Squadron’s Mock Raid Is Rained Out

For the first time in 25 years, bad weather Monday grounded the Condor Squadron’s traditional observance of the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor--a mock air assault in their World War II-era planes on a Japanese rising sun symbol.

The squadron of former military pilots, based at Van Nuys Airport, was formed by pilots who fought in World War II and frequently performs in air shows in its 16 AT-6 aircraft, two-seat trainer planes.

Each year on Dec. 7, the group has taken off at dawn in formation and attacked a large plywood panel, erected in the desert near Mojave Airport, depicting the Japanese flag. The rear-seat passengers hurl flour-bag “bombs” as the planes roar by at treetop level in mock raid timed to coincide with the hour the Japanese attacked the U.S. base in Hawaii and launched American involvement in World War II.

But when about 35 people gathered at Van Nuys Airport on Monday for an early morning briefing, they realized that the rain had severely limited visibility for such flying, said Charles Beck of Olivenhain in San Diego County, a lieutenant colonel in the club’s Civil Air Patrol squadron.

Also, Beck said, there was a danger that the wings on the vintage planes might ice over. “Ours are not all-weather planes,” he said.

“It is really the first year that we’ve missed it,” he said. “If it keeps going this way, we’re going to have to pick Tokyo time to do it. Yesterday wouldn’t have been so bad.” It was Dec. 6 in Japan, across the international date line, when the attack occurred.

The event might be rescheduled to Dec. 20 “if we can do a surprise hit that late,” Beck said.

Since it was begun 25 years ago, the event has been the highlight of the social year for the Condors, but it has drawn criticism from Japanese-American organizations that it perpetuates racial hatred. The Condors say the event is a worthy tradition honoring the nearly 2,400 Americans who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor.