# How do fighter pilots remember dogfights?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-fighter-pilots-remember-dogfights/644784>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 21, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-fighter-pilots-remember-dogfights/644784 "2012-12-21T21:44:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-fighter-pilots-remember-dogfights/644784/21 "2012-12-25T02:18:16Z")

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Up until about 10 or so years ago, I could set tools behind me, amongst several others, and just reach back, without looking, and grab the one I needed for the next step. \<mandatory cat pic\>[Misha helpz.](http://cheezburger.com/4337161472)\</mandatory cat pic\> And I could tell you exactly what I did, in the correct order, hours, or even weeks later. About 10 years ago, I developed a medical problem, and the finally effective combination of meds destroyed that ability. But, up until I took that stuff, people were constantly amazed at my ability to remember trivial shit like that, in that kind of detail. It doesn’t surprise me, since their lives depended on exact airspeed, angle-of-attack, and shit like that, but my life _didn’t_ depend on that sort of detail, but I could remember it, anyway.

When they claim to remember it 40 years later, on the other hand, I’m dubious.

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**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-fighter-pilots-remember-dogfights/644784/22 "2012-12-25T23:32:40Z")

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> [@rogerbox](#):
>
> I’m watching a really interesting show called Showdown: Air Combat on netflix. They recreate dogfights that pilots were in and the pilots describe the turns and evasive maneuvers they are in.
> 
> I wonder when they are concentrating so hard how they are able to remember when their life is on the line, their altitude, the J-turns they they take etc, all while going 600+mph.
> 
> Do fighter pilots have to have excellent memories, and are they trained to remember their dogfights? Have there been pilots who can’t remember much about their dogfights? I think the stress would be unimaginable and it would be hard to remember details.

Just for world war 2, fighter pilots do recreate their melees with accuracy.

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