James H. Flatley III
James Henry Flatley III was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. A naval aviator, fighter pilot and test pilot, he was the son of Vice Admiral James H. Flatley.
Early life and education
Flatley was born in San Diego on January 9, 1934. He was a 1956 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He later received an MBA from Auburn University.Career
While a lieutenant at the Naval Air Test Center at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, Flatley and his fellow crew members, LCDR Walter W. "Smokey" Stovall and Aviation Machinist's Mate. V 1st Class Ed Brennan, made history when they completed 21 full-stop landings and takeoffs in a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aboard the aircraft carrier ; it was the largest plane, with the heaviest load, ever to successfully land on a carrier. Flatley later commanded the aircraft carrier. While serving as the commanding officer of the in 1980, he completed his 1,500th arrested landing in an F-4 Phantom. He retired in 1987.In a June 2017 tribute article, Flatley discussed his history in the field of aviation and reflected on his and the Flatley family's legacy, estimating that the "extended Flatley family has accumulated more than 6,100 incident/accident-free arrested carrier landings."
Personal life and death
Flatley was married to Nancy Monica Christie of Norfolk, Virginia. They had six children. Their two oldest sons, James H. Flatley IV and Joseph F. Flatley, are navy fighter pilots and their youngest daughter, Kara, is a lieutenant in the Supply Corps and is married to Richard Brophy, a navy fighter pilot. Her sister, Mary, is married to Rex Kiteley, a navy flight surgeon. RADM Flatley's father was James H. Flatley, the first air group commander and World War II fighter ace and the Pacific theater namesake for carrier aviations Safety Award – The Flatley Award.He later resided in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife. Flatley died on December 12, 2025, at the age of 91.