Feb. 17, 2006

Milburn "Mel" Holmes, Eastern Oregon University
Basketball
Graduated - 1961
Major - General Studies

After playing basketball for Eastern Oregon in the early 60's, Holmes found himself in the Navy during the early years of the Vietnam War.

A fighter pilot in Vietnam, Holmes knew first-hand that the combat kill ratio ---- the number of planes the enemy shoots down vs. the number the U.S. shoots down ---- for Navy pilots at that time was 1-to-1.

After three deployments to Vietnam, Holmes became one of five experienced F-4 jockeys chosen by the Navy to reinvent the process of teaching combat pilots how to fly and fight at the same time.  Holmes later helped start the Navy Fighters Weapon School (Top Gun) serving as head of the air-to-air department until June 1970.  During the early years, he wrote manuals and designed the program for the school.

A retiree from commercial airlines, Holmes now operates the Grey Eagle Aviation and a flight school with a more laid back approach then the program he developed for Top Gun. The flight school teaches pilots to fly single-engine Cessnas.

Holmes still flies, logging around five hours each year.


Meet the N.A.I.A.'s index

To submit a Meet the N.A.I.A. contact Dawn Harmon at dharmon@naia.org.