Manfred Von Richthofen Baron Manfred

Manfred Von Richthofen

Baron Manfred von Richthofen

Baron Manfred von Richthofen and aviation

Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen was the legendary First World War pilot who was renowned as the leading air ace of the war and was credited with eighty kills (the Red Baron) However, it is not only the combat abilities and victories that have made von Richthofen so famous. He is also acknowledged for extending the possibilities of aviation and aviation combat and many pilots and aviation experts still study his methods and techniques today.

Manfred von Richthofen was born in 1892 to an Aristocratic German family. He was only twenty-five years of age when he died after being shot down in 1918 over Vaux sur Somme, France. Although he died very young he is remembered for his flying ability and his bravery in the air. He first joined the air service or 'Fliegertruppe' in 1915 as an observer. When he met his idol, the aviator Oswald Boelcke, he became committed to becoming a pilot (the Red Baron: Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen). Oswald Boelcke was responsible for many of the successful aviation and flying techniques that were to be later developed by gifted pilots like von Richthofen. (Oswald Boelcke: German ace and tactician, 40 kills) Van Richthofen was known as the 'Red Baron' due to the color of his plane.

It is noteworthy that Von Richthofen made his first solo flight after only 24 hours of flight training. It should also be remembered that the phenomenon of aerial combat in the First World War was new and the pilots faced unprecedented dangers and risks in largely untested planes and conditions. As one commentator notes,

In a time of wooden and fabric aircraft, when twenty air victories insured a pilot legendary status and the coveted Pour Le Merite (the famous "Blue Max"), Richthofen had eighty victories, and is regarded to this day as the ace of aces (the Red Baron: Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen)

There is little doubt that von Richthofen's main contribution to modern aviation lies in his advancement of the art and techniques of aerial combat. In order to understand his significance for modern aviation one should also understand something of the background and history of flying during this period of history.

Aviation was still very much in its infancy when the First World War began. This can be seen by the fact that "… designers and pilots were still learning about the most basic aerodynamics: the how and why airplanes actually fly" (Rittmeister; a Biography of Manfred Von Richthofen ). In other words, the pilots who fought in the First World War were faced with a largely untested technology and they were often concerned whether the planes could actually fly. These concerns were combined with the problems and challenges of the new art and intricacies of combat in the air.

Their aircraft were extremely primitive by modern standards and the pilots usually flew in open cockpits at a very high altitude where they were exposed to frostbite and narcosis form a lack of oxygen. (Rittmeister; a Biography of Manfred Von Richthofen ). As a result "… more pilots were killed because of accidents than in actual combat (Rittmeister; a Biography of Manfred Von Richthofen ). They also flew aircraft made of wood that were very susceptible to flames. Therefore, if we take these problems and challenges into account then the achievements of pilots such as Von Richthofen are even more astounding.

Von Richthofen was also well-known for his innovative organization and tactical skills and he helped organize jagdgeschwader 1 or the legendary group of flying aces known as the flying circus. Furthermore, he was also responsible for advancement in aircraft technology and tested new designs such as the Fokker D. VII. The following quotation highlights the role that he played in the advance of new aircraft technology.