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Brad Johnson's line, "fighter pilots make movies, bomber pilots make history." is very true. The A6 Intruder is one of the unsung heros of the Vietnam War. This bird served as the Navy's primary attack aircraft from the early sixties until very recently when its role was taken over by the F-14 and F/A-18. It is very refreshing to see a movie about the more glamorless aircraft in the inventory. The reason that people don't like this movie is REALISM! It isn't about dashing "Top Guns" going Mach 2. It is about the guys that had to dump the bombs from very low altitude and hope they get back home. These guys were exposed to EVERYTHING! It was dangerous work. It still is dangerous work. Army attack chopper pilots and Navy/Marine/Air Force attack bombers pilots are the guys that put it on the line everytime they fly; either in combat or in peacetime.

In the early 1980's, the Army had a TV ad which said, "Where's the only place in the world you can go from high school to flight school?" The answer--The US Army Warrant Officer Aviator Program. The Army has more fliers than all of the other services combined! Chopper flying is one of the hardest, most dangerous forms of flying possible. Fire Birds is the ONLY movie ever made about the Warrant Officer Aviators of the Army. The movie is very realistic, except for the "Scorpion attack helicopter." It was, if fact, an MD580 Defender. But, who cares? The movie showed the meanest, baddest flying machine in the world, the AH64 Apache attack chopper. Which the Iraqis have grown to despise. We need more movies about Army Aviation. My only gripe is that it tried to mimic Top Gun too much. Great Film!!!!!!!

ABLE, AUDACIOUS, ABOVE ALL!!!! ARMY AVIATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1