The biggest problem with this film was its timing. It was made in 1949 when its shallow plot would have barely made political sense to movie goers; but wasn't released until 1957, four years after the US Air Force had trounced the North Koreans and Russians in aerial combat in the Korean War. Art didn't even imitate reality here. Also, it's hard to feel there's realism when both the good guys and bad guys are flying the same type aircraft, just painted differently. It doesn't work.<br /><br />A better film of this genre is (under-rated and rarely shown-but recently released on DVD) The Hunters (1958) with Robert Mitchum, Robert Wagner and May Britt. It is loosely based on the exploits of real life F-86 Sabre "aces" in Korea and the plot follows the historical tract of the war. That film has an excellent love triangle among Britt, her husband and Mitchum, who is clearly believable as a professional fighter pilot. Plus the aerial sequences are much better than Jet Pilot's.<br /><br />Even hard core Duke Wayne fans should pass on Jet Pilot, it's a flameout; The Hunters will fire your afterburner (even though F-86s didn't have afterburners...)