Best Films About Air Warfare. In this series of articles covering war films, we’ll be looking at the best films that cover everything from the evolution of tank warfare in World War I and World War II to the adoption of combat drones and special forces in Modern Warfare. We’ll select films that have a specific and detailed focus on various technological advances in war and their use in battle by military forces.
In this fifth article, we’ll be focusing on air warfare (or aerial warfare) in film. Air warfare became a prominent tool of the military during World War I and has arguably become the most vital aspect of warfare over the past century. Air warfare films typically involve everything from early German Fokker Dr.I and British S.E.5a fighter planes engaged in dogfights during the first world war to the latest supersonic aircraft such as the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet as seen in Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Air warfare films also tend to be historical in nature covering everything from the career of the infamous Manfred Albrech Freiherr von Richthofen (The Red Baron) in films The Blue Max (1966) to The Red Baron (2008) to the Tuskegee Airmen in Red Tails (2012) and to the first manned mission to drop the atomic bomb during World War II in Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb (1980).
While this article will highlight air warfare, other areas of warfare in film have been covered in past articles listed below:
- Best Films About Tank Warfare
- Best Films About Drone Warfare
- Best Films About Special Forces
- Best Films About Sea Warfare
- Best Films About Air Warfare
For our rankings we’re going to use some criteria to help define and refine our list. First, we’re going to focus on films that show actual aerial warfare. The more the film shows actual aerial dogfights or air-based action, the higher it will rank on our list.
Second, due to our first ranking criteria, some classic war films will rank lower on our list. Films such as Apocalypse Now (1979) do show some aerial warfare in the form of the Ride of the Valkyries helicopter attack scene, however, it’s ultimately a War Drama and not focused on aerial warfare.
Third, though aerial warfare has evolved to include drone warfare, we won’t be listing those films here as they were covered in a previous article from this series in the Best Films About Drone Warfare. That article covers Good Kill (2015), Eye in the Sky (2015), Land of Bad (2024) and others that focus on the use of drones in warfare.
Fourth, historical films about events vital to the evolution of aerial warfare won’t be included in our rankings if they don’t show significant aerial combat. Examples here include Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb (1980) and The Arrow (1997). Enola Gay is an interesting film about the mission that led up to the first use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, but it doesn’t exactly qualify as an air warfare film. And The Arrow is a detailed look at Canada’s development of the Avro Arrow supersonic jet interceptor aircraft but also isn’t about aerial warfare. However, we will include both films in our list of honorable mentions below as fans of the subgenre will likely enjoy either film.
And fifth, we had to follow our rule for all of KBZ’s film listings where we only list films that have a 4.0/10 or higher rating and were released after 1970. We’ll make an exception here to move the date back to 1955 to include The Dam Busters (1955), The Blue Max (1966) and Battle of Britain (1969) which are all classic films of the subgenre.
Our collection of War Films About Air Warfare includes over 72+ films from 1955 – 2025. If you don’t see a favorite film of yours in this collection, you can probably find it in one of our other collections including Thriller Aviation Films, War Action Films, War Thrillers, War Films About World War I, War Films About World War II, War Films About The Vietnam War and War Films About The Cold War. And as a reminder, subscribe to our newsletter to get updated as we release future articles in this special edition series of warfare films.
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Best Films About Air Warfare
Films that didn’t make our list (and for completists only): High Road to China (1983), Zero (1984), Flight of the Black Angel (1991), Into the White (2012), Red Sky (2014), 303 Squadron (2018), Damascus Time (2018), Lancaster Skies (2019), Air Force: The Movie (2022), Called to Duty (2023), Top Gunner: America vs. Russia (2023) and The Shamrock Spitfire (2024).
Honorable Mentions: Darling Lili (1970), Midway (1976), Soldier of Orange (1977), Hanover Street (1979), The Final Countdown (1980), Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb (1980), Red Flag: The Ultimate Game (1981), Project X (1987), Hope and Glory (1987), Iron Eagle II (1988), Fire Birds (1990), Air America (1990), Flight of the Intruder (1991), Interceptor (1992), For the Moment (1993), The Arrow (1997), Sky Fighters (2005), For Those We Love (2008), Isoroku Yamamoto (2011), Rescue Under Fire (2017), Hurricane (2018), Shadow in the Clouds (2020) and The Pilot: A Battle for Survival (2021).
Rank 30-1:
#30 Dark Blue World (2001) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#29 Catch-22 (1970) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#28 Hot Shots! (1991) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#27 By Dawn’s Early Light (1990) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#26 Into the Sun (1992) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#25 Stealth (2005) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#24 The Blue Max (1966) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#23 Apocalypse Now (1979) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#22 Devotion (2022) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#21 The Tuskegee Airmen (1995) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#20 Zeppelin (1971) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#19 The Dam Busters (1955) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#18 Von Richthofen and Brown (1971) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#17 The Right Stuff (1983) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#16 Tora! Tora! Tora! (1971) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#15 Iron Eagle (1986) Where to Stream / Buy: Google Play
#14 Pearl Harbor (2001) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#13 The Aviator (2004) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#12 Dunkirk (2017) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#11 Aces High (1976) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: In 1940, the Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle against the might of the Luftwaffe for control of the skies over Britain, thus preventing the Nazi invasion of Britain.
KBZ’s Take: The actual Battle of Britain was an important historical event during World War II with an outnumbered Royal Air Force (RAF) tasked with repelling a German onslaught that would lead to Germany’s first major defeat of the war.
As for the film, it’s one of the best subgenre films that depicts aerial dogfights and was also an inspiration for not only the X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters in Star Wars, but also for the climatic Rebel attack on the Death Star.
Additional Lists: Best World War I & World War II Warfare Films #16
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: At a U.S. Army Air Force base in England, the crew members of B-17 bomber Memphis Belle prepare for their 25th and final sortie into enemy German territory. Bomber Capt. Dennis Dearborn (Matthew Modine) knows the mission is a dangerous one, but he’s under pressure from Army public relations man Lt. Col. Bruce Derringer (John Lithgow) to earn a decisive victory for the Allies. Now, the Memphis Belle prepares to take flight as apprehension and dissention grow among Dearborn’s crew.
KBZ’s Take: Few films of the subgenre better depict the dangerous and precarious lives of crew members aboard B-17 Bombers during World War II than Memphis Belle. We can only think of The Masters of Air TV series that is probably the best look at the intense moments these pilots and crew faced, but since it’s not technically a film, we’re unfortunately not covering the series for this article.
As for the film, it has an ensemble cast of many stars from the 90s including Matthew Modine, Eric Stolz, D.B. Sweeney, Billy Zane and others. And while the film does focus on the individual lives of these B-17 crew members, it also has some of the best action-packed aerial warfare of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: A brother and sister learn their biological grandfather was a kamikaze pilot who died during World War II. During their research into his life, they get conflicting accounts from his former comrades about his character and how he joined his squadron.
KBZ’s Take: It would have been easy to include Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk (2017) in this spot as it’s an amazing achievement in film as it flips back and forth between the various military mechanisms that made the Dunkirk evacuation possible.
However, we always like to include a lesser-known film in these lists and The Eternal Zero is one of them. It’s a look at Japanese kamikaze pilots from the viewpoint of Japan during it’s role in the Pacific Campaign of World War II. There’s some great aerial warfare sequences in this film featuring dogfights between Japanese Zero fighters and U.S. P-51 Mustangs.
Additional Lists: Best World War I & World War II Warfare Films #19
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#7
Red Tails
Plot: The story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots to fly in a combat squadron during World War II.
KBZ’s Take: Even though The Tuskegee Airmen (1995) is a more detailed look at the lives and accomplishments of African American pilots during World War II and is the better film, we put Red Tails here due to the amazing action-packed scenes of aerial warfare. These scenes are some of the best of the subgenre and it’s no wonder why – George Lucas’ Lucasfilm is behind the film, and it shows.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Dashing flying ace Manfred von Richthofen proves a propaganda success above the Western Front, famed as `The Red Baron’. However, over time the brutal realities of war and command bring him down to earth.
KBZ’s Take: Numerous films have been made about The Red Baron (Manfred von Richthofen), including notable films Von Richthofen and Brown (1971) and The Blue Max (1966). Though you can’t go wrong with either of those films and they’re even in our Top 30 list above, we went with latest biopic of the infamous World War I pilot as it has our favorite portrayal of von Richthofen by Matthias Schweighöfer and has the best aerial war action scenes of the three films.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#5
Firefox
Plot: Ex-Vietnam War pilot is sent to the Soviet Union to steal a revolutionary new jet fighter called Firefox.
KBZ’s Take: Firefox was #1 on our Top Films About Spies & Espionage You Haven’t Seen and #2 on our Top Cold War Films You Haven’t Seen – 1980s lists. We placed the film here due an amazing third act involving the flight (and fight sequences) involving the fictional Firefox plane.
Though some of these scenes are now dated (special effects-wise) they are still exhilarating and some of the best of the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Top Films About Spies & Espionage You Haven’t Seen #1, Top Cold War Films You Haven’t Seen – 1980s #2
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#4
Flyboys
Plot: The adventures of the Lafayette Escadrille, young Americans who volunteered for the French military before the U.S. entered World War I, and became the country’s first fighter pilots.
KBZ’s Take: Arguably the best overall film about World War I aerial warfare and dogfighting, Flyboys was an easy selection here due it’s numerous scenes of combat. Despite some historical inaccuracies in the film, it’s a war action film that doesn’t slow down and has to be seen to truly appreciate the growing importance of air superiority during war.
Additional Lists: Best World War I & World War II Warfare Films #12
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#3
Top Gun
Plot: For Lieutenant Pete Maverick Mitchell and his friend and co-pilot Nick Goose Bradshaw, being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete’s dreams of becoming an ace pilot.
KBZ’s Take: As we noted in our previous article of the Best Films About Sea Warfare, what director Tony Scott did to revolutionize naval warfare in Crimson Tide (1995), he did the same for aerial warfare in Top Gun.
Many readers of our lists and fans of the subgenre likely have Top Gun as their favorite film – and we wouldn’t necessarily disagree. However, we’re ranking these films on their aerial warfare action scenes and there’s two films we think are just a hair better than Top Gun…
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#2
Midway
Plot: The story of the Battle of Midway, and the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome massive odds.
KBZ’s Take: The original Midway (1976) uses stock footage for its battle scenes which is a distraction at times. That’s not the case with this Rolan Emmerich-directed update on the Battle of Midway which was one of the major turning points of the World War II.
Emmerich is known for epic war action sequences from Independence Day (1996) to The Patriot (2000) and Midway can be added to (and likely sits atop) that list. This is a spectacle throughout with some of the most exciting aerial and naval war sequences of the entire subgenre.
Additional Lists: Best World War I & World War II Warfare Films #5
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell finds himself training a detachment of TOP GUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen.
KBZ’s Take: We rarely include original films and their sequels in our Top 10 (or even Top 30) lists, but Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick are two of the rare films that define a film subgenre. And though we had Top Gun on this list as #3, it was only due to our feeling that Top Gun: Maverick is the better film with more exciting action sequences.
We were fortunate to have seen both the original Top Gun and its sequel in the theater. And even after feeling our preference for Top Gun: Maverick was due to recency bias, we decided to watch the films again and back-to-back for this article. Taking the nostalgia factor out of both films (as Top Gun is one of our personal favorite films of all time), we still felt Top Gun: Maverick was the better film from the updated training sequences to a more exciting third act final that raised the stakes (and adrenaline).
Whether you personally think the original or sequel is the better film, there’s no doubt both films together make up the best modern aerial warfare of the subgenre that no fan should miss.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
