James H. Flatley III


James Henry Flatley III, is a retired rear admiral in the United States Navy. A naval aviator, fighter pilot, and test pilot, he is the son of Vice Admiral James H. Flatley.

Education

Flatley is a 1954 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He later received an MBA from Auburn University.

Career

While a lieutenant at the Naval Air Test Center at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, Flatley and his fellow crew members, Walter "Smokey" Stovall and Ed Brennan, made history when they completed 21 full-stop landings and takeoffs in a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aboard the aircraft carrier ; it was the largest plane, with the heaviest load, ever to successfully land on a carrier. Flatley later commanded the aircraft carrier. While serving as the commanding officer of the in 1980, he completed his 1,500th arrested landing in an F-4 Phantom. He retired in 1987.
Awards he received during his career include the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. He has also been inducted into the U.S. Naval Aviation Carrier Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Aviation Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Flatley married Nancy Monica Christie of Norfolk, Virginia on October 4, 1958. They have six children. Their two oldest sons, Retired Commanders James H. Flatley IV and Joseph F. Flatley are Navy fighter pilots, their youngest daughter Kara is a Naval Academy graduate, a Lieutenant in the Navy Supply Corps and is married to Richard Brophy a Navy fighter pilot. Her sister, Mary, is married to Rex Kiteley, a Navy flight surgeon. Their remaining son and daughter, Pat and Kate, lead normal lives.

Recent times

In a June 2017 tribute article, Flatley discussed his history in the field of aviation and reflected on his and the Flatley family's legacy, estimating that the "extended Flatley family has accumulated more than 6,100 incident/accident-free arrested carrier landings."