Posted on: Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Ex-'Bow Itoman has earned her wings

1st Lt. BJ Itoman, who played guard for the University of Hawai'i for four years, says "I'll fly until I can't fly anymore, that's for sure." Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

BJ Itoman with a basketball in her hands was a force, even if you could barely see her over the steering wheel in a car.

Imagine her in the driver's seat of a 155,000-pound cargo plane.

The former all-Western Athletic Conference guard who shattered Hawai'i's assist record and devastated opponents on defense now goes by 1st Lt. BJ Itoman. After blowing through pilot training the way she blew by defenders, Itoman is a C-130 pilot in the 204th squadron of the Hawai'i Air National Guard.

She is overwhelmed by her good fortune.

"I'll fly until I can't fly anymore, that's for sure," says Itoman, 27. "After the basketball thing, I wanted to find something I could be happy with the rest of my life. I found it and it's been an awesome gift. I appreciate it everyday."

Her passion for aviation was passed on by brother Ryan, a pilot with the squadron's "Mai Tai" F-15, or fighter, force. The Itomans are thought to be the first brother-sister pilot tandem in the Hawai'i Guard, possibly the country.

Ryan, 30, is also a pilot for Aloha Airlines. Erich Itoman, 32, graduated from medical school and recently started his residency here in Intensive Care.

Lt. Col. Gerry Mansell, BJ's commander at Hickam, recalls her as being very focused during the interview process that initially helped cut a field of 30 to six. He remembered hearing of her 3.8 grade point average at UH, where her academic awards were nearly as lengthy as those in athletics.

And, he was aware of Ryan and Erich. "I figured the family was just all overachievers," Mansell said. "It helps to be competent and not afraid of hard work. She's done a great job, I couldn't be happier. Some of the other lieutenants have asked her to slow down. She's making them look bad."

Itoman's position is temporary full time, but the Guard is converting to a new C-17, the "latest-greatest" airframe that can do all the C-130 can and more. It is capable of refueling in the air so it can go much longer distances much quicker.

Itoman is in on the conversion as the planes come off the assembly line. She hopes the new training will keep her working for a long time. She speaks of flying in breathless, awed tones, as does Ryan.

Both said without hesitation that they are addicted to aviation.

"It is actually the best job I could imagine," BJ says. "I feel indebted to my brother for getting me into this career because it's really awesome, and fun. I had never thought of a girl doing it ... never thought of it for myself."

Ryan convinced her, after seeing other women in his pilot training classes, and sensing his sister was struggling to find her niche with an exercise physiology degree. He knew she had the hand-eye coordination, and ability to make critical, quick decisions so crucial for a pilot.

Then he had to win a recruiting battle with Erich, who was trying to sway BJ into the medical field.

"She loves it and I knew she would do such a great job," Ryan says. "She's a great example, too. Little kids looked up to her when she was playing basketball and now little girls can look up to her and say, 'Hey look, BJ Itoman is flying.' It's not a male-dominated profession anymore."

All it takes is guts and hard work, talents Itoman demonstrated for four years with UH. Her relentless offseason training habits were legendary. The 5-foot-5 Iolani graduate remains one of Hawai'i's most well-recognized athletes.

She is at least as relentless in the air, training 1› years in the plane and classroom throughout the Mainland before returning home a year ago. "It's pretty intense, but well worth it," Itoman said. "It's quite challenging. ... You get saturated, frustrated."

When she came back to Hawai'i, Mansell compared her to a freshman on the basketball team, with "200 hours of instruction but no experience. You have never played with people this good."

Itoman endured, as usual, in a program where you get just one chance. Suddenly, basketball seems easy, though she hasn't truly played since trying out for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks four years ago.

"It was nice to move on, I was ready," Itoman said. "I pretty much took myself to my limit. I was happy with it, and pretty much burnt out, ready to move on with my life."

And move up, several thousand feet.

NOTE

• Former Rainbow volleyball player Kai Kahele is in the same squadron with the Itomans. According to BJ, 1995 Punahou graduate Carrie Hironaka, who played basketball and softball at Tufts, is trying to become Hawai'i's first female fighter pilot.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.