Missing in MiG Alley 2007
Distributed by WGBH Boston, 125 Western Avenue, Boston, MA 02134; 617-300-2000
Produced by by Michael Barnes and Jonathan Grupper
Directed by Emily Roe
DVD, color, 56 min.
Sr. High - Adult
International Relations, Military Studies
Date Entered: 04/25/2008
Reviewed by Alexander Rolfe, Technical Services Librarian, George Fox University, Newberg, ORThis NOVA production considers the fate of the 31 American and British fighter pilots who have been missing in action since the Korean War. Recent access to Soviet archives has helped resolve the fates of a couple of the men, and since three-quarters of the relevant documents remain to be examined, more cases will likely be solved.
This documentary covers more than the effort to discover what happened to the missing pilots. It describes the jets involved—the MiG-15 and the F-86 Sabre. The viewer learns quite a bit about their respective capabilities and how they evolved. Russian, North Korean, and American pilots describe their dogfights in these early jets, and there is even a Russian engineer who describes his work on a captured F-86 that was brought to Moscow for analysis. The documentary also discusses the involvement of the Soviets (kept secret by both sides lest WWIII break out).
This is a well-orchestrated presentation that has broader application than its title suggests. The puzzle of the missing pilots adds personal interest, but also serves to teach about the air war in general, the role of the Soviets, and the enduring effort to reach closure.
Recommended for collections supporting study of the Korean War or 20th-century politics.