Hatten, David L.

Got it on my first try…

“I told them I had 1200 hours in the F-100 because they needed someone to pick one up at Kadena AFB and I wanted to go. I figured by the time I had to pick up the plane I’d have a couple of chances at refueling, having never done it before. After a couple of aborted missions, I was in the backseat of an F one night and was just about to make my first attempt at refueling when my #2 said we had no oil pressure and I had to follow him back to base. When it was time to go get the Hun, I still had not had a chance to try refueling the aircraft.

The short refueling probe on the earlier F-100’s made refueling pretty difficult so when I needed to complete very first (and most crucial) refueling over Wake Island, I was sure happy it had a bent probe. Got it on my first try.”

After completing the six-month F-105D Operational Training Course on the F-105D, Capt. Dave Hatten was one of the pilots in a continuing series of TDY combat rotations by the three squadrons of the 6441 TFW at Yokota AB, Japan.

After his service days Dave owned House of Hatten which carried a terrific selection of holiday collectibles. Look in your Christmas stuff and you’re bound to have some things that came from House of Hatten. Later on, you could catch him from time to time in the Tora! Tora! Tora! air shows where he flew his “Kate” torpedo plane.  “The Captain’s” last piloting adventure was navigating his Main Ship 400 on the Great Loop. (America’s Great Loop is a boater’s 6000-mile journey through waterways, locks and canals all the way around the eastern half of the U.S.)

Major Dave Hatten is currently serving as the Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer of the Super Sabre Society.