Aviation Rescue & Restoration

When Aviation Met the Sea: A Famous Rescue

The lighthouse's most famous moment came from the sky, not the sea. On June 28, 1927, U.S. Army Lieutenants Lester Maitland and Albert Hegenberger attempted the first trans-Pacific flight from California to Hawaiʻi. Their Fokker C-2 Tri-Motor, named Bird of Paradise, carried experimental navigation equipment that failed over the vast ocean.

The pilots circled the lighthouse for over an hour, waiting for dawn to get their bearings before completing the 100-mile flight to Wheeler Field on Oʻahu. They credited the lighthouse with saving their lives. In that moment, Kīlauea Point's mission expanded from maritime aid to aviation beacon.

War Changes Everything

December 7, 1941 brought "Condition One" to Hawaiʻi. The great light at Kīlauea Point went dark for the war's duration. But the station didn't fall silent. Military crews built observation bunkers on nearby Crater Hill. The site became a secret testing ground for revolutionary technologies: RADAR and LORAN.

These developments represented more than technical advancement. They marked the end of an era. For thousands of years, humans had navigated by observing stars, reading wave patterns, and watching for familiar landmarks. Polynesian navigators crossed vast ocean distances using knowledge passed down through generations. European sailors used compasses, sextants, and lighthouses to find their way.

Electronic navigation changed everything. RADAR could see through fog, darkness, and storms. LORAN provided position fixes accurate to within hundreds of yards anywhere in the ocean. Ships and planes could now navigate with precision that made visual beacons seem primitive.

Senator Inouye's Vision: Saving a Treasure

Left inactive, the lighthouse began dying. Salt air, intense sun, and humidity took their toll. The white tower streaked with rust. Iron railings crumbled. A beloved landmark was dissolving before our eyes.

In 1979, the lighthouse joined the National Register of Historic Places. The surrounding land became Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge in 1985. Community members, the Kīlauea Point Natural History Association, and the Fish & Wildlife Service began planning a rescue.

U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye became their champion. This decorated war hero and conservation advocate secured public and private funding for a multi-million dollar restoration that began in 2008.

The project required meticulous care. Workers repaired the cast iron roof, stabilized the fragile lens, and stripped away decades of deterioration. The concrete tower emerged gleaming white once again.

Today the lighthouse stands as both historical monument and conservation symbol. It represents community love for heritage and honors the statesman who helped preserve it for future generations.