The Millionaires’ Unit
Founding squadron of the Air Force
The Millionaires’ Unit is the story of a group of privileged Yale University students who during World War One’s call to arms, which did not include aviators, formed a private air militia in preparation for America’s entry into WWI.
Known as the First Yale Unit, dubbed ‘The Millionaires’ Unit’ by the New York press, these young men became the founding squadron of the U.S. Naval Air Reserve and were the first to fly for the United States in the Great War.
Only 13 years after the Wright Brothers' first flight, these affluent young men took on the charge voluntarily. Their service and sacrifice is the great untold story of American aviation in World War One.
Narrated by Oscar®-nominated actor Bruce Dern, grand-nephew of one of the pilots, this documentary epic was filmed in England, France and Belgium and along the Eastern Seaboard
Winner of multiple Best Documentary Feature film festival awards, The Millionaires’ Unit features stunning re-enactments and dogfights filmed air-to-air with period aircrafts.
Using the words of these pioneer aviators from their letters and diaries, the documentary tells the story of young men coming of age as America was coming of age as a world power.
2:00:22 | 2015
Bonus Material
The Millionaires' Unit
Killingholme
2015 16:08
The Millionaires Unit
Sea Legs
2015 21:03
The Millionaires’ Unit
The Legendary Sopwitch Camel
2015 15:46
The Millionaires’ Unit
The Making of the Documentary
2015 27:41
Historic Facts
The First Yale Unit is considered the founding squadron of the U.S. Naval Air Reserve. Starting out none of the members of the First Yale Unit were officers when they were enlisted, which was required for naval aviators. The FYU had put together their privately funded air militia on Long Island, while appealing the Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, that they were patriots with added-value expertise in aviation. Once The United States entered World War I, Daniels requested for the Yale students to fly and train US aviators. The members assumed they would go to Europe and fly together as a squadron, yet they made up the majority of naval aviators who actually knew how to fly. The group was split up and sent everywhere - for training, reconnaissance, leadership - and all but two were dispersed overseas. The entire FYU learned to fly flying boats, taking off from the water. Several of the pilots flew every type of Allied plane, several flying for what eventually became the Air Force. The First Yale Unit men were sworn in as U.S. Naval Aviators and were among the first 100 U.S. Naval Aviators to get their wings.
