ANNALS OF THE CHINESE AIR FORCE

Bob Bergin, who often writes about the Flying Tigers past and present, spent some time in Kunming recently. He brought back photos--shown here--of "Hostel Number One" that from December 1941 to June 1942 housed Chennault's headquarters group and a combat squadron. New this month: more of Bob's photos, including this one of Madame Gao Li Liang helped obtain protected status for the building the AVG knew as Hostel Number One. She is shown holding a model of the Hawk III biplane fighter-bomber flown by her father, Gao Chi Han, on August 14, 1937, when he was credited with being the first CAF airman to shoot down a Japanese warplane.

Chinese film producer John Woo seems to be forging ahead with his Flying Tigers epic, with shooting supposedly beginning this fall. It is to cost $90 million. Liam Neeson is the most recent star whose name has been floated as playing the role of Claire Chennault, and "Chinese actor Liu Ye is likely to star opposite Neeson as a trainee pilot in the film." Given that China is providing the director, the money, and the scenery, I reckon that what we have here is a mosh-up of the American Volunteer Group, the Chinese-American Composite Wing, and the 14th Air Force, all of which at one time or another have claimed the "Flying Tigers" name. Perhaps we shall see Liam Neeson and Liu Ye flying wing to wing, exchanging jests in flawless Mandarin while they hack down Zeros left and right. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford