In a recent reappraisal on the website "WhyFly Aero", Glenn Norman considered the film from the standpoint of historical accuracy: "... to my mind – 'Ace Eli & Rodger of the Skies' is one of the most honest portrayals of the real reason most 1920s Barnstormers were out there. Not for the love of flying (like Bach’s Barnstormers in "Nothing By Chance" {shot the same year!}), but – in the words of Cliff Robertson’s Ace Eli, '… because the whole damn thing is about me.' As far as I’m concerned, this is a very interesting, non-standard take on the whole Barnstormer legend, with great flying sequences that more than make up for any 'unexplored moods and loose ends'."