The series was created and produced by Stephen J. Cannell, loosely based on the WWII experiences of Marine Corps aviator Greg 'Pappy' Boyington and his 'Black Sheep Squadron.'

Gregory Boyington himself served as a technical adviser for the series and made cameo appearances in three episodes, despite calling the show 'inaccuracies, hogwash, and Hollywood hokum.'

Except for Boyington himself, none of the regular characters in the series were based on real people, though Colonel Lard was inspired by Boyington's real-life rival Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Smoak, and General Moore was loosely inspired by the real General James T. Moore, nicknamed 'Nuts.'

Although the title comes from a nursery rhyme, the tune heard in the opening credits is actually the chorus of 'The Whiffenpoof Song,' which real Black Sheep squadron member Paul 'Moon' Mullen had adapted for the squadron's use.

The fictional island of Vella la Cava was a renamed version of the real Vella Lavella in the Solomon Islands, and the Channel Islands off Southern California stood in for Pacific flying scenes, with airfield scenes filmed at the now-closed Indian Dunes Airport in Valencia, California.

Some air-battle footage was actually reused clips from the 1969 film Battle of Britain, in which German markings on the planes are clearly visible.

The series pioneered mounting cameras on pilots' helmets to achieve a pilot's-eye view never before seen in films with single-seat aircraft, and many close-ups were filmed with the Plexiglas canopies removed to avoid reflections.

The 'Japanese' aircraft used in the series were actually North American T-6 Texan trainers that had originally been modified to resemble Japanese planes for the film Tora! Tora! Tora! before being purchased by private collectors.

The Vought F4U and FG-1 Corsair fighter planes were leased to Universal Studios by private owners, and many repair scenes shown in the series were filmed during actual preventative maintenance on the planes.

CBS reportedly complained to NBC about objectionable content in the show during family viewing hours, and NBC initially cancelled the series before reversing the decision, instead cancelling the sitcom Off the Wall as compensation.