John Boyd: The Pilot Who Changed the Art of Air Warfare. Watch Rare Upscaled Tactic Footage

The biography of an air legend. John Boyd: The Pilot Who Changed the Art of Air Warfare. Additionally, we present rare and upscaled combat tactics footage found in the vaults of the National Archives.
John Richard Boyd (January 23, 1927 - March 9, 1997).
During the 1950s, John Boyd dominated fighter aviation in the U.S. Air Force. His fame came on the wings of the quirky and treacherous F-100; the infamous "Hun." Boyd was known throughout the Air Force as "Forty-Second Boyd," because he had a standing offer to all pilots that if they could defeat them in simulated air-to-air combat in under 40 seconds, he would pay them $40. Like any gunslinger with a name and a reputation, he was called out many times. As an instructor at the Fighter Weapons School (FWS) at Nellis AFB, he fought students, cadre pilots, Marine and Navy pilots, and pilots from a dozen countries, who were attending the FWS as part of the Mutual Defense Assistance Pact.
He never lost.
Boyd was famous for a maneuver he called "flat-plating the bird." He would be in the defensive position with a challenger tight on his tail, both pulling heavy Gs, when he would suddenly pull the stick full aft, brace his elbows on either side of the cockpit, so the stick would not move laterally, and stomp the rudder. It was as if a manhole cover were sailing through the air and then suddenly flipped 90 degrees. The underside of the fuselage, wings, and horizontal stabilizer became a speed brake that slowed the Hun from 400 knots to 150 knots in seconds. The pursuing pilot was thrown forward, and now Boyd was on his tail radioing, "Guns. Guns. Guns."
The myth of "Forty-Second Boyd" still rankles AF fighter pilots. They say there is no "best" pilot and that everyone has a bad day. But if they went through Nellis in the late 1950s, they know Boyd had no bad days. And they cannot come up with the name of anyone who ever defeated him.
Boyd was equally famous in the classroom where he developed the "Aerial Attack Study." Until Boyd came along, fighter pilots thought that air combat was an art rather than a science; that it could never be codified. Boyd proved them wrong when he demonstrated that for every maneuver there is a series of counter maneuvers. And there is a counter to every counter. Afterward, when fighter pilots attacked (or were attacked), they knew every option open to their adversary and how to respond.
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[@RivetGardener]

I recall reading a biography on him long ago, and another that described his development of his OODA loop. Years later when my stupid manufacturing manager boss in a pharmaceutical factory tried to implement the OODA loop in hard wire, brick and mortar manufacturing really blew me away in this idiocy. Reminded me of Quality Circles.

[@johndavis9454]

I read a book about John Boyd. Eye-opening to say the least! I worked with a guy, an Air Force vet formerly stationed in Okinawa. He knew all about SR-71s but never heard of John Boyd. I'm a Naval Aviation Vet.

[@bryanhubbell1513]

If that Air Force vet was a fighter pilot, it's highly likely he'd heard the name John Boyd and he had with 100% certainty heard of Boyd's theory of energy maneuverability in the form of an E-M diagram. SR-71 crews were part of SAC in that assignment, although I believe some went there from TAC and had fighter backgrounds.

[@theccpisaparasite8813]

Boyd is a big deal

[@kirktravis5780]

​@@theccpisaparasite8813Boyd is a fraud. Almost everything in that book is a myth. Anyone who thinks a fighter that has only guns and only carry fuel in drop tanks is insane.

[@fntsmk]

Aircraft at 6:15 - 6:27 are NOT F-86 Sabres. They're F-84F Thunderstreaks, and the 51st FIW at K-13 Suwon definitely flew the F-86 Sabre. At the 6:44 mark, we see a four ship flight of F-86F Sabres with the 36th Fighter Bomber Squadron of the 8th Fighter Bomber Wing, which was stationed on the opposite side of the runway at K-13 Suwon Air Base, from the 51st FIW. 51st FIW Sabres appear at the 9:44 mark, followed again by the footage of the 36th FBS Sabres breaking in left echelon. I know a bit about the Fighter and Fighter Bomber Wings, and Groups at K-13 Suwon in 1953 because my Uncle was a pilot with the 36th FBS. I am still in close contact with 5 pilots who flew the F-86 out of K-13 in South Korea during the Korean war, and one of them was almost certainly a fellow classmate of John Boyd, in Pilot Training Class 52B. That pilot is 95 years young and enjoying life in Va. Beach, VA. today.

[@rickdavis4456]

40 second Boyd

[@jimiscnc3750]

My father moved us from Freeport, Illinois to Commack Long Island to work for Republic Aviation in 1959. He stayed with Republic until 1967. He was very proud of the F-105 that he helped to build.

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him

[@m14butch]

Read the book...Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War....I couldn't put it down till the end!

[@oO-_-_-_-Oo]

A fantastic read.

[@kirktravis5780]

And completely full of shit.

[@mpojr]

l was air force and l remember John Boyd real well,he did step on toes but he also got the job done.

[@timbrwolf1121]

John boyd's OODA loop is actually used in everything these days. Martial arts, sports, law enforcement, even Gerbil Voodoo uses the OODA loop.

[@andrewanderson5297]

I use it to help health care workers understand and manage patients.

[@elrobo3568]

As a retired F-4, A-7, F-16 crew chief and much later a pilot I commend this video as very accurate and thank goodness a wonderful narration. Well done! I also loved seeing some of the F-4C's I crewed in 66 to 70.

[@shenmisheshou7002]

Boyd was respected by the Marines for good reason. The Marines are often on the forward edge of the battle area, and look for every possible edge to extend their abilities. The F-111, like the F-105, had the "F" designation, but neither of these aircraft were really intended to be a fighter. Times change, and the maneuvering gun fight is pretty much becoming a thing of the past. No US fighter jet has had a gun kill against an enemy since about 1970.

[@carlospar3727]

Not true. Iraq war operations had one high deflection angle, snapshot gun kill. Also, the Israelis have plenty of gun kills (in US made fighter jets) when the range has been too tight for missiles.

[@625shapiro]

Boyd liked quick changes. Like Stonewall Jackson's manuever warfare

[@dodgermartin4895]

It is interesting that it's mandatory reading for Marines to read the John Boyd biography. He was an advocate of close air support for ground forces, whereas the USAF has minimal priority for that.

[@patriciagerardo5167]

The narrator sounds like the late Jim Scoutten, RIP.

[@scottgregory6129]

Great stuff. To see training films 47:00 explaining proper techniques for F-4 dogfighting against the MiGs is NOT boring for this guy!

[@gcarlson]

Dude.. we should have lunch sometime.

[@philipbuckley759]

it seems amazing on how one individual can see, what the many can not....RIP.....

[@shenmisheshou7002]

As for maneuver warfare, I believe that the credit for this goes to German military officer Erwin Rommel. The Blitzkrieg was built upon his own articulations of the advantages of this kind of warfare, and Rommel himself was a master of the concept.

[@borntoclimb7116]

This is a very interesting storie

[@g.h.9117]

Yes Boyd made his mark on a rigid thinking strategic AF at the time more interested in brute force deploying up to including dropping nukes! Most of Boyds energy loop best energy curve can be already found in WW2 luftwaffe tactics created by Werner Mölders finger 4 formation and 2 ship element support in fighter tactics. These were improved upon by the Me262 speed tactics applied to fighter jets. Reading the Blond Knight of Germany youll find much of the USAF tactical maneuvering was adopted from the Luftwaffe all the way back to Oawald Bölke. These lessons were taught at USAFA to cadets in 1985 by Gen. Macky Steinhof of Luftwaffe Ace burned face fame!

[@col.g.7698]

I still don’t think today’s Air Force appreciates how impactful and insightful Colonel Boyd was! He is 00DA loop is so simple it’s brilliant! It’s too bad the F 35, lightning II has most likely traded energy maneuverability for technology just like the F4 phantom II did in its day. Colonel Boyd cannot know is how his OODA loop of decision making has dramatically improved the practice of anesthesiology, especially on the modern battlefield! His brilliance extends beyond that of aviation! He should be promoted posthumously to make him only the second person ever to hold the rank of general of the Air Force behind Hap. Arnold! His IQ was not below average. He was simply so far ahead of his time they didn’t know how to measure his intelligence correctly! Thanks, Colonel Boyd!! A medically retired major, who was also considered mad in my day though I’m nothing like Colonel Boyd

[@jamesriggs6210]

Hear! Hear! Yes sir, I agree,Boyd was a great man!

[@kirktravis5780]

Ooda loop is a joke. Snake oil salesman at best.

[@pitadriti9767]

Boyd's Cycle. genius of the OODA Loop.

[@jroar123]

I just finished reading his book.

[@corsairman1956]

They mentioned him flying the F-86, yet showed F-84s. 🙄

[@robertfarrow4256]

Why do y0u talk about the F86 while showing F84s?

[@11bravo18]

This channel does this allot.

[@Farweasel]

Yay John Boyd *What a Phenomenal Legacy* - and small wonder the envious Brass eschewed him But if you're going to pick one - them or him to respect - Its a foregone conclusion innit?

[@ioanbota9397]

I like this video

[@lorenzogiuliani9144]

Ho saputo della sua esistenza nel 2009. Se ne parla poco, spero lo si studia meglio nelle accademie militari

[@anthonyburke5656]

Don’t forget the handbook by Bolger the German ace in WW1

[@IcyMan143]

11:50 F-84s?

[@HamHamEggsandHam]

6:16 as well.

[@Sagiterrian77]

Yeah, that jumped out at me.

[@mikeck4609]

If the F-15 would have been what void wanted it to be, it would be effing useless; because it wouldn’t have a radar (or at least not a competent one) nor any BVR or all weather capability…which is what made it so dominating

[@jerryblainii1208]

Holy lol what a ride

[@johnwarwick7684]

Marine’s have a statue of him at Quantico, AF hated him because he destroyed their designs and showed them how stupid they were

[@kirktravis5780]

He did no such thing.

[@ahmadtheaviationlover1937]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@oldgraybeard3659]

It turns out that the OODA loop mirrors the neurological processes of cognitive science, as identified by Mark Solms in "The Hidden Spring." Boyed was well ahead of his time.

[@mamarussellthepie3995]

*"insert acoustic reformer hating while spouting the same hogwash but from the other side of the coin comments here"* lmao xd

[@stevenpace892]

The misinformation that the US did into Desert Storm was possible because the Iraqi forces were blind. It makes a lot of sense to take advantage of the enemies derth of information but it would be hard to imagine your enemies always this ignorant.

[@anthonyburke5656]

Bolker

[@dreemeagle]

Boyd did nothing more than amplify what Boelke already established 40 years before;

[@DWHCBPM]

Retired USAF Command Pilot, instructor, flight examiner, Fighter weapons school, F-100, A-7, F-4, F-16, 137 combat missions Vietnam. This piece is so poorly and inaccurately presented that it insults the contributions of Boyd and others. It is true that the F-111 is a piece of junk and a F-16 properly flown will beat a F-15 every time…EXCEPT he will shoot you in the face long before the merge. I believe that a large number of agile cheap fighters is better than fewer very expensive high tech ones…that is not the view of high command. Most pilots that know say the F-22 is better than the F-35. All current US fighter pilots know and understand energy maneuverability very well. Please don’t call a F-84 a F-86 you lose all credibility.

[@shenmisheshou7002]

The F-22 may be better, but it has never actually shot down an enemy plane and will be retired before it has ever shot down anything but a Chinese Balloon. I agree with you, that a larger number of less expensive but still capable fighters is probably better than fewer high tech planes. The it takes two F-35s to do the job of one F-15 because at any given time, half of the F-35s are in maintenance or overhall.

[@danapeck5382]

Great response, thanks. Using the F-4 in a supposed Boyd video, geez. All the best

[@franksanchietti7108]

The F-111F was a great fighter bomber!

[@kirktravis5780]

​@@shenmisheshou7002absolute hogwash. No one ever believed that some more and less complicated is better than newer and more capable .

[@christopherskipp1525]

"Cheney had a deep understanding . . ." of what? War crimes?