Arthur B. Cornelius
A native of California, General Cornelius graduated from the Aviation Cadet Program and flew the F-100 Super Sabre at RAF Lakenheath in England, Cannon AFB in New Mexico, Misawa AB in Japan, Kunsan AB in Korea, and Bien Hoa AB in Viet Nam. After an assignment as a gunnery instructor at Luke AFB in Arizona, he returned to Viet Nam as a Forward Air Controller with the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Volunteering for a covert assignment he served as a Raven FAC in Laos and left active duty in 1968.
He was hired by Western Air Lines as a pilot, and joined Delta Airlines when the companies merged, flew most of the Boeing airliners of the late 20th Century as well as the DC-10 and L-1011. He joined the Air National Guard and flew the F-100 again, then the O-2 as a FAC, and the F-4C/D/E. He was a fighter squadron and group commander and the Deputy Commander of the California Air National Guard. He retired as a Brigadier General from the Air Force Reserve and as an international L-1011 Captain for Delta flying the Pacific.
While with the airlines, he served as a member of the Contract Negotiation, Merger, Legislative Liaison, Professional Standards, and Accident Investigation Committees, and as a Line Check Airman and the Base Safety Coordinator for Delta at Los Angeles. He published several aviation-related articles and at the time of his retirement had logged over 21,000 flight hours, of which over 2,100 were in the Super Sabre. He is a member of the American Legion China Post One, the Super Sabre Society, the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, the Aviation Writers Association, the Military Officers Association of America, and the Air Force Association. (1)
Art flew 72 different aircraft in 43 years, for 22,000 hours.
(1) source: National Air & Space Museum https://airandspace.si.edu/support/wall-of-honor/arthur-b-cornelius
Units Assigned
- 1961-1964 493rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, U.K. (F-100)
- 1964-1965 523rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Cannon AFB, NM (F-100)
- 1965 429th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bien Hoa AB, RVN (F-100)
- 1965-1966 524th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Cannon AFB, NM (F-100)
- 1966-1967 4515th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Luke AFB, AZ (F-100)
- 1967 101st Airborne Division, Ft Campbell, KY (O-1)
- 1967-1968 19th TASS (101st Abn), Vietnam (O-1)
- 1968 Det 1, 56th Airborne Combat Wing (Raven) Laos (O-1, U-17, U-10)
- 1975-1976 175th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Joe Foss Field, SD (F-100)
- 1976-1982 196th TASS, Ontario ANGB, CA (O-2)
- 1982-1989 163rd Tactical Fighter Group, (CC 1985-1989), March AFB, CA (F-4)
- 1989-1990 HQ, CAANG, Sacramento, CA (CV)
Awards & Decorations
Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Bronze Star with Valor Device and Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Medal with 12 Oak Leaf Clusters
Flight Info
F-100
O-1
U-17
U-10
O-2
F-4
Flight Hours: 21,000+ with 2,100 in the F-100
Wall of Honor Location: Foil: 10 Panel: 2 Column: 4 Line: 47
Military & Civilian Education
Military Education:
- 1965 Squadron Officers School
- 1980 Air Command and Staff College
- 1988 National Security Management Course
Civilian Education:
- 1956-1959 UCLA
- 1961 University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- 1962-1964 University of Maryland, European Campus
- 1966-1967 Arizona State University
