Foil: 17 Panel: 2 Column: 2 Line: 13

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
John Alcorn Mel Kersey & Gary Crittenden

Mr. James was born December 7, 1924, and joined the military shortly after graduating from high school. He served with the 3rd Bomb Group Light, Fifth Air Force in the Pacific Theater.
After the war he followed his love of flying by becoming a flight instructor. In that capacity he served as a civilian flight instructor from 1950 to 1954 in Pensacola, Florida. In 1954 he graduated from USAF pilot instructor school, Craig AFB, Selma, AL. For the next six years he worked in Bainbridge, GA as an instructor for Southern Airways, a civilian contract school for the USAF. Then in 1960 he became an instructor and instrument flight instructor for the Army Aviation School, Fort Rucker, AL. While at Fort Rucker he became a training officer and test pilot for the US Army Aviation Test Activity, also serving as a flight instructor, standardization officer, and instrument flight examiner for the Directorate of Evaluations and Standardization. Mr. James graduated from many aviation related schools, notably the Aviation Safety Officer School, Fort Rucker. In 1992 he retired from Federal Service with a combined military and federal service of 41 years, 11 months and 12 days.
Even after retirement he continued his love of flying by serving as an instructor for Flight Safety International, Daleville, AL.
Mr. James has garnered many distinguished aviation awards, including, the Aviation Safety award by the Commanding General of US Army Aviation for over 20,000 hours of accident free flight hours, the Meritorious Civilian Award for Contribution to Aviation and the Army Aviation Broken Wing award for safely landing an aircraft deemed "unflyable".
Wilburn has accumulated over 25,000 hours of flying time and holds the following FAA certificates and ratings: Airline transport pilot, single engine land, multiengine land, single engine sea, rotorcraft helicopter, instrument airplane and helicopter. Additionally, flight instructor, airplane single and multi-engine, helicopter, instrument airplane and helicopter. He is also certified as a ground instructor for advanced instruments, as well as a mechanic, airframe and powerplant.
While accumulating those flight hours he flew over 50 different types of fixed and rotary wing aircraft. He took special pride in training students. It is estimated that he trained hundreds of students throughout his career. To the best of his knowledge, none of his students were ever involved in an aircraft related accident. Many of his students continued their military aviation career and some attained the rank of General in the USAF and US Army. Other students entered commercial aviation and flew for civilian airlines. He also performed solo acrobatic demonstrations in the OV-1 Mohawk for Armed Forces Days and other special occasions.
Mr. James would like to add his personal expression of gratitude.
"Any degree of success I have attained is because I was blessed with the greatest students that my country had. No amount of honor can ever be bestowed upon me that will equal the honor and friendship of my students. God bless each of these great men." /s/ Wilburn A. James
Presented by three of Mr. James students who learned the fine art of piloting an aircraft from the Master! Dr. John Alcorn, Mel Kersey and Gary Crittenden