This culture placed a premium on cockiness and informality. A flight suit officer spent more time in a flight suit than in a uniform. The author begins by examining the backgrounds of Air Force fighter pilots in this fledgling branch of the United States' military services. The author presses home his point by looking at the backgrounds of eleven pilots who flew in Korea, perhaps the best known of whom are Robinson Risner and Earl Brown. Their reminiscences of life in training and combat are spread throughout the book, giving it a personal, anecdotal character.
Pilot training is another factor that the author considers.
He notes that the majority of Air Force officers during the Korean War were pilots. Indeed, two-thirds of Air Force officers received their commission after completing the Aviation Cadet program, the emphasis of which in was on flying skills. The primary concern was how well one could fly an airplane. The result for the Air Force was a more casual junior officer than the usual Army lieutenant or Navy ensign. The former group garnered much of the glory.