When war broke out in August of 1914 aviation was still in its infancy. Nevertheless pilots and their aeroplanes could count on a lot of attention from the press on both sides of the conflict. Pilots credited with five or more victories were called aces and received a lot of admiration. The most famous Belgian ace was Willy Coppens who shot down 37 enemy targets.

The attention lavished on aces proved to be a source of tension with foot soldiers, who lived in squalid conditions in the trenches and often remained anonymous to the public.