A flying ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more. The few aces among combat aviators have historically accounted for the majority of air-to-air victories in military history. Erich Hartmann is the ace of aces, the highest scoring ace of all time with a total of 352 confirmed victories.