New Article by Rick Dunn "Japanese Pilot Training and Experience in the Pacific Air War – Part 1"

[Edward]

"Japanese Pilot Training and Experience in the Pacific Air War – Part 1"
by Richard Dunn
8 May 2026

"This article attempts to contribute to the story of the Pacific Air War by exploring the dynamics of the aviation training and experience of the combatants. In doing so some comparative information will be presented on the Allied, primarily American, side. A reader wishing more information on the American approach will find that a variety of resources are available including those cited in footnotes below. The primary focus will, however, be on Japanese methods. Failure to appreciate relative pilot experience and skill can result in, among other things, a distorted picture of the relative performance of the aircraft they flew. This has certainly occurred in the context of the Pacific War.

Addressed will be social and educational differences at the national level that resulted in different approaches to military aviation training. Considering this basic context will help explain profound differences in pilot procurement and training.

A following section will focus on, primarily through quoting or summarizing published sources, both Japanese and American perspectives of Japanese pilot proficiency and its tactical effectiveness under combat conditions.

Part II will present a collection of hard data on Japanese training and operations which can serve as a basis for verifying, qualifying or debunking the published information and analysis in Part I as the reader sees fit."

https://rldunn.com/japanese-pilot-training-part-1/