A fighter pilot is considered an ace after five confirmed aerial victories.
Labeling someone a "fighter ace" refers to a military pilot with five or more confirmed aerial kills during combat with the enemy. The idea of calling an army pilot an ace emerged during World War One and is attributed to a French newspaper that called Adolphe Pégoud the l'As (the ace) after he shot down five German aircraft. The British, however, referred to their top pilots as "Star Turns," a popular showbusiness term, and did not start using ace until much later in the war.