On a Sunday that started like many others, Cornelia Fort was conducting a flight lesson in the skies over beautiful Pearl Harbor. The date was December 7, 1941. As the infamous Japanese attack began, she took control of the Interstate Cadet from her student to avoid being rammed by a hostile aircraft. She was able to land the Cadet and make it to safety with her student after avoiding both air-to-air and air-to-ground strafing attacks by the Japanese. Fort and her student survived a day that claimed the lives of over 2,400 people and propelled the US into World War II. The Interstate Cadet that survived the attack on Pearl Harbor now resides in the Heritage Flight Museum’s hangars. More information can be found at lostaviatorsofpearlharbor.org.
