Winter 1914. The Great War is bogged down in the trenches. For Marshal Joffre, "aviation is no longer just a reconnaissance tool. Its mission now is to destroy enemy aviation". Hundreds of young pilots prepare to defend their homeland and quench their thirst for adventure. But the beginnings are difficult everywhere: the German von Richthofen and the French Guynemer are first considered too weak to fly; Britain's Mannock is one-eyed and has to cheat on visual aptitude tests; the German Udet is so clumsy and scared that he misses his landings. The infernal battle of Verdun in 1916 transforms the hostilities. The control of the sky becomes essential. The aeronautical industry, earlier in its infancy, began to produce planes by the hundreds. "Ace of aces" against "Red Baron", Guynemer and von Richthofen become popular heroes by their victories.

Spring 1917. The battle of the skies was at a major turning point: the United States entered the war and the Germans changed tactics. It was the end of the solo flights and duels that had made Guynemer famous. Ernst Udet was praised by the Red Baron, who integrated him into his famous squadron: "the Richthofen circus". Mick Mannock, who at 29 years of age was the oldest, was a born leader, attentive to his young teammates whom he covered and protected during the fights. When they were on leave, in Paris or Berlin, the aviation heroes paraded and celebrated. But this stardom exasperated the soldiers in the trenches, who were never mentioned in the press. In September 1917, Guynemer was shot down. His body was never found. René Fonck, who never stopped trying to avenge him, went on to win a string of victories and became the new "ace of aces" celebrated by Clemenceau.