WWI pilots and their appeal to women

[Willi Von Klugerman]

So what did women think of pilots in WWI.What did they find appealing about them?

[crankcase]

Originally Posted by Willi Von Klugerman

So what did women think of pilots in WWI.What did they find appealing about them?

Hey Willi,
You're 16, so I don't think you need any hints... What did women find appealing about airforce pilots anytime, anywhere?
marc

[Romani]

Originally Posted by Willi Von Klugerman

So what did women think of pilots in WWI.What did they find appealing about them?

Is a interesting psychology question, I will deliberately leave out the obvious romantic appeal of the aviator in my reply:


In general fame and the macho appeal, the uniform, the medals... it's a different kind of sex appeal from the prevailing one today wich is all about money and pretty faces.

The aces were the embodiment of the alpha male, they would also have something of that killer aura wich exerts some fascination. Then, there's the appeal of fame, wich reflects on the companion, (vanitas, vanitatis et omnia vanitas) and status. As the old Russian saying goes, women want the salary of the general and the saber of the lieutenant

That's speaking in general terms, and about younger women. The appeal also depended of the particular ace, I have given some tought to it and I believe the reason Guynemer was so popular, and perhaps Ball to some degree, was that they appealed to the motherly instincts of older women, with their boyish looks, Guynemer frail sickly appearance further enhanced this type of appeal. And it explains why he couldn't be replaced in popular imagination by Fonck, wich looks dashing enough in photos, or Nungesser, wich had the ruggedly handsom looks and the macho appeal of the scars and medals.

Finally, in an atmosphere of war and exalted patriotism, the aces were the heroes the people needed to admire. For a woman, becoming the rest of the warrior would not only be pleasurable but also a patriotic duty

[Willi Von Klugerman]

Very interesting!Plus having an average life span of about a couple weeks gave them a right to enjoy lifes pleasures as much time as possible before their time was up.

was that they appealed to the motherly instincts of older women, with their boyish looks

By todays standards,that would be the description of a "cougar"

[totalspoon]

Its not widely understood but the most important aspect of combat flying, way above your aircraft or piloting skills is how cool your uniform looks.

It’s quite simple really. Unlike ground combat where you just follow everyone else and do what they do, a combat pilot has his life in his own hands. He makes the decisions and if they’re right, he lives, if they’re wrong, he dies. To be successful, a pilot needs to have bucket loads of confidence so he can make those snap decision and stick to them. Now the cooler the uniform, the more female attention you get and the more female attention you get, the greater your confidence is. When you only have a split second to make that decision, you need the confidence you can only get by shagging a pair of 18 year old French twins. A cool uniform allows you to do this.

Take away Manfreds stylish Uhlan tunic and he wouldn’t have got a quarter of the victories he obtained.

Sadly, the only air force to really understand the implication of this was the WW2 Luftwaffe. Adolf Galland and Werner Molders were barely capable of getting safely off the ground until they were issued their black leather jackets and jackboots. Within days they had over a hundred kills each…

Spoon

[Barrett]

Years ago a C&C commentator opined that Guynemer's frail, haunted looks appealed to the nurturing element in les filles--and he could absorb a whole lotta nurturing. Presumably that 1000-meter stare was not combat fatigue....

I'm reminded of the passage in Tombstone. Josie's escort describes W Earp (Kurt Russell):

Billy Zane: "There you gaze upon the quintessential frontiersman. The lean silhouette, the eyes sharp as a hawk. He has the look of both predator, and prey."
Dana (yum) Delaney: "I want one."

[Romani]

Originally Posted by totalspoon

Its not widely understood but the most important aspect of combat flying, way above your aircraft or piloting skills is how cool your uniform looks.


Take away Manfreds stylish Uhlan tunic and he wouldn’t have got a quarter of the victories he obtained.

Spoon

Of course! The Rule of Cool! Thanks for bringing i up, to wich I add that other famous rule:

Red machines are faster

Originally Posted by Barrett

Years ago a C&C commentator opined that Guynemer's frail, haunted looks appealed to the nurturing element in les filles--and he could absorb a whole lotta nurturing. Presumably that 1000-meter stare was not combat fatigue....

Gymnastics and cold showers didn't keep Immelmann alive, nor flying in the morning patrol still with a hangover from last night party killed Nungesser, so evidence is inconclusive either way relevant to the performance of fighter pilots


Ok, sillyness aside, this might be of interest.

The fighter pilots were the darlings of France. They never had to request leave; if bad weather halted frontline operations, they simply flew to Bourget and were driven to Paris, where they were idolized and feted.

Worshipful women wrote them constantly, and once, as Guynemer and Hertaux left a restaurant, they found the jewels and address of adoring female patrons stuffed in their coat pockets.

[Willi Von Klugerman]

So would a man today still get the same effect if he wore this?