parr will demonstrate
his deadly prowess. [jets whirring] Four F -86s are tracking
16 unsuspecting MiGs. Vermont Garrison, the flight
leader is the shooter. Ralph Parr is hoping
upon hope that Garrison will hold his fire. RALPH PARR: Wait till
I get into position, and we'll get two
at the same time. And of course, I can't
say this on the open radio because it would
tip the enemy off. NARRATOR: Garrison doesn't wait. He shoots. One MiG is hit. --goes inverted. --dives away. Garrison stayed on him. --cut the corner. --swung in behind him. NARRATOR: It's going
to be an easy kill. [jets whistling and roaring] Garrison, followed
by his wingman, dives after the smoking MiG. RALPH PARR: And the next
thing I hear, I hear a voice, and it's Garrison. And he says, my guns won't fire. NARRATOR: The
stricken MiG is here. Garrison, whose guns
have jammed, is here. [jets whistling and roaring] Suddenly, the MiG
leader, moving to protect one of his stricken flock,
jumps into the fight. The leader of the 16 MiGs-- --the very fast turn reversal
and heads straight for Garrison and Garrison's wingman. NARRATOR: Parr is impressed
by this aggressive move. RALPH PARR: He's
done this before. He's pretty highly experienced. NARRATOR: Parr quickly
sizes up the situation. Garrison and his wingman are now
vulnerable to the MiG leader's guns. Parr maneuvers to cut
off the aggressive MiG. He slams the stick over
in a hard left turn, blood rushes from his head. The g-suite instantly inflates,
squeezes his abdomen and thighs in a python grip. Though out of range,
Parr fires a short burst to scare the MiG
off Garrison's tail. It works. MiG leader breaks away. [action music] Parr gives chase. --maneuvers for a clean shot. I latched onto this guy at
about a ballpark of about 1,800 feet and brought my pepper
up and put the pepper on his fuselage, getting
ready to shoot him. And he started his maneuvering. And we had a dogfight
that lasted six minutes before the first shot was fired. NARRATOR: MiG lead is a honcho
and one hell of a pilot. He jinks frantically turning
hard left, then right. He throws his jet around the
sky, rolling and twisting. The red pilot tries
multiple Split S reversals, anything to shake
Parr off his tail and turn the tables
on his attacker. The MiG leader is skilled
and not ready to die. Parr hangs in but
can't draw a bead. This honcho may live
to fight another day. It had reached a point whereby
I didn't know whether I was going to let him go or not. NARRATOR: The MiG is
sliding out of reach, but the Sabre has a
technological edge that will decide the contest. [jet roaring] June 30th, 1953. In MiG Alley, the
battle has turned into a giant, swirling furball
like something out of World War II but faster and higher. Captain Ralph Parr is
in the thick of it. [jets roaring] We went into distant roaring
gunfight between 20 aircraft, four of them ours. NARRATOR: Fortunately for
Parr, the machine in which he's staking his very existence had
reached its ultimate expression by 1953. The F -86A models that first
went to Korea in December 1950 were excellent gun platforms. But they were heavier
than the MiGs, and their 5400-pound thrust
engines couldn't get the Sabre up to the MiGs
50,000-foot altitude. They were also
outnumbered, 8 to 1. In December 1951, the 51st
Fighter Interceptor Wing joins the fight in MiG Alley. It's now roughly 130
Sabres to 350 plus MiGs. The 51st arrives
with F -86Es, which introduced the so-called
flying tail to the Sabre. On earlier models of the F -86,
the elevator or up and down control surface on the
tail was unresponsive near supersonic speed. The force of air made it
impossible for the pilot to move the stick, a serious
handicap in air combat. The E models totally
new flying tail is hydraulically boosted,
providing positive elevator control even at
maximum airspeed. In August of 1952, yet another
and the most lethal version of the Sabre streaks into
MiG Alley, the F -86F. The F has a more powerful
6090-pound thrust engine, bringing the Sabre nearly
equal to the MiG in two critical areas. Rate of climb, over 9,000 feet
a minute; and service ceiling, 49,000 feet. The Sabre's wing also
undergoes a significant change. The movable leading edge
slats, originally designed for greater control at
low airspeed, disappeared. Most jet combat, not
all, but most occurred tended to occur at
higher airspeeds where the slats were
really not much advantage. NARRATOR: The slats are replaced
with a new non-movable leading edge that's extended 6 inches
at the wing root and 3 inches at wing tip. [action music] The so-called hard or 6-3
wing increases the Sabre's maneuverability at high speeds. [distant jet whirring] FREDERICK "BOOTS"
BLESSE: The F model was a tremendous improvement. You had a better
current capability. It was faster, better
climb, and more closely simulated those
characteristics of the MiG that we liked so much. NARRATOR: The MiG-15 was still
lighter and retained its power to weight advantage,
but for the first time, the F -86 could maneuver
with the MiG on equal terms up to 49,000 feet. On June 30th, 1953, the added
thrust and maneuverability of the F -86F allows
Captain Ralph Parr to stay with the MiG, but he
can't get into firing position against an experience honcho. [jets sweeping] I could bring my gunsight
right up to the aeroplane, but I couldn't get
it on the aeroplane. NARRATOR: In an attempt
to get Parr off his tail, MiG leader rolls into
another Split S and dives. Parr goes inverted. --falls down. The move keeps him on the
MiG's tail, still in the chase. At 3,000 feet, the jets
pull out of the dive. Parr feels the crush
of g on his chest as the horizon slowly reappears. Then, MiG leader raises his nose
and slams the throttle forward. He's counting on his airplane's
superior rate applied to carry him clear of the Sabre's fangs. All the right moves,
but the F models Sabre has the electronic advantage. Parr's radar ranging gunsight
can reach out nearly 2 miles. So I just sat
there and very calmly let the gunsight settle down. I gave him about 4-second
burst and shot him to ribbons. NARRATOR: The Sabre's
50-caliber machine guns fire at a rate of 110
rounds per second. 28 pounds of lead have
just impact the MiG. [jet whirring] The airplane
burst into flames. Flames were trailing way back. I throttled back a little bit. I had to get a close
look at this guy who'd been doing rather well. As I rolled up to
look down on him, I could see there were flashes
from those 50 calibers, and they were all burning. Fire coming out just
about all of them. The canopy was broken. There was blood in the front
end of the canopy and forward of the pilot. And the pilot was down sort
of hanging over his stick. NARRATOR: Parr has scored
his first kill in MiG Alley, but there's no time
to savor the victory. About that time, I heard
the distinctive 37-millimeter, a cannon going
thump, thump, thump. If I could hear
him, he was close. Too damn close. NARRATOR: Another MiG, which
had been following the fight from a distance, has moved in
to avenge his leader's demise. [gunshots rattling] Parr instinctively pirouettes. He snaps the Sabre's nose
skyward into a hard climbing turn. [gunshots rattling] The MiG pilot is surprised. He overshoots. Parr reverses his turn. The MiG is his. [jet roars] Parr's deft maneuver has put
him into a good firing position behind his adversary. [jets whirring] He turned left
about 45 degrees, and when he rolled level, I
knocked him out of the sky. [GUNSHOTS RATTLING AND
EXPLOSION] RALPH PARR: I hit him
so I couldn't miss. [gunshots rattling] NARRATOR: Two MiGs
in rapid succession. [gunshots rattling] Ralph Parr will
finish his Sabre tour with 10 victories, a double
ace, an achievement matched by only 10 other F -86 pilots. Remarkably, he does
it in only 30 missions during the last seven
weeks of the war. Parr will stay in the
cockpit, winning the Air Force cross for heroism
during the Vietnam War. In Korea, the guns fell silent
at midnight, July 27th, 1953. The battle lines ended almost
exactly where they started. No formal truce officially
ended the hostilities. The F -86s scored an impressive
record in the MiG Alley. Against a loss of
78 of their own, the Sabres shot down
almost 560 MiGs, 7 to 1 in favor of the F -86. In a war without
winners, the battle for air superiority in MiG Alley
was the only clear victory. [marching] The region remains a
powder keg to this day. The sound of jets
still reverberates through the mountains
of the Korean peninsula. Mark 2 capable F
-15s and F -16s now take to the skies once
patrolled by the F -86. In the north, MiG-15s have given
way to MiG-21s and advanced MiG-29s. Long range air to air
missiles are the weapons of choice for these
technological wonders. Should war return to Korea,
these modern day adversaries will engage from miles away. They will never face off
in flashing dogfights that were the hallmark of MiG Alley.
They should use dcs or wt or some sim to remake the dogfights lmao
GEOIP'd - rip australians