Masters of the Air

May is historically the month that we remember the men and women who have served and sacrificed in our country’s armed services.  

I was reminded of this recently when I came across the Apple TV+ Masters of the Air mini-series based on the book of the same name by Donald L. Miller that premiered in January 2024.  

The series follows the actions of the 100th Bomb Group, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber unit in the Eighth Air Force in eastern England during World War II.

As a companion to Band of Brothers (2002) and The Pacific (2010), two other mini-series that depict the conditions of the infantry and naval units that served in the European and Asian theatres of war during that same period, Masters of the Air is a stark reminder of the commitment, conditions and sacrifice our service members made and, by defeating Nazi Germany, changed the course of human history.

The realism portrayed in the program through, costumes, scenery and special effects enabled the series to accurately depict what life was like for the men who flew the B-17 Flying Fortress. 

Through countless interviews, oral histories, and Miller’s extensive research in American, British, German and other archives resulted in a program that portrays the intensity of war, the dangers that the airmen faced, and the relationships that were forged as a result of their shared experiences.  

Lest we never forget.