From Logger's Son to Top Gun Pilot
James Kuehl began working in the woods with his father and grandfather around the time that he was old enough to shave. Having grown up in the small logging and mining town of Ely, Minnesota, just across the border from Canada, in a logging family, James acquired the strong work ethic that drove his ambition and success.
James Kuehl grew up in the small logging and mining town of Ely, Minnesota, just across the border from Canada; in a logging family, James acquired the strong work ethic that drove his ambition and success.
Living near the local airport, James’s attention and interest were captured by flying. As a result, James received his pilot’s license while he was still in high school. This was the first step in his aviation career. He’d planned to enter the Air Force, but when the original Top Gun movie came out, he decided to fly in the Navy.
After graduating high school, James attended the University of Minnesota through their Navy ROTC program. Upon graduation, he was commissioned into the U.S. Navy as an officer. He then attended flight school and was trained as a Navy jet pilot flying F-18s off aircraft carriers. After two deployments, he was selected to attend the Navy’s TOPGUN School, where he graduated and served as an instructor for six years.
His Top Gun call sign was “Zuel,” derived from the Ghostbuster movie’s character Gatekeeper “Zuul” due to his administrative responsibilities and the fact that nobody could correctly pronounce his last name Kuehl (Keel). Perhaps the call sign description was somewhat benign since it also represents a harbinger of destruction.
James attributes the hand and eye coordination that he developed running equipment in the woods and the demanding work ethic required in the logging industry as the primary contributors to his success flying as a TOPGUN pilot.
Interestingly, nearly three decades after the original movie came out, the second movie, “Top Gun, Maverick” was being explored, and Operations Officer Kuehl was stationed at what was then called NAVAL STRIKE AND AIR WARFARE CENTER (the Parent Command of TOPGUN). In his official capacity as Operations Officer, Kuehl met with the Director, Tony Scott; Producer, Jerry Bruckheimer; Tom Cruise; and other Hollywood representatives to discuss the coordination of flight activities.
As a result of his flying expertise and Top Gun status, and initial consultation with the “Top Gun, Maverick” movie, James was invited to a special screening for cast and crew in Hollywood before the public release of the movie. The premier of the new “Top Gun, Maverick” movie was held onboard the USS Midway in San Diego.
Kuehl’s family comes from generations of “Mavericks.” They can trace their logging history to the logging camps of northern Minnesota, where his grandparents logged and cooked. KUEHLS GRANDFATHER WALLACE was working in the woods into his 90’s. James’s father, Elroy Kuehl, founded the Associated Contract Loggers and Truckers of Minnesota and has served on the board continuously for 34 years. Elroy can be counted on to always be at the forefront challenging the status quo and fighting for loggers.
Whether in the woods or flying fighter jets, James has always pushed the boundaries yet remained grounded in his roots, returning home to Ely, Minnesota, periodically and not hesitating to jump back into the logging equipment and work with his father in the woods.
It’s not every logger’s son that can go from running logging equipment to flying jets as a TOPGUN U.S. Navy Pilot. Still, it is no surprise that logging teaches “loggers’ kids” a strong work ethic and the skills to succeed at whatever they pursue.
After 20 years, Commander Kuehl retired from the Navy and began a second career flying commercial jets for United Airlines.
