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William Cobb

2021-12-03T15:46:39+00:00 · · Edited

The Aviators: Kaigun Hiko-Shi

In 1941 the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF) was the most powerful such force in the world.  This blanket statement does not describe its sheer size or amount of equipment, but rather the IJNAF's operational ability to carry out its missions.  The world would soon see how effective a force it was, and would reel at its ability to strike out of nowhere, cover surface invasion forces, and island hop across the  archipelagos of the Pacific.  Any chauvinistic doubts by Westerners as to the ability of Japan to wage aerial warfare was wiped out after December 7, 1941.   Western Observers such as American Mercenary Aviator Claire Chennault had been warning for years about this potential threat, but his reports were for the most part pigeonholed and ignored by all but a few at the tip of the spear.  As an Air Force is composed of fliers, this is the story of the Aviators who made up the Air Arm of the Imperial Japanese Fleet.

The word Aviator will be a broad one here, to include Observer/Navigators and Gunners.  The word Pilot will be used to distinguish between airplane drivers and aircrew.  This term will be occasionally be swapped with flier, crew, aircrew, etc, in order to avoid repetition.  The word used on the title of this post, Hiko-Shi is one of two Japanese translations we were able to find for the word Pilot, and as the other Pirotto is but a homophone of the English word for Pilot, we chose our translation a to be a distinctly Japanese word.  An oft cited Japanese word for Pilot in English is Anjin, and as a Shogun fan we were hoping to use it.  Unfortunately a quick Google search of the proper word found the two listed above, and noted Anjin was more an invention of author James Clavell than the actual Japanese word.  Note, we appreciate any feedback on these terms from Japanese speakers out there, as we do not speak the language ourselves.

The Imperial Japanese Navy drew its Pilot and aircrew from two distinct sources.  The force drew the ranks of most its leadership from the Naval Academy at Eta Jima, with commissioned Officer graduates undertaking either flight or observer training as their warfare specialty after a term of service with the Surface forces of the Imperial fleet.  The Imperial Navy was also in the process of implementing an Officer reservist training program from colleges across Japan, however this program was still nebulous in 1941, and was seen as more an expansion program to supplement numbers than a viable mass program.  Officer pilots and aircrew were assigned leadership roles from the beginning, commanding sections, divisions and squadrons, but were eased into the role under the charge of veteran Aviators.  Smart survivors soon noted that it was best to treat their fellow fliers with respect, regardless of rank, as the dangers of flight operations and combat naturally weeded out the less considerate.  In the IJNAF Observers usually outranked the pilots flying them, up to the commander of the Pearl Harbor Strike, Lieutenant Commander Fuchida Mitsui.  Other Officers were renowned Pilots in their own right, including Commander Genda Minouro, whose opinion on an aircraft could make or break its manufacturer's ability to secure a Navy contract.

Separated by a virtually impenetrable wall of Caste and Class, were the majority of the pilots of the IJNAF.  Approximately 90 percent of the Pilot ranks of the Imperial Navy was composed of Enlisted Pilots.  Most of these men endured years of service in the Surface Fleet, where the slightest infraction led to beatings, endlessly drilled to perform their assigned tasks without question.  The selection process for Flight School was such that in the Flight Training Class of 1937, of 1500 applicants, 70 were accepted and only 25 graduated, a pass rate of per applicant of approximately 1.67 percent, with a 4.67 percent acceptance, and 64.29 percent washout rate.  Students were subjected to an endless variety of physical drills designed to weed out all but the fittest trainees.  This Darwinian selection process continued down to aircraft assignments, with the most aggressive naturally sent to fighters, and the steadier and more phlegmatic to bomber duty.  It is no exaggeration to say that the Japanese Enlisted Pilot Training program was the most rigorus on earth.

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The Aviators: Kaigun Hiko-Shi

In 1941 the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF) was the most powerful such force in the world. This blanket statement does not describe its sheer size or amount of equipment, but rather the IJNAF's operational ability to carry out its missions. The world would soon see how effective a force it was, and would reel at its ability to strike out of nowhere, cover surface invasion forces, and island hop across the archipelagos of the Pacific. Any chauvinistic doubts by Westerners as to the ability of Japan to wage aerial warfare was wiped out after December 7, 1941. Western Observers such as American Mercenary Aviator Claire Chennault had been warning for years about this potential threat, but his reports were for the most part pigeonholed and ignored by all but a few at the tip of the spear. As an Air Force is composed of fliers, this is the story of the Aviators who made up the Air Arm of the Imperial Japanese Fleet.

The word Aviator will be a broad one here, to include Observer/Navigators and Gunners. The word Pilot will be used to distinguish between airplane drivers and aircrew. This term will be occasionally be swapped with flier, crew, aircrew, etc, in order to avoid repetition. The word used on the title of this post, Hiko-Shi is one of two Japanese translations we were able to find for the word Pilot, and as the other Pirotto is but a homophone of the English word for Pilot, we chose our translation a to be a distinctly Japanese word. An oft cited Japanese word for Pilot in English is Anjin, and as a Shogun fan we were hoping to use it. Unfortunately a quick Google search of the proper word found the two listed above, and noted Anjin was more an invention of author James Clavell than the actual Japanese word. Note, we appreciate any feedback on these terms from Japanese speakers out there, as we do not speak the language ourselves.

The Imperial Japanese Navy drew its Pilot and aircrew from two distinct sources. The force drew the ranks of most its leadership from the Naval Academy at Eta Jima, with commissioned Officer graduates undertaking either flight or observer training as their warfare specialty after a term of service with the Surface forces of the Imperial fleet. The Imperial Navy was also in the process of implementing an Officer reservist training program from colleges across Japan, however this program was still nebulous in 1941, and was seen as more an expansion program to supplement numbers than a viable mass program. Officer pilots and aircrew were assigned leadership roles from the beginning, commanding sections, divisions and squadrons, but were eased into the role under the charge of veteran Aviators. Smart survivors soon noted that it was best to treat their fellow fliers with respect, regardless of rank, as the dangers of flight operations and combat naturally weeded out the less considerate. In the IJNAF Observers usually outranked the pilots flying them, up to the commander of the Pearl Harbor Strike, Lieutenant Commander Fuchida Mitsui. Other Officers were renowned Pilots in their own right, including Commander Genda Minouro, whose opinion on an aircraft could make or break its manufacturer's ability to secure a Navy contract.

Separated by a virtually impenetrable wall of Caste and Class, were the majority of the pilots of the IJNAF. Approximately 90 percent of the Pilot ranks of the Imperial Navy was composed of Enlisted Pilots. Most of these men endured years of service in the Surface Fleet, where the slightest infraction led to beatings, endlessly drilled to perform their assigned tasks without question. The selection process for Flight School was such that in the Flight Training Class of 1937, of 1500 applicants, 70 were accepted and only 25 graduated, a pass rate of per applicant of approximately 1.67 percent, with a 4.67 percent acceptance, and 64.29 percent washout rate. Students were subjected to an endless variety of physical drills designed to weed out all but the fittest trainees. This Darwinian selection process continued down to aircraft assignments, with the most aggressive naturally sent to fighters, and the steadier and more phlegmatic to bomber duty. It is no exaggeration to say that the Japanese Enlisted Pilot Training program was the most rigorus on earth.The Aviators: Kaigun Hiko-Shi

In 1941 the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF) was the most powerful such force in the world. This blanket statement does not describe its sheer size or amount of equipment, but rather the IJNAF's operational ability to carry out its missions. The world would soon see how effective a force it was, and would reel at its ability to strike out of nowhere, cover surface invasion forces, and island hop across the archipelagos of the Pacific. Any chauvinisti... Read More

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William Cobb

2021-12-02T21:59:13+00:00 · · Edited

My first client was a 12 year old kid on an intro flight who turned out to be Hawaiian, quite a coincidence for someone who just moved to Atlanta.  Later that day, I returned to the airport after that flight to make sure the Master Switch of the plane was off, as I didn't want to be the new guy who left it on and drained its battery on my first day (I was off).  I saw something strange on the tail of the Cessna Skyhawk we had just flown, which upon closer inspection turned out to be a Red Tail Hawk.  I was able to get within a few feet of it, and it sat up there on its perch on the tail of my Cessna Skyhawk staring at me till I was almost to the horizontal stabilizer.  At that point it looked at me again, nodded, then flew off.  The Red Tail became my Aviation Totem animal thereafter.  Whenever I see one, I am happy that it is around, and I do my best to protect them as well.

At any rate, a couple months later in October 2007, I was settled into the daily grind of instructing when a rather strange client showed up.  The man was in a hurry, a bit breathless, and had a pair of small dogs in portable cages.  He was wearing a straw hat and a Preacher's Collar on his neck.  Being the newest guy still, I was detailed to fly with him for an aircraft checkout, as he wanted to rent a Cessna 172 for a trip to Savannah, Georgia, from Atlanta.  I photocopied his ID, Pilot Certificate, Medical, and ran a quick search of the FAA Airmen Database to verify he was who he said he was.  All his paperwork checked out, so after he filled out the Flight School Rental forms, it was time to get to the plane to give him his checkout.  That's when things got a bit weird.  When we walked to the plane, he doffed his straw hat and put on an Air Force Officers Peaked Cap, Blue with full USAF Eagle, and Silver Scrambled Eggs on the visor.  Strange as that was, I figured perhaps his dad was USAF and he was honoring him somehow.  We took off and his airwork was within standards and from what I could see, he was a safe and competent operator of the mighty C-172.  Given that I was a Flight Instructor and not a mental health professional, and his paperwork did check out, I signed off his rental, and off he went, packing luggage, dogs and USAF Officers cap as he departed to Savannah.

Fast forward a few days later and my boss called me into his office.  He had a video clip of running the story whose link is below.  Suffice to say it was a bit of a shocker, and we had to retrieve the airplane from Savannah Airport.  At least it explained why he was in such a hurry, though I was not happy that the man could have abducted someone while impersonating a police officer.  You run into some interesting people in Aviation, but this was one of the more bizarre incidents I have ever personally been involved in.

https://www.wtoc.com/story/7201894/fake-cop-now-behind-bars/

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In the land of strange happenings in Aviation I was reminded of another incident which occurred shortly after I first started flight instructing again in August 2007 after a hiatus of almost exactly 4 years. I had just moved away from Maui and was living with my cousin in Atlanta. I took a job with a flight school close to where she lived, and soon was making enough to get a place right by the Airport. I managed to get hired at the place just as they lost almost all their instructors to the Regionial Airlines, so i was in hog heaven. At the airport 7 days a week, getting to fly a variety of different airplanes, and even a helicopter a couple times. You never quite know who you are going to run into when you are instructing at a Fixed Base Operator (FBO).

My first client was a 12 year old kid on an intro flight who turned out to be Hawaiian, quite a coincidence for someone who just moved to Atlanta. Later that day, I returned to the airport after that flight to make sure the Master Switch of the plane was off, as I didn't want to be the new guy who left it on and drained its battery on my first day (I was off). I saw something strange on the tail of the Cessna Skyhawk we had just flown, which upon closer inspection turned out to be a Red Tail Hawk. I was able to get within a few feet of it, and it sat up there on its perch on the tail of my Cessna Skyhawk staring at me till I was almost to the horizontal stabilizer. At that point it looked at me again, nodded, then flew off. The Red Tail became my Aviation Totem animal thereafter. Whenever I see one, I am happy that it is around, and I do my best to protect them as well.

At any rate, a couple months later in October 2007, I was settled into the daily grind of instructing when a rather strange client showed up. The man was in a hurry, a bit breathless, and had a pair of small dogs in portable cages. He was wearing a straw hat and a Preacher's Collar on his neck. Being the newest guy still, I was detailed to fly with him for an aircraft checkout, as he wanted to rent a Cessna 172 for a trip to Savannah, Georgia, from Atlanta. I photocopied his ID, Pilot Certificate, Medical, and ran a quick search of the FAA Airmen Database to verify he was who he said he was. All his paperwork checked out, so after he filled out the Flight School Rental forms, it was time to get to the plane to give him his checkout. That's when things got a bit weird. When we walked to the plane, he doffed his straw hat and put on an Air Force Officers Peaked Cap, Blue with full USAF Eagle, and Silver Scrambled Eggs on the visor. Strange as that was, I figured perhaps his dad was USAF and he was honoring him somehow. We took off and his airwork was within standards and from what I could see, he was a safe and competent operator of the mighty C-172. Given that I was a Flight Instructor and not a mental health professional, and his paperwork did check out, I signed off his rental, and off he went, packing luggage, dogs and USAF Officers cap as he departed to Savannah.

Fast forward a few days later and my boss called me into his office. He had a video clip of running the story whose link is below. Suffice to say it was a bit of a shocker, and we had to retrieve the airplane from Savannah Airport. At least it explained why he was in such a hurry, though I was not happy that the man could have abducted someone while impersonating a police officer. You run into some interesting people in Aviation, but this was one of the more bizarre incidents I have ever personally been involved in.

https://www.wtoc.com/story/7201894/fake-cop-now-behind-bars/In the land of strange happenings in Aviation I was reminded of another incident which occurred shortly after I first started flight instructing again in August 2007 after a hiatus of almost exactly 4 years. I had just moved away from Maui and was living with my cousin in Atlanta. I took a job with a flight school close to where she lived, and soon was making enough to get a place right by the Airport. I managed to get hired at the place just as they lost almost all their instructors to th... Read More

Fake Cop Now Behind Bars

Police say Stephen Agati had fake grenades and real guns with him when he was arrested for impersonating a police officer.

Sunnie Chow Wow, that is a interesting yet bizarre story! Good thing you didn't run into any trouble with him, especially in flight!

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· 2021-12-03T08:09:13+00:00

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William Cobb

2021-12-02T19:13:25+00:00 · · Edited

My expenses were already stretching my Flight Instructor paychecks to the limit, so I had to take on another job.  This I managed to do, and I found myself literally moonlighting while flying a gentlemen who was running for Governor of Mississippi all over that state in his personally owned Cessna 206.  I made sure I never violated the FAA maximum of 8 hours per day rule for commercial pilots during that time, but often bumped right into the limits.  Sometimes I would fly a full 4 sorties, drive 2 hours from Foley to Pascagoula, Mississippi, and fly all over that state before returning to Pascagoula and then driving back to instruct again the following day.  Sleep happened on rests between flights, sleeping in the plane till it was time to fire up and fly somewhere else.  As tiring as that routine could be, these flights were great because I could actually go somewhere, as opposed to flying endlessly to nowhere as we taught a brand new class how to safely land every other week.

At any rate, I had brought my girlfriend of the time along on one of these flights and we were flying over Jackson, Mississippi when something rather strange happened.  We were flying an airspeed of 115 knots indicated on our airspeed indicator, right on top of Jackson when I noticed our forward progress had stopped to virtually nil.  Our Cessna 206 was equipped with storm radar, so I could see we were flying right between two thunderstorm cells.  We were headed to Oxford, Mississippi for a campaign event.  Oxford is located North-Northeast of Jackson and there was a nasty front of thunderstorms between us and there.  When I tried threading between them by turning left toward the first cell, we got so pummeled by turbulence that I decided that was a poor decision.  Unfortunately, the same thing happened when we turned right and hit the other cell.  As I returned to the corridor between cells, I noticed our ground speed had stopped to ZERO indicated on our GPS, while still reading 115 knots on our airspeed indicator.  Jackson was still right below us, despite my attempted maneuvering, we were virtually in the same place we started and going nowhere.  Knowing that discretion was the better part of valor in this case, I announced to my moonlighting employer that we were going to land in Jackson, which we immediately did, with me all but dive bombing our way down to land there in a 45 knot gusting crosswind.  We had dinner at a local Texas Roadhouse restaurant, and returned to Pascagoula only after the weather finally calmed down.

The people at the event at Oxford said the event was rained out anyway thanks to what were probably the same storm cells that stopped us.  Legendary Test Pilot Scott Crossfield was killed over Georgia during similar conditions in a Cessna 210 he owned a few years before.  This incident was certainly on my mind as I made the decision I did.  I stand by it today, for after hovering over Jackson for the amount of time I did, the lights of the city and runway certainly beckoned. Sometimes you simply have to say NO to an employer, a lesson all too many pilots forget.    Thanks to these flights, I managed to make the money I needed for airfare, EUrail pass and spending Euros.  The trip to Germany really was the experience of a lifetime and had a splendid time at my friend's wedding, even though I was only able to fly there and back within the 5 days I was able take off from work.

So whenever I hear this classic Johnny Cash song about how he and the love of his life June Carter got married by running off to Jackson, I think of the night when I managed to hover over the same place long enough to decide to land there.  I got to meet Johhny Cash's brother Ray at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville a few years later, but that is another story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m67eqm0mNCQ

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Though quite busy posting material related to the 80th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, memories of a personal incident which occurred over a decade ago comes to mind. I was flying as a Flight Instructor and Assistant Chief Pilot of Flight Training of Mobile at the time, based out their satellite location of Foley, Alabama.. Our primary job was flight screening on behalf of the Navy's Initial Flight Screening Program. The job was full time, typically flying 4 sorties a day, at least 5 days a week and oft times more. In addition to that student load, for a full year we had another flight school operating under our operating certificate, so I was technically responsible for a total of 12 aircraft and 14 flight instructors in the combined operation. During this period, a close friend was getting married in Germany, and I was invited, all expenses paid once I got there, with the wedding happening in his bride's ancestral castle. This kind of thing being a once in a lifetime experience, I had to get creative in finding a way to get there.

My expenses were already stretching my Flight Instructor paychecks to the limit, so I had to take on another job. This I managed to do, and I found myself literally moonlighting while flying a gentlemen who was running for Governor of Mississippi all over that state in his personally owned Cessna 206. I made sure I never violated the FAA maximum of 8 hours per day rule for commercial pilots during that time, but often bumped right into the limits. Sometimes I would fly a full 4 sorties, drive 2 hours from Foley to Pascagoula, Mississippi, and fly all over that state before returning to Pascagoula and then driving back to instruct again the following day. Sleep happened on rests between flights, sleeping in the plane till it was time to fire up and fly somewhere else. As tiring as that routine could be, these flights were great because I could actually go somewhere, as opposed to flying endlessly to nowhere as we taught a brand new class how to safely land every other week.

At any rate, I had brought my girlfriend of the time along on one of these flights and we were flying over Jackson, Mississippi when something rather strange happened. We were flying an airspeed of 115 knots indicated on our airspeed indicator, right on top of Jackson when I noticed our forward progress had stopped to virtually nil. Our Cessna 206 was equipped with storm radar, so I could see we were flying right between two thunderstorm cells. We were headed to Oxford, Mississippi for a campaign event. Oxford is located North-Northeast of Jackson and there was a nasty front of thunderstorms between us and there. When I tried threading between them by turning left toward the first cell, we got so pummeled by turbulence that I decided that was a poor decision. Unfortunately, the same thing happened when we turned right and hit the other cell. As I returned to the corridor between cells, I noticed our ground speed had stopped to ZERO indicated on our GPS, while still reading 115 knots on our airspeed indicator. Jackson was still right below us, despite my attempted maneuvering, we were virtually in the same place we started and going nowhere. Knowing that discretion was the better part of valor in this case, I announced to my moonlighting employer that we were going to land in Jackson, which we immediately did, with me all but dive bombing our way down to land there in a 45 knot gusting crosswind. We had dinner at a local Texas Roadhouse restaurant, and returned to Pascagoula only after the weather finally calmed down.

The people at the event at Oxford said the event was rained out anyway thanks to what were probably the same storm cells that stopped us. Legendary Test Pilot Scott Crossfield was killed over Georgia during similar conditions in a Cessna 210 he owned a few years before. This incident was certainly on my mind as I made the decision I did. I stand by it today, for after hovering over Jackson for the amount of time I did, the lights of the city and runway certainly beckoned. Sometimes you simply have to say NO to an employer, a lesson all too many pilots forget. Thanks to these flights, I managed to make the money I needed for airfare, EUrail pass and spending Euros. The trip to Germany really was the experience of a lifetime and had a splendid time at my friend's wedding, even though I was only able to fly there and back within the 5 days I was able take off from work.

So whenever I hear this classic Johnny Cash song about how he and the love of his life June Carter got married by running off to Jackson, I think of the night when I managed to hover over the same place long enough to decide to land there. I got to meet Johhny Cash's brother Ray at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville a few years later, but that is another story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m67eqm0mNCQThough quite busy posting material related to the 80th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, memories of a personal incident which occurred over a decade ago comes to mind. I was flying as a Flight Instructor and Assistant Chief Pilot of Flight Training of Mobile at the time, based out their satellite location of Foley, Alabama.. Our primary job was flight screening on behalf of the Navy's Initial Flight Screening Program. The job was full time, typically flying 4 sorties a day, at least... Read More

Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash - Jackson (The Best Of The Johnny Cash TV Show) 34 Views

Sunnie Chow Very cool story! Glad you chose discretion over Valor! 😜

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· 2021-12-03T08:13:19+00:00

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William Cobb

2021-11-28T00:15:39+00:00 · · Edited

In Professional Aviation, as backwards as it may seem, the first flying job most new pilots get is to be a Flight Instructor.  So in order to earn money to fly rather than spend it on flight time, it is necessary to log a minimum of 250 flight hours to qualify for your Commercial license, and at the time a minimum of 350 to qualify for the Flight Instructor test.  The only way you can offset this cost is to somehow find a way to split costs with another person.  During my time building phase to qualify for these licenses, I teamed up with another low time pilot, Mr. Pono Logan.  Pono lived on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, as did I, but was born and raised on the island of Moloka'i.  He worked as part of the cleanup crew on the island of Kaho'olawe.  That isle had been a target island for the U.S. Military since WW2, and as such had a half century's accumulation of un-exploded ordnance on it.  As Pono needed be on Maui to go the the island via Helicopter every other week, and my favorite beach in all Hawai'i was also on Maui and had a very enjoyable event which occurred every Sunday, we teamed up, splitting expenses as legally allowed in order to fly to Maui every weekend, thus building up flight time for both of us at half the cost it would be otherwise.  When approaching Maui from the North, these cliffs were always a welcome sign that we were close, and once past them, it was like a curtain lifted when this landscape faded into the horizon and you saw the North Shore of Maui in front of you.

The link leads to a YouTube recording of the classic Hawaiian Song, Wahini Ilikea, the pale faced woman named after the clouds which wreath this magical place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yClA8iEcHww

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Once Upon a Time we used to fly between the Hawaiian islands as we were building the flight time necessary to qualify for our Commercial and Flight Instructor licenses. These are the world's tallest sea cliffs on the North Shore of the island of Moloka'i. They are nearly a mile high in some places, and the clouds above them are called Wahini Ilikea, the pale faced woman in Hawaiian.

In Professional Aviation, as backwards as it may seem, the first flying job most new pilots get is to be a Flight Instructor. So in order to earn money to fly rather than spend it on flight time, it is necessary to log a minimum of 250 flight hours to qualify for your Commercial license, and at the time a minimum of 350 to qualify for the Flight Instructor test. The only way you can offset this cost is to somehow find a way to split costs with another person. During my time building phase to qualify for these licenses, I teamed up with another low time pilot, Mr. Pono Logan. Pono lived on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, as did I, but was born and raised on the island of Moloka'i. He worked as part of the cleanup crew on the island of Kaho'olawe. That isle had been a target island for the U.S. Military since WW2, and as such had a half century's accumulation of un-exploded ordnance on it. As Pono needed be on Maui to go the the island via Helicopter every other week, and my favorite beach in all Hawai'i was also on Maui and had a very enjoyable event which occurred every Sunday, we teamed up, splitting expenses as legally allowed in order to fly to Maui every weekend, thus building up flight time for both of us at half the cost it would be otherwise. When approaching Maui from the North, these cliffs were always a welcome sign that we were close, and once past them, it was like a curtain lifted when this landscape faded into the horizon and you saw the North Shore of Maui in front of you.

The link leads to a YouTube recording of the classic Hawaiian Song, Wahini Ilikea, the pale faced woman named after the clouds which wreath this magical place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yClA8iEcHwwOnce Upon a Time we used to fly between the Hawaiian islands as we were building the flight time necessary to qualify for our Commercial and Flight Instructor licenses. These are the world's tallest sea cliffs on the North Shore of the island of Moloka'i. They are nearly a mile high in some places, and the clouds above them are called Wahini Ilikea, the pale faced woman in Hawaiian.

In Professional Aviation, as backwards as it may seem, the first flying job most new pilots get is to be a F... Read More

Wahine Ilikea 11 Views

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On this date, 80 years ago on November 27, 1941, this War Warning message was sent by the United States Navy Chief of Naval Operations to the Naval Communication Center of the Commander and Chief U.S. Pacific Fleet and Commander and Chief U.S. Asiatic Fleet.

THE JAPANESE-AMERICAN NEGOTIATIONS WHICH WERE AIMED AT THE STABILIZATION OF CONDITIONS IN THE PACIFIC HAVE CEASED. A JAPANESE AGGRESSIVE MOVE IS EXPECTED IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE ORGANIZATION OF THE JAPANESE NAVAL TASK FORCES AND THE NU... Read More

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William Cobb

2021-11-27T02:51:37+00:00 ·

80 Years ago to this very day, on November 26, 1941 the Imperial Japanese Navy's Kido Butai sortied from Hittpokapu Bay on Etorofu Island in the Kurile Islands. Their destination, Pearl Harbor and a rendezvous with destiny on December 7th.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor - Wikipedia

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William Cobb

2021-11-26T20:11:33+00:00 · · Edited

Hello Everyone, it has been an amazing past 24 hours.  Spent Thanksgiving with my Daughter and her family, then returned to discover the launch of this Site.  I found out last night just as I turned 48 that I am this site's first ProPertuity Member.  A bit about me, I am a former Professional Flight Instructor who flew as a Full Time CFI for 8 years.  For 7 of those years, I worked for Flight Training of Mobile, a Mobile, Alabama based Flight School which performed the Initial Flight Screening mission for the United States Navy.  Being a Naval Aviator was a lifelong dream of mine, but as I didn't have 20/20 uncorrected vision, that dream did not become a reality.  Instead, I learned to fly on the Civilian side and managed to obtain my instructor licenses for Single and Multi Engine Land, and the Instrument Instructor rating.  I transitioned to the Professional Drone industry in 2016, and was the first FAA Part 107 Pilot to be granted that license in my region of the United States.  This led to collaboration with Professional Filmmakers, and I now find myself running my own Production Company on behalf of my latest Project, the Pensacola Aerospace Museum.  I look forward to getting to know everyone here, and look forward to helping share a community bound by our common love of flight.

A fond Aloha from Pensacola, Florida.
William S. Cobb, CFII/MEI
Director, Pensacola Aerospace Museum
Producer, Privateer Productions LLC.

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An Aviator Soul with his feet firmly on the Ground.

Assistant Chief Pilot at Flight Training of Mobile
Graduated History and International Relations in Hawaii Pacific University
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