This is a story of the – often problematic – coming into being of the KPAF. Clearly, building a modern, effective air force was always a daunting undertaking – even in the late 1940s when there was abundance of combat aircraft left over from the World War II. Nevertheless, the communist government of North Korea and its airmen never stopped trying. Surprisingly enough – especially for a military service of a staunchly communist and underdeveloped country of the 1940s – it was greatly bolstered by efforts of a single wealthy man that provided installations necessary for education of future pilots and ground personnel. AUTHOR: Douglas C. Dildy retired from the US Air Force (USAF) after 26 years of service, during which he flew McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle interceptors, commanded the 32nd Fighter Squadron and was vice-commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing. A graduate of the USAF Academy as a history major, and having a masters degree in Political Science, Dildy has written a dozen of books on aerial warfare. He is a feature writer for Aviation Classics, an associate editor of Logbook and a regular contributor to the Small Air Forces Observer magazine. Doug lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 108 b/w photos, 12 colour photos, 24 colour profiles, 3 maps, 4 tables