Projects
Fighter Mafia, Writer-Producer
An Action-Drama limited series based on the biography by Pulitzer nominated author, Robert Coram, titled BOYD: The fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War.
In Development
The true-life action drama limited series of the original Maverick - an over-the-top Air Force Fighter Weapons School instructor pilot who leads a subversive group of brilliant acolytes to build the greatest fighter jets the military never wanted, and then goes on to form a movement that reshapes the art of war.
Synopsis
1959, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and only six years removed from the end of the Korean War. It might as well be a century ago. Air-to-air combat (dogfighting) is now a lost art. While serving as an instructor pilot at the prestigious Air Force Fighter Weapons School (FWS), Captain John Boyd takes it upon himself to codify the lost art of aerial fighter tactics. The Air Force, and the military in general, are moving away from the doctrine of air-to-air combat in favor of high-tech and expensive aircraft that deliver beyond visual range air-to-air and nuclear missiles. Like a maverick cowboy from a bygone era, Boyd stands all alone. His ideas for teaching the lost art of air combat meet with resistance. Everyone in government, up to and including the president, believes the next war will be a nuclear war.
After arriving in the desert at Nellis Air Force Base in 1954 with his wife Mary and their polio-afflicted son, Boyd steadily develops his skills as a combat pilot. Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, and feeling like he’s got something to prove, he aggressively demonstrates his superior fighter combat skills against Air Force, Navy, and Marine fighter pilots from around the world, and is soon known as 40-Second Boyd - the pilot who could defeat any opponent in simulated air-to-air combat in less than forty seconds or he’ll pay out forty dollars. After he’s denied permission by the Air Force to develop a tactics manual, Boyd takes it upon himself to write the “Aerial Attack Study”, a document that eventually becomes official Air Force doctrine, the bible of air combat—first in America, and then (when declassified) for air forces around the world. The Boyd legend is born. Pope John goes on to disciple a generation of young men the business of aerial assassination.
Having exhausted his wife and his welcome at the Fighter Weapons School in the Nevada desert, Boyd temporarily enters civilian life as an engineering student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he discovers a radical new way of doing fighter aircraft performance analysis. Shortly after meeting the first of his six lifelong acolytes, Boyd steals over a million dollars of computer time from the Air Force to develop the Energy-Maneuverability Theory (or E-M Theory). E-M Theory is to fighter aircraft analysis and design what E = MC is to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Once again, Boyd bucks the system and the powers that be. It’s now the mid 60’s, and the Air Force is getting its ass kicked in the skies over Vietnam - losing pilots and poorly designed fighter jets to simpler Russian-built North Vietnamese MIGs. Just as Boyd is set to join the fight as an F-4 Fighter Pilot, the Air Force invites (more like orders) Boyd to the Pentagon to apply his theories to the design and development of some of the greatest fighter jets in history: the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the Navy F-18 Hornet. But the Mad Major doesn't go into this assignment without putting his own stamp on the process. Through sheer force of political will and maneuvering, Boyd and his acolytes (later known as The Fighter Mafia), force the low-cost F-16 and the A-10 down the throats of the reluctant Air Force and the Pentagon brass. The rest is history.
2
Now in retirement during the 1980s, and after making many enemies as Genghis John, Boyd is persona non grata in the Air Force and the Pentagon. During this time, he evolves into a warrior intellect. He synthesizes his studies from the areas of creativity, science, military history, psychology, and a dozen other seemingly unrelated disciplines and gives birth to a brief called “Patterns of Conflict”, which is embraced by the U.S. Marines to become their Maneuver Warfare Doctrine. Boyd and his acolytes soon turn their sights on the Pentagon and the military-industrial complex to form the military reform movement, which eventually becomes the Congressional Military Reform Caucus, to attack and address abuses of military spending and procurement. While in retirement from the Air Force, Boyd is hired as a consultant by one of his acolytes but refuses fees for his work at the Pentagon. Instead, he takes only $1 pay for each pay period. He becomes known as the Ghetto Colonel. As a result, Boyd and his family live in a basement apartment for 20 years.
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While retired in Florida and believing that he and his ideas had been forgotten, Boyd is summoned by Secretary of Defense, Dick Chaney, to secretly develop the military strategy that leads to the startling speed and decisive victory of the Gulf War in Iraq.
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Fighter Mafia will paint a very human portrait of an unsung larger-than-life (but deeply flawed) character who eventually leaves a legacy that still influences the world of competitive sports, litigation strategy, game theory, and business management. His ideas go on to influence renowned business gurus such as Tom Peters, George Stalk, and Tom Hout. Boyd is considered by many to be America’s greatest military theorist - a modern-day Sun Tzu.
Excerpt from "The Mind of War: John Boyd and American Security", by Grant T. Hammond
This nation lost an incredible array of talent during the second week of March 1997. One of its premier fighter pilots—a man of legendary skill and scholarship, who wrote the first manual on jet aerial combat, developed tactics against Soviet planes and surface-to-air missiles, and thereby saved innumerable lives in Vietnam—died that week. So too did one of the nation’s premier aircraft designers, whose work on something called energy maneuverability theory changed the way aircraft were designed and tested. He was largely responsible for the development of the U.S. Air Force’s premier jet fighters, the F-15 Eagle, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the Navy F-18 Hornet.
That same week saw the passing of one of the most original students of military history. His views on war and warfare through the ages change how the U.S. armed forces went about preparing for war in the last quarter of the twentieth century. His views on maneuver warfare helped change the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army. Another man, who labored behind the scenes, succumbed that week. For more than a decade he had waged a campaign to change how the U.S. military went about the business of defense, changing the procurement process and helping to improve a variety of weaponry in the U.S. arsenal.
Still, another man of great thought and originality, whose views on how we learn and think to survive and prosper in a complex world, and who had influenced American business and education, also passed from the scene. His notions of competition and time cycles—observation, orientation, decision, action (OODA) loops—have followers from around the world who study his insights and employ them in a variety of ways and professions. Lastly, a paragon of virtue left us that week. He was loved by many in politics, business, and in the military for his character and integrity, who shunned personal wealth and private gain for service to his country.
That the nation is less for the passing of these men should be obvious. That they were little honored during their lives is regrettable, but perhaps understandable. None was a published author, decorated hero, high-ranking government official, or an academician of renown. More startling still is that they all were really one man, . . . Col. John R. Boyd, USAF.
Theatrical Comparables
Fighter Mafia is being developed as an entertaining but informative story (part humor – part drama – part action) that will paint a very human portrait of a larger than life (but deeply flawed) character who eventually leaves a legacy that still influences the world of business, sports, legal, and military strategy. Dramatic inspiration for Fighter Mafia will be drawn from movies such as A Beautiful Mind, The Imitation Game, The Man who Knew Infinity, The Theory of Everything, and Hidden Figures, in that these are award-winning biographical movies about unsung and complex heroes in the sciences who changed the world.
John Boyd in the Media, Documentaries
Documentary Trailer (1:04)
Legends of Air Power
Season 4, Episode 10, first 1:40 minutes (Click to Play)
Documentary Trailer (1:04)
Erie Hall of Fame
4:45 minutes (Click to Play)
John Boyd in the Media, Press
New York Times
Col. John Boyd Is Dead at 70; Advanced Air Combat Tactics
Col. John R. Boyd, a legendary Air Force fighter pilot whose discovery that quicker is better than faster became the basis of a far-reaching theory that helped revolutionize American military strategy, died on March 9 at a hospital in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was 70 and had lived in Delray Beach. . . . More
The Atlantic
Whether we’re talking about a football game, a battlefield engagement, a courtroom showdown, or a political campaign, it means anticipating the other side’s most likely next move, and responding in a way that counters it, faster than the opponent can adjust.
. . . . More
New York Times Magazine
The Lives They Lived: Col. John R. Boyd; A Fighter on Many Fronts
b. 1927 Col. John Boyd's name has become synonymous with moral and physical bravery. He was an architect of the military reform movement in the Department of Defense in the 1970's and 80's. Col. John Boyd was the original Top Gun, a fighter pilot who was also one of America's greatest military thinkers. He was also a national treasure of rectitude and moral bravery.
. . . . More
Harvard Business Review
Decision Making, Top Gun Style
When Tom Cruise’s “Maverick” inverted his F-14 fighter jet and gave “the bird” to his Soviet opponent in the opening scene of 1986’s Top Gun, Cruise assured himself a lighthearted place in the history of the Cold War. What that scene also did, however, was provide one of cinematography’s great examples of a key concept of air-to-air combat: the OODA loop. . . . . More
HistoryNet
Badass Pilots, A Vanishing Breed?
Anyone who has read Robert Coram’s superb Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War knows that Colonel John Richard Boyd is the perfect poster boy for this article. Coram reveals how “Forty-Second Boyd” went from being known as the best fighter pilot in the world to a modern-day Sun Tzu. His reputation as a fighter pilot derived from his oft-demonstrated capability to defeat any opponent in a simulated dogfight in less than 40 seconds. . . . . More
The Decision Lab
The 40-Second Hero who Revolutionized Air Warfare
John Boyd, to this day, is celebrated for his dominating fighter pilot techniques in the U.S Air Force in the 1950’s. Able to put his own strategy into practice, Boyd is often referred to as the greatest fighter pilot in American history. Although his own aerial prowess must be recognized, Boyd’s fame mostly stems from his innovative ideas that changed the course of air warfare.. . . . More
Fast Company
Business is a dogfight. Your job as a leader: Outmaneuver the competition, respond decisively to fast-changing conditions, and defeat your rivals. That’s why the OODA loop, the brainchild of “40 Second” Boyd, an unconventional fighter pilot, is one of today’s most important ideas in battle or in business.. . . . More
Air & Space
The Outrageous Adolescence of the F-16, The Viper was small, fast, and in your face
This is the story of two brothers, who happen to be airplanes. The older brother, the F-15 Eagle, entered the world fully formed, and his doting parents—the U.S. Air Force—nurtured him and quickly forgave minor transgressions. The younger brother, the F-16, was born prematurely, with no name, and scrambled to catch up.. . . . More
The Atlantic
John Boyd, From US News, Priceless Original, Appreciating "a towering intellect who made unsurpassed contributions to the American art of war"
The Atlantic
The author, a lawyer and RedState contributor named Dan McLaughlin, bases his analysis of the GOP field on a long-time favorite source of my own: the fighter pilot and military strategist John Boyd, . . . . More
Balloons To Drones
Who Ruined the F-16? The Fighter Mafia’s Battle against the United States Air Force
On January 20, 1974, test pilot Phil Oestricher began a high-speed taxi test of the General Dynamics YF-16 prototype. When the plane went into an oscillating roll that slammed the left-wing into the ground, he decided it was safer to just take off for what became the aircraft’s first flight. . . . . More
Breaking Defense
Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act. The OODA Loop remains a key concept for those who fight, especially fighter pilots. After all, Air Force Col. John Boyd made it and his theory of Energy-Maneuverability famous with his bold claim to be able to defeat any other pilot within 40 seconds. Boyd helped inspire the designs of the F-16 and F-15. But the days of speed and agility as kings may be waning. . . . . More
Medium
Leadership Book Review: Boyd
I picked up Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War on a recommendation about leadership books. I read it like a puzzle, trying to work out whether it was an inspiring or cautionary tale. In the end, I’m convinced it was both. For the first 150 pages I was gently perplexed. Here was a genius fighter-pilot, presented through the lens of author. . . . More
Code One, A Lockheed Martin Digital Publication
Tribute To John R. Boyd
As I sat sipping an after-dinner drink in the Officer's Club at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida panhandle, I was distracted by the antics of three pilots, still in their flight suits, standing at the bar. One of them, tall with dark curly hair and a cigar in his mouth, talked in a loud animated manner. He used his hands to emphasize his words as fighter pilots are prone to do. I commented to my host, a colonel and chief of development planning, "There's a guy who obviously thinks he's the world's hottest fighter pilot.". . . . More
Washington Post
Top Gun, Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
This book should be required reading for every American citizen. This is not to say it's an example of the best in biographical prose; indeed, more than once in the course of reading it, I found myself wishing that a more gifted or seasoned chronicler of complex, larger-than-life figures had been the one to recognize the allure of a biographical subject like John Boyd. . . . . More
Breaking Defense
Clardy was speaking at a conference at Marine Corps University, the hub of the service’s professional military education system, centered on the teachings of the late Col. John Boyd. Boyd was an Air Force fighter pilot whose research into Korean War dogfights led him to deemphasize high technology as a decisive factor. . . . . More
Strategy Notes
John Boyd’s Greatest Lesson Wasn’t the OODA Loop
Even for an Air Force pilot, John Boyd had a lot of nicknames.
There was “40 Second Boyd” for his ability to take down all-comers in aerial combat training. He bet he could beat anybody within 40 seconds or he’d pay them 40 bucks. He never paid. He may have been the greatest dogfighting pilot in American history. . . . More
Talking Points Memo
Outside of the Marine Coprs, Boyd is popular among some businessmen. Whether Trump has explicit knowledge of Boyd, he has surely come across discussions about controlling the tempo, speed, and OODA Loops. For example, I’d be very surprised if Trump had not read Competing Against Time, by Stalk and Hout. He may also have read Certain to Win, by Chet Richards. . . . . More
Books influenced by John Boyd and his Work
Interestingly, John Boyd was famous for not publishing his groundbreaking works. The power of his work influenced others from a wide range of backgrounds and fields to take up that mantle.
Boyd's Acolytes: The Fighter Mafia
During Boyd’s life he became close friends with six men. They were his Acolytes. In many ways, these six men are quite different. What they share is that all are extraordinarily bright, all have an almost messianic desire to make a contribution to the world in which they live, all are men of probity and rectitude, and all, while independent in the extreme, are devoted followers of Boyd. They are important because they were so close to Boyd that oftentimes their work cannot be distinguished from his. The story of Boyd’s life is by necessity the story of their lives . . . excerpt from BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War.
Left to right: Chuck Myers, Pierre Sprey, Chuck Spinney, Everest Riccioni, Tom Christie, and Winslow Wheeler. (Photo courtesy of James Stevenson.)
Pierre Sprey (The Intelligent)
Even among McNamara’s Whiz Kids of the 1960s—the highly educated and extraordinarily bright young men brought into the Pentagon with a mandate to impose rational thought on both the military and the military budget—Pierre Sprey stood out. Sprey was not a physically imposing man. He was about 5’8” and slight of build. His white hair swept back theatrically from a high forehead. His speech was slow and considered. He spoke French and German fluently. Women found him gallant and rakish. Men often found him intimidating. He has an intellect as clear and cold as polar ice. If one of Sprey’s friends is asked to describe him, the respondent’s first words are about how smart Sprey was. Some very smart people are said to have a computer for a brain. Sprey's was an atomic clock, relentlessly dependable at penetrating to the essence of a subject or a person and laying both bare. He was an absolutist in all things. Sprey’s wit was both biting and erudite. He had an immediate recall of almost everything he has ever read. He knew more about tactical aviation and the history of warfare than did 99 percent of the people in the Air Force. Born in Nice, France, and raised in New York. He was educated at Yale, where he studied aeronautical engineering and French literature, and also at Cornell, where he studied mathematical statistics and operations research. He subsequently worked at Grumman Aircraft as a consulting statistician on space and commercial transportation projects. From 1966 to 1970 he was a special assistant at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. After 1971, Sprey left the US Department of Defense, but continued working as a consultant on military issues until 1986, when he became a recording engineer and later founded the Mapleshade Records lab. Sprey's core belief in lightweight fighter planes and close air support and a growing intolerance of the corrupting influence of the defense industry and big budgets, led the design and success of the F-16 and the A-10 “Warthog,” and a movement that attracted some of the best minds inside and outside the Department of Defense, as well as acolytes spanning subsequent generations today.
Raymond Leopold (The First)
Rayment spent a career in the U.S. Air Force where he held a variety of technical and technical management positions. He directed the development of communications systems at the Electronics Systems Division in Massachusetts. He served two tours in the Pentagon, one in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and one on the Air Staff. He taught for over five years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, and worked in research and development for four years at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory in Albuquerque. He was also an adjunct professor of electrical engineering at George Washington University, and he had been a senior lecturer at MIT and had chaired the Industry Advisory Board for the Aero/Astro Department. He has also lectured at Stanford University. Mr. Leopold is one of the creators of the Iridium satellite constellation, a globally deployed constellation of sixty-six interconnected satellites orbiting 420 nautical miles above the earth that permits wireless personal communications including voice, paging, fax of data to reach its destination anywhere on earth.
Thomas P. Christie (The Finagler)
Christie worked at the Pentagon for more than three decades beginning in the early 1970s. He graduated from Spring Hill College with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and from New York University with a master's degree in applied mathematics. In the 1960s, he worked for the United States Air Force at Eglin AFB as an analyst in the Ballistics Division at the Air Proving Ground Center. While working with Boyd at Eglin AFB, Christie was deeply involved with the development of the Energy-Maneuverability theory of aerial combat. The work on this theory was not officially sanctioned and Christie and Boyd resorted to "stealing" computer time to compare the performance of U.S. and Soviet military aircraft which resulted in the publication of a two-volume report in 1964. Despite the manner in which the Energy-Maneuverability theory was developed, it was accepted by the U.S. military and influenced the design of the successful F-15, F-16 and F-18 fighters.
Col. Michael D. Wyly, USMC (The Marine)
Col. Mike Wyly, was the sixth and final acolyte of Boyd’s, and was the first to formally institute Boyd’s Maneuver Warfare tactics into formal US Marines Doctrine. Mike eventually went on to serve in the office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Frank Carlucci) at the behest of Boyd. Mike would eventually serve as President of the Marine Corps University at Quantico, where he revised his branch’s war doctrine on the basis of a 1979 briefing called “Patterns of Conflict” by then retired Air Force colonel John Boyd.
James “Jim” Burton (The Unbending)
Burton’s parents divorced when he was young and he was raised by a grandmother. He never had a father. From as far back as he can remember, he had the desire to accomplish things. He was president of his senior class in Normal, Illinois, and a member of the national honor society for four years. An outstanding athlete, he was an all-conference and all-city quarterback and earned letters in baseball and basketball. He was offered a chance to play professional baseball but instead became one of the 10,000 Illinois candidates for the eight openings in the very first class at the Air Force Academy. There, he was captain of the baseball team and during his junior year was third in the nation in the college batting championship. A graduate of the first class at the Air Force Academy and the first Academy graduate to attend the Air Force’s three professional schools: Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College, and Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He attained a masters degree in business and had done the course work for a masters in mechanical engineering. Mr. Burton is author of THE PENTAGON WARS, which describes his participation in a small band of military activists that waged war against corruption in the Pentagon, challenging a system they believed squandered the public's money and trust. The book examines the movement and its proponents and describes how the system responded to the criticisms and efforts to change accepted practices and entrenched ways of thinking. The book was eventually made into an HBO movie of the same name which stars Kelsey Grammer, and Cary Elwes as James Burton.