It's October 10th, 1915, at an airfield near Champagne, France, one year into World War I.

23-year-old Manfred von Rik Dolan feels a lurch in his stomach as his airplane leaves the runway. Although planes are

still a relatively new invention in 1915, flying is not an unusual pastime for Riktholen. For the last

five months, he's worked for the German Air Force as an observer, a passenger who monitors

enemy troop movements and drops bombs while a pilot flies the aircraft.

But this flight is different because today, Rick Tovin is the pilot at the controls.

He's on his first solo flight with a simple mission to take off, circle around, and come in for a landing.

He feels a rush of elation as his plane climbs to a few hundred feet.

Rick Tolvin moves the control stick and sends his

plane into a tight turn. He definitely maneuvers in a neat half circle and aims for the airfield he

just took off from. But as he comes in for the landing, Rick Tolvin realizes that the plane's nose

is too low. Panicked, he jerks the controls, but it's too late. The plane bounces on the landing strip,

causing the rear of the plane to lift up. The fuselage slowly flips over the nose. The plane

crashes onto its back before sliding to a stop. Rick Tovin dangles upside down for a few

seconds before he releases his straps and crawls out of the cockpit,

thankfully unharmed. He looks back at the upturned aircraft and shakes his head in disbelief.

His first solo flight was supposed to be a simple affair, but instead, Rikdolven's career as a pilot

is off to an embarrassing start.

After his crash landing, Manfred von Richthoven does not give up on his dream to become a fighter pilot.

Instead, he continues training, becoming quite proficient in flying the temperamental wood and canvas airplanes

that patrol the skies above the western front.

Over the next two years, Riktoven will perfect the art of dogfighting and shoot down countless

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