August 1945
I was Engineering Officer as well as Pilot of a Fighter Section, Alexandria LA, middle 1945. Learning the trade!.
One of the few nicknames I ever got was "Hop". On our daily flight board there was a permanent entry down on the bottom for "Test Hop:". When I took over as Engineering Officer I gathered the crew chiefs and told them that when I saw something I thought might be "improved" I would tell them and they were to tell me what they thought. Then I would make up my mind and we would do it my way because I was going to make all future test hops and had the right to make these decisions. I think they appreciated my attitude and the maintenance improved dramatically. But since my name was permanently on the board under "Test Hop, Dills", I got the nickname.
