It's been said that Stanley Kennedy saw the potential for commercial aviation in Hawai'i while flying World War I patrols over the North Sea.
His vision would reshape the skies over the Islands and give birth to Hawaiian Airlines, but Kennedy's love of flight was sparked much earlier.
Kennedy, born in 1890, was the son of an interisland shipping boss, James Kennedy. He attended Punahou School and Stanford University.
While on break from business studies at Stanford, Kennedy watched with awe as famed French pilot Didier Masson flew over Honolulu and landed before a crowd of 10,000 at Kapi'olani Park.
He joined the Naval Aviation Service during World War I and flew patrols over the North Sea in H-16 flying boats, earning a Silver Star.
Kennedy experienced several adventures during World War I. He and his crew tested the new concept of bombing, set a continuous flight record, were shot at by their own forces and once were forced to land in the English Channel when an engine failed. The planes did not have radios in those days and relied on homing pigeons for emergency messages. But Kennedy's pigeon refused to fly.
Years later, in 1929, Kennedy convinced Inter-Island Steam Navigation that air service was important to the young territory, and on Nov. 11, 1929, Inter-Island Airways was born. Kennedy was among the passengers that day on the inaugural flight from Honolulu to Hilo.
He became president and general manager of the company in 1932 and the head of Inter-Island Steam Navigation Co. the following year.
Kennedy was involved in many other business and aviation ventures.
He helped establish regular trans-Pacific air service to Hawai'i by Pan American Airways. He also became president of Hawaii Transportation Co. and the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Honolulu.
Kennedy died in 1968 of a heart attack.
