WWII US ARMY AIR FORCE PILOT WINGS -
A United States Aviator Badge refers to three types of aviation badges issued by the United States military, those being for Army, Air Force, and Naval aviation. The first United States Aviator Badges were issued to members of the Air Service during the First World War. The badges were issued in three degrees: enlisted, junior officer, and senior officer. The Army Air Corps also issued a badge for balloon pilots, known as the Aeronaut Badge.
During the Second World War, with the rise of the Army Air Forces, a second series of aviator badges were issued to include a design that has survived to the modern day. The Army Air Corps Pilot Badge was issued in three degrees, including Pilot, Senior Pilot, and Command Pilot, and this badge was the predecessor of the modern United States Air Force Pilot Badge. The Enlisted Aviator Badge was eliminated, since the new pilot corps was composed entirely of officers.
After the creation of the Air Force as a separate service in 1947, Army aviation continued to a degree that warranted a new badge for Army Aviators. The result was the creation of the Army Aviator Badge, which is a modified version of the U.S. Air Force Pilot Badge. Army and USAF aviators' badges are silver in color.
This is a set WWII American pilot wings. Sterling, pin back construction. Three inches in size. This particular sample
is engraved with the person's name. Used by the Army Air Force. Pilots were
awarded their wings upon successful completion of their flight training.
Wings are a hot collectible because of their appeal to the general public.
They are beautiful designs and have been inmortalized in many movies.
This page is a recognition and identification guide for US military wings. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined
points that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my set of US wings worth?".
A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the wing insignia
is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth
of US militaria in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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This is a closer view of the "Sterling" marking and the engraving
done to the back of the wings. Most of the WWII wings were made
of Sterling.
This US military wings may be currently
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this item.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other US military wings, you can do so by going to our
US Wings Collectibles Price Guide.
Where we cover items from the Army, Navy, Army Air Force and other organizations.
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