James E. Brooks, Double Ace WW2 Pilot Shooting Down 13 Enemy Aircraft And First Jet Fight In Korean War!!

James Lynn Brooks (1921-2015) During World War II, James Brooks became a U.S. Army Air Forces DOUBLE ACE, credited with shooting down 13 enemy aircraft in aerial combat. During the Korean War he flew an F-86 with the 4th Fighter Group, and participated in the first major all-jet air battle of that war in December 1950. “I always knew I wanted to fly fighters, but I will tell you, the bravest pilots flew bombers back then,” Brooks said. On May 18, 1944, while escorting bombers over Ploesti, Romania, he scored his first aerial victory, downing a Romanian G-50 fighter. Brooks finished his combat tour with 55 missions and 280 combat hours. In total, he scored 13.5 victories and became the leading Ace of the 307th FS. Following World War II, he flew F-86s during the Korean War and participated in the first big, all jet air battle over the Yalu River on Dec. 22, 1950. 12 MiGs and four Sabers were involved. After the Korean War, Brooks became an engineering test pilot, logging test flights in the F-86, the B-45, the XF-100 and the F-86 rocket augmentation program. “I am very lucky,” he said. “I was part of the supersonic ‘50s at Edwards Air Force Base. Everything we have today came from there. I’m glad to have been a part of it." rooks became jet qualified in 1946. On 22 December 1950, while flying F-86s with the 4th Fighter Group during the Korean War, Brooks participated in the first big, all jet air battle at 42,000 feet over the Yalu River. Involved were 12MiGs and 4Saber Jets. Following the war, Brooks resigned from the Air Force in 1951 as a major and joined North American Aviation as an engineering test pilot. Over the next six years he logged test flights in all F-86 series aircraft, the B-45 jet bomber, the XF-100’s, and the F-86 rocket augmentation project. He was one of the founders and first president of the Fighter Ace Association and is past president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
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Notes: As received by consignor form Flying Aces.

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