Edward L . Feightner Rear Admiral Edward Lewis " Whitey " Feightner ( born October 14 , 1919 ) is a retired United States Navy officer who fought in a number of significant battles in the World War II Pacific Theater of Operations . During two combat tours , he shot down nine enemy aircraft to become a flying ace . He was an early member of the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron and flew the lead " solo " position . His work as a test pilot included aircraft , electronic systems , and operational tactics such as developing techniques for delivering nuclear weapons from small fighter aircraft . He commanded increasingly larger air units including VF - 11 and Carrier Air Group Ten as well as training organizations that helped the Navy transition from propeller to jet aircraft . He commanded two Navy ships , served as the head of Navy FIghter Design , and was a key contributor to fighter studies that resulted in the development of jet aircraft that are still in active service . Feightner was the only pilot to land the dash - 1 variant of the Vought F7U Cutlass aboard a carrier . He led VF - 11 to become the first Atlantic fleet unit in which every pilot received the coveted " E " award in a single exercise . Since retiring from the Navy , Feightner has continued to promote aviation and share his experiences with others . Early life . Feightner was born on October 14 , 1919 in Lima , Ohio , a small town in the northwest part of the state , to Amos and Mary Feightner . He attended Findlay College in Findlay , Ohio and learned to fly in the Civilian Pilot Training Program ( CPTP ) . The CPTP was a flight training program sponsored by the United States government to increase the number of civilian pilots and thereby create a pool of trained aviators from which the military could draw . By 1940 , Feightner received his private pilot license . He graduated from Findley College in 1941 . World War II service . With war approaching and because of his strong desire to fly , Feightner attempted to sign up with the United States Army Air Corps . But he faced an eight - month delay before acceptance since the Army flight program could not cope with the large influx of people . When Feightner found that the Navy would accept him immediately , he made up his mind to pursue naval aviation . On June 16 , 1941 , Feightner enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve and entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Training Program . He completed flight training at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi , Texas on April 3 , 1942 thereby earning his commission as an ensign and designation as a naval aviator . He finished advanced carrier training at Naval Air Station Norfolk and received orders to VF - 5 aboard the USS " Yorktown " . " Yorktown " , however , was sunk by the Japanese at the Battle of Midway before Feightner could arrive . Feightner was reassigned to VF - 3 at Naval Air Station Pu ' unene on Maui , Hawaii . VF - 3 ' s commanding officer was Edward " Butch " O ' Hare who had recently returned from a combat tour in the Pacific as the Navy ' s first fighter ace . O ' Hare gave Feightner the nickname " Whitey " for his inability to tan despite hours in the sun during the squadron ' s many spearfishing trips . VF - 10 Grim Reapers . In October 1942 , Feightner was assigned to VF - 10 , the " Grim Reapers " , aboard the flying the Grumman F4F Wildcat . The commanding officer of VF - 10 was James H . Flatley whom Feightner described as " a true leader [ who ] epitomizes what you think of as a squadron commander . " The " Enterprise " left Pearl Harbor on October 16 , 1942 for the South Pacific as part of Task Force King . Less than ten days later , Feightner performed his first night carrier landing after the search and attack group for which he provided cover became lost and did not return to the carrier until after dark . On October 26 , 1942 , during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands , Feightner shot down his first enemy aircraft — an Aichi D3A dive bomber that was attacking the " Enterprise . " He was also credited with a probable kill of another aircraft . Feightner was awarded an Air Medal and gold award star for his actions that day . After several weeks of repair , the " Enterprise " sortied to oppose an Imperial Japanese battle fleet that was threatening the Solomon Islands . The Japanese convoy included eleven transports with over seven thousand soldiers headed down the " Slot " to Guadalcanal to retake Henderson Field . On November 14 , 1942 , Feightner protected U . S . dive bombers and strafed enemy vessels during the strikes that destroyed seven of the troop carriers — a significant event in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal . After the attacks , VF - 10 remained at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal to reinforce the 1st Marine Division and deal with the Japanese ships and troops from the remaining transports that had intentionally beached themselves . Conditions on the island were primitive and dangerous . Many of the service men came down with malaria . Japanese soldiers hid in trees and waited to ambush the Americans . Sleep was disrupted by night bombardment . Fortunately , Feightner had to endure the hazardous conditions on Guadalcanal less than a week , as VF - 10 left their old aircraft at Henderson Field and returned to the " Enterprise " on November 25 , 1942 , where they received new F4Fs . On January 30 , 1943 , the second day of the Battle of Rennell Island , Feightner shot down three Mitsubishi G4M " Betty " torpedo bombers in a single engagement . In this engagement , a force of twelve " Bettys " approaching the " Enterprise " were intercepted by VF - 10 aircraft . The " Betty " s turned away from the " Enterprise " and went after the , a heavy cruiser that had been disabled the night before . VF - 10 destroyed six of the " Betty " s before they could reach the cruiser , but the remaining aircraft released their torpedoes with devastating effect — the " Chicago " sank within minutes . Two more of the " Bettys " were dispatched by the pursuing VF - 10 Wildcats as they passed the ring of destroyers that had been protecting the cruiser . Flatley shot down another and the remaining three fell to his wingman , Feightner , who had been delayed due to a balky engine but arrived at just the right time . Feightner was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and an air medal for downing three aircraft on that day and ended his first combat tour with four confirmed kills . VF - 8 . In May 1943 , Feightner received orders to VF - 8 flying the Grumman F6F Hellcat at Naval Auxiliary Air Station Pungo — a satellite airfield near Naval Station Norfolk . This second squadron to be designated VF - 8 was established on June 1 , 1943 and led by Lt Cdr William M . Collins Jr . who would himself become a nine - victory ace . Fighting Eight was initially assigned to the new carrier that that been launched just weeks prior . During the " Intrepid " ' s sea trials in the fall of 1943 , Feightner performed initial takeoffs , landings , and catapult shots flying the F6F . In March 1944 , Carrier Air Wing Eight began operations from the . Part of the Fast Carrier Task Force TF 58 commanded by Vice Admiral Marc A . Mitscher , the " Bunker Hill " participated in a series of attacks against Japanese positions in the Pacific Theater of Operations . VF - 8 saw their first combat during a two - day strike on Palau . On the first day of the raid , March 30 , 1944 , Feightner became an ace when he shot down a Mitsubishi A6M " Zeke " over the island of Peleliu . The Palau battle also marked the first combat use of the ' Berger ' Gradient Pressure Suit — an air inflatable G - suit that allowed a pilot to maneuver his aircraft more aggressively without blacking out . The ' " Z - suit " proved so successful that all but three of the VF - 8 pilots chose to wear the equipment . As TF 58 followed the U . S . strategy of leapfrogging toward Japan , Feightner participated in strikes at the Yap coral atoll of Woleai helping to isolate the Japanese garrison there . At the end of April , the task force returned to Truk in the Caroline Islands . Once a major Japanese stronghold , Truk had been badly damaged during Operation Hailstone earlier that year , but the Japanese had since reinforced the island with aircraft from Rabaul . On April 29 , 1944 , Feightner shot down a " Zeke " over Truk raising his total to six aircraft destroyed . In June 1944 , the U . S . initiated the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign . Feightner flew during the Battle of the Philippine Sea that was better known to American pilots as the ' Great Marianas Turkey Shoot ' due to the overwhelming losses inflicted upon the naval air forces of Japan . He fought in a series of actions over the next few months including the Battle of Saipan , the Battle of Guam , strikes on Okinawa , and the Battle of Tinian . As U . S . forces pushed toward the Philippines , the fast carriers of Task Force 38 ( TF 38 ) moved to subdue Japanese air power on the island of Formosa — known today as Taiwan . During the Aerial Battle of Taiwan – Okinawa , VF - 8 destroyed thirty aircraft near Taien Airfield . Flying in this battle on October 12 , 1944 , Feightner shot down three " Zekes " ( although at least one source states the aircraft were " Oscars " ) bringing his total to nine aircraft destroyed . Feightner continued to fly missions with VF - 8 until the " Bunker Hill " returned to the United States for an overhaul in November 1944 . Fighter Instructor . Upon returning to the United States in November 1944 , Feightner was assigned as a fighter instructor with VF - 98 at NAS Los Alamitos in Orange County , California , and later at Naval Air Facility ( NAF ) Thermal in Thermal , California . Near the end of World War II in 1945 , Feighter was assigned as gunnery officer to VF - 21 at NAS San Diego in California . Victory credits . The following table summarizes Feightner ' s aerial victories and provides the date , number of aircraft destroyed , types of aircraft destroyed , and the battle at which the victory occurred . In total , he was assessed with 9 destroyed and 4 probables . However , another source claims two probable kills for Feightner . Post - war service . Flight test . After serving for several years in staff assignments , Feightner received orders to attend the U . S . Navy Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River in Maryland . He graduated in July 1949 with the school ' s second class and served with the Flight Test Division at the Naval Air Test Center where he flew a variety of aircraft including helicopters and the Navy ' s largest transport , the Lockheed R6V Constitution . Feightner also tested the Grumman F8F Bearcat , the Vought F4U Corsair , and the Grumman F7F Tigercat . When Colonel Charles Lindberg came to evaluate the Tigercat , Feightner , as F7F project pilot , provided the pre - flight instruction . Feighnter was assigned as the Navy ' s project pilot for the Vought F7U Cutlass , a carrier - based jet fighter - bomber with swept wings and an unusual tailless design . From July 23 to August 14 , 1951 , he performed carrier suitability tests of the Cutlass on board the USS " Midway " . Feightner survived a number of near - fatal incidents in the Cutlass . During a test using the NAS Patuxent River air field catapult , an engine exploded and caught fire on takeoff . Unable to eject at such a low altitude , Feightner made use of a low spot in the river bank to turn the aircraft and return safely to the field where firefighters extinguished the burning engine . On July 23 , 1951 , he performed the first ( and only ) carrier takeoff and landing of the dash - 1 variant on the aircraft carrier . Landing the Cutlass was hazardous due to the extreme nose - up attitude that restricted visibility forward and below . Feightner was unable to see the flight deck and relied on the Landing Signal Officer ( LSO ) to provide the indication to reduce engine power . Despite assistance from the LSO , Feightner landed short of the desired position and nearly struck the ramp . Although the fleet received the improved F7U - 3 , the Cutlass did not live up to its potential and remained in service less than four years . Blue Angels . In January 1952 , Feightner received orders to the U . S . Navy ' s flight demonstration squadron — the Blue Angels . The squadron had been directed to add the Cutlass to their performance although neither Feightner nor Blue Angels commander " Butch " Voris believed the aircraft was ready for formation flying . The F7U was the Navy ' s first operational aircraft fitted with a hydraulic flight control system and reliability was still poor . In the event of failure , the mechanical backup system required eleven seconds before control was restored . The solution was to fly the F7Us separately from the rest of the team thereby creating the diamond and solo roles that remain to the present day . Feightner recruited former Blue Angel Lt . Harding C . " Mac " Macknight to fly the second Cutlass . At the start of the 1952 show season , fuel control problems grounded the team ' s Grumman F9F Panther s leaving the Cutlasses to put on the primary demonstration between March and June . During a show at Saufley Field in Florida , Feightner experienced a total loss of hydraulics on a full afterburner takeoff and steep climb . While trying to gain enough altitude for ejection he was able to stay with the aircraft until the back up control system engaged . He clipped trees on the end of the runway , causing the left engine to flame out . With hydraulic fluid streaming back in a bright flame , he made a hard turn and got the plane back on the runway , much to the excitement of the crowd . Feightner and Macknight performed maneuvers that showed off the best attributes of the F7U . The two solos would approach each other from opposite ends of the runway and , after passing each other , would roll the aircraft , deploy speed brakes , and light afterburners . In Feightner ' s opinion , " There just is not an airplane like it anywhere . " Maintenance issues and additional near - fatal accidents put an end to Blue Angel Cutlass performances . While traveling to an airshow at Naval Air Station Glenview in Chicago , Illinois , both F7U ' s experienced in - flight emergencies . One of Feightner ' s engine ' s failed shortly after takeoff , but before he could land , Macknight ' s right engine caught fire and the left engine quit soon after . Although Feightner called for him to eject , Macknight stayed with the burning aircraft and landed at Glenview . With the runway closed , Feightner was redirected to make his landing at Chicago ' s former Orchard Airpark , which had been expanded and renamed O ' Hare Airport . The runway had just been completed and was covered with peach baskets to prevent aircraft from landing until it was opened . Feightner was told to ignore the baskets and land on the new runway . As a result , Feightner ' s F7U became the first aircraft to land on the new runway for Chicago ' s O ' Hare International Airport . After yet another in - flight emergency resulted in a forced landing at Naval Air Station Memphis , the F7Us were given to the station ' s training center . Return to testing . In September 1952 , Feightner returned to flight test as the development officer for Air Development Squadron Three ( VX - 3 ) . VX - 3 was located at NAS Atlantic City , New Jersey , and was responsible for testing fighter aircraft , systems , and munitions . In this new role , he tested aircraft systems ( rather than the airplanes themselves ) and determined what tactics would most effectively utilize those systems . On December 3 , 1953 , Feightner participated in the first public demonstration of the steam catapult chosen to launch heavy jet aircraft from the short decks of aircraft carriers . Flying a propeller - driven AD Skyraider at the Naval Air Material Center in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , Feightner described the steam - powered launch as " much better for the pilot " due to the relatively gentle start that eliminated the shock of other catapult techniques . Feightner contributed to the development of weapon delivery tactics for the McDonnell F2H Banshee . The F2H - 2B was modified for the attack role and had strengthened wings and pylons to accommodate a heavy weapon such as the Mark 7 or Mark 8 nuclear bomb . The F2H - 2B testing on which Feightner worked included the longest non - stop , round trip flight from a carrier with weapon delivery at the midpoint of the flight — 2 , 873 miles . He also participated in an 18 hour , low - level , non - stop , round - trip flight from a carrier with weapon delivery in a Douglas AD - 3 Skyraider . Aviation commands . VF - 11 Red Rippers . In January 1955 , Feightner assumed command of VF - 11 , " The Red Rippers , " at Naval Air Station Cecil Field . Flying the McDonnell F2H - 4 Banshee , he led VF - 11 to top honors in toss bombing during the annual fleet competition in 1956 . All fourteen VF - 11 pilots received the Navy ' s Battle Effectiveness Award for precision accuracy with this unusual and difficult technique used to deliver nuclear weapons . With this award , VF - 11 became the first Atlantic fleet unit to have all of its pilots receive an " E " in the same exercise . In August 1956 , VF - 11 embarked as part of Carrier Air Group Ten on the and deployed to the Mediterranean . Just two months into the cruise , the Suez Crisis provided tense moments for all personnel as the carrier prepared for battle and to evacuate American citizens that might be caught in the conflict . In February 1957 , Feightner was assigned as officer in charge of the Jet Transitional Training Unit ( JTTU ) at Naval Air Station Olathe in Gardner , Kansas . Established on April 4 , 1955 , the mission of the JTTU was to train pilots of propeller - driven aircraft to operate jets and to provide refresher training for aviators transferring from shore to sea duty . Carrier Air Group Ten . Feightner received orders in February 1959 to relieve the air wing commander of Carrier Air Group Ten ( CVG - 10 ) on the that was deployed in the Mediterranean . He continued to serve as CAG - 10 when the air wing embarked on the the following month and returned to the " Med " for another tour . From March to July 1960 , Feightner served on the staff of Carrier Air Group Four . In July 1960 , he was selected to attend the Naval War College in Newport , Rhode Island and graduated in 1961 . Fighter Design . In July 1961 , Feightner was assigned as the project officer for the F4H - 1 Phantom II at the Bureau of Naval Weapons in Washington , D . C . A year later , he was selected as the head of Navy Fighter Design where he supervised and directed all Navy fighter project officers . From August 1963 to November 1964 , Feightner served as operations officer to the Commander of Carrier Division Three aboard the USS " Enterprise " . Senior leader . From 1964 to 1967 , Feightner served as captain of two U . S . Navy ships — the fleet oiler and the amphibious assault ship . " Chikaskia " deployed to the Mediterranean in 1965 and provided underway replenishment to many ships including the USS Forrestal ( CVA - 59 ) and . After learning the techniques of amphibious operations at the Naval Amphibious Warfare School at Little Creek , Virginia , Feightner commanded " Okinawa " during a tour of the Caribbean in 1966 . At the conclusion of this deployment in 1967 , he brought " Okinawa " to Naval Base San Diego , where she became part of the U . S . Pacific Fleet . Feightner attended the Defense Weapons Systems Management course at the Air Force Institute of Technology , Wright - Patterson Air Force Base , Ohio in March 1967 , and in June 1967 was assigned to the office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations ( CNO ) for Air in the Pentagon . In this role , Feightner was responsible for supervising and coordinating the efforts of CNO air warfare program officers . Between 1969 and 1970 , he also served as the director of Naval Aviation Weapons Systems Analysis Group . In June 1970 , Feightner was selected for promotion from captain to the two - star rank of rear admiral . In September 1970 , Feightner served his final tour with the Naval Air Systems Command ( NAVAIR ) where he participated in several fighter studies that resulted in the development of the Grumman F - 14 Tomcat and McDonnell Douglas F / A - 18 Hornet . He also served as assistant commander for Logistics / Fleet Support responsible for incorporating test program modifications into production aircraft , ensuring the fleet obtained maximum effectiveness of air assets , and supporting the aircraft throughout their operational life . On May 20 , 1972 , former VF - 11 skipper Feightner delivered introductory remarks at the Red Rippers change of command ceremony commemorating 45 years as the Navy ' s oldest continuous fighter squadron . After 33 years of service , Feightner retired from active duty on July 1 , 1974 with 8 , 610 flight hours and 874 carrier landings . Later years . Feightner remained active in aviation after his retirement from the Navy . He shared his flight experiences at many events including : Feightner served as chairman of the board of directors of the Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators Association from 2004 to 2006 . Better known as the " Golden Eagles , " the association was founded in 1956 to provide a living memorial to early naval aviators . Feightner remains an emeritus member of the organization . , Feightner was a member of the honorary board of trustees of the International Midway Memorial Foundation dedicated to honoring and preserving the memory and values of the Battle of Midway . He also served as president of FMS , Inc . , an energy management controls company in Washington , DC . In 2011 , Feightner was vice president of Silver Wings Over Washington , an aviation - related association in the Washington , D . C . area . Honors . Decorations . Feightner was awarded the following decorations for his military service . Distinguished Flying Cross citation ( first of four ) . For heroism and extraordinary achievement in aerial flight as Pilot of a Fighter Plane in Fighting Squadron TEN , attached to the U . S . S . ENTERPRISE , during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands - Area on January 30 , 1943 . Participating in a combat patrol which engaged a group of twelve heavily armed , twin - engined Japanese torpedo bombers in the vicinity of Rennel Island , Lieutenant ( then Ensign ) Feightner pressed home his attack and personally shot down three of the hostile aircraft , despite heavy antiaircraft fire and powerful enemy aerial opposition . His courage , skill and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service . Other honors . On October 7 , 1998 , Feightner was inducted into the Carrier Aviation Test Pilot Hall of Honor . He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots . For his work on the International Midway Memorial Foundation , Feightner was made an honorary member of the United States Naval Academy ( USNA ) class of 1942 . The class of ' 42 had 79 members at the Battle of Midway — more than any other Naval Academy class .