Learning Center Our Enshrinees

James “Jimmy” Doolittle


  • Directed experimental flying at McCook Field.
  • Made the first air crossing of the U.S. in under 24 hours in 1922.
  • Won the Schneider Cup Seaplane Race in 1925 and made the first outside loop in 1927.
  • Made the world’s first totally blind flight on September 24, 1929.
  • Won the Thompson Trophy in 1932 flying the Gee Bee R-1 at a speed of 296 mph saying it was the most dangerous airplane he ever flew.
  • Flew in the National Air Races, winning the Transport, the Bendix, and the Thompson Trophy races.
  • Lead the famous B-25 Tokyo raid in April 1942 from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet for which he received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
  • Commanded the 12th Air Force in North Africa and the Eighth Air Force in England from 1944 to 1945.

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