Edward L. Feightner: U.S. Navy Ace, Naval Aviator and Aviation Innovator

World War II service and combat record

Feightner flew multiple combat tours in the Pacific Theater, where he engaged enemy aircraft and missions that contributed to Allied air superiority. During those tours he was credited with shooting down nine enemy planes, a record that classifies him as a flying ace. His wartime experience illustrates the intense air-to-air and carrier-based operations that characterized the Pacific campaign in the 1940s. For a general background on the wider campaign see Pacific Theater of Operations.

Postwar career, testing and fighter development

After World War II, Feightner continued in roles that bridged operational command and technical development. He led naval fighter design efforts and participated in studies that informed the transition from propeller-driven fighters to carrier-capable jet aircraft. Those studies helped shape concepts and requirements for subsequent generations of naval jets that entered service in the postwar era and remained significant decades later.

Commands and notable achievements

Feightner commanded two Navy ships and directed squadrons during his career. He is widely remembered for a small number of distinctive accomplishments that reflect both piloting skill and organizational leadership:

• He was the only pilot to land the dash-1 variant of the Vought F7U Cutlass aboard an aircraft carrier, a unique feat with an early and challenging jet design (F7U Cutlass).
• As a squadron leader he guided VF-11 to an uncommon unit recognition when every pilot in the squadron earned the operational "E" award during a single exercise.
• He contributed to fighter design and operational studies that influenced carrier aviation policy and aircraft procurement in the Cold War period.

Legacy and later life

Feightner's career spanned the era when naval aviation moved from biplanes and pistons to swept-wing jets and supersonic fighters. Colleagues and historians note his combination of combat experience, test-flying background and institutional leadership as central to his influence. He reached the milestone of his 100th birthday in October 2019 (centenary) and remained active in veteran and naval aviation communities into retirement.

Death

Rear Admiral Feightner passed away on April 1, 2020 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. His life is remembered for its combination of wartime valor, peacetime innovation and sustained service to naval aviation. Further reading and resources about his career are preserved in naval archives and veteran histories.

Selected highlights: education, exact postings and awards are treated in official service records and specialist biographies; this article emphasizes the broadly documented milestones of Feightner's public career rather than exhaustive personnel detail.