Phi Delta Theta FraternityWhat’s been happening: Jim attended Plant High School in Tampa, Florida where he was the quarterback for a championship football team. After graduating from Florida State University, where he was a noteworthy wrestler, he entered Naval Flight School at NAS Pensacola. He flew the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk as a Tactical and Nuclear Weapons delivery pilot for Marine Attack Squadron 331. During the height of the Viet Nam War, the push to train pilots was frantic to say the least. While on a training flight with a newly winged pilot in the fleet, Capt. Jimbo was forced to make a high speed, low altitude ejection from 50 feet at 400 mph. Because of the permanent injuries he sustained, Capt. Jimbo was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1973 at the rank of Captain-thus Capt. Jimbo. While undergoing many surgeries and years of physical rehabilitation, he worked as a Territory and District Sales Manager for Monsanto, Shell Oil and DuPont. He augmented his professional career by completing his MBA in Industrial Management and started a small barnstorming business on the side with his first old Navy Stearman. While giving rides and towing banners, Capt. Jimbo has amassed over 3,500 hours in tail-wheel aircraft. Probably 50 percent of his flight time has been inverted. He has flown over twenty-five different types of military and general aviation airplanes including T-34s, T-28s, T-2s A-4s, AT-6/SNJs, Stearmans and P-51 Mustangs, in addition to Pipers, Cessna's and Mooney's. In addition to the flying ventures, Jim also owns and operates Pensacola Beach Skydiving, Inc. |