Lieutenant General William Knowles Yuhico Hotchkiss III (born January 8, 1943) is a retired
Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) () is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Initially formed as part of the Philippine Army as the Philippine Army Air Corps (PAAC) in 1935, the PAAC eventually saw combat ...
general who served as the 24th
Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force
The Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force is the overall commander and senior general of the Philippine Air Force, the aerial warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is normally held by a three-star rank of Lieutena ...
(PAF) and the former Director General of the
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP, ; ) is the civil aviation authority of the Philippines and is responsible for implementing policies on civil aviation to assure safe, economic and efficient air travel. The agency also in ...
. He is also the current President of the Cantilan Bank, a rural bank in
Surigao del Sur
Surigao del Sur (Surigaonon language, Surigaonon: ''Probinsya nan Surigao del Sur''; ; ), officially the Province of Surigao del Sur, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Caraga Regions of the Philippines ...
.
He served various positions in preparation to the more demanding position in the PAF. He was a member of the famed Blue Diamonds, and a combat ready fighter and trainer pilot. On November 29, 1996, he became the Commanding General of the PAF. Further, in line with environmental protection, he is an ''ex officio'' member of the
Philippine Eagle Foundation.
Military career
Hotchkiss joined the Philippine Air Force as cadet in
Philippine Air Force Flying School
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
in 1962 where he graduated in 1964. He became an instructor pilot after graduation.
In 1966, he joined the 5th Fighter Wing in Basa Air Base where he stayed for ten years and became a member of Elite Blue Diamonds of the Philippine Air Force. He flew 79 combat sorties against the enemies of the state at that time.
Over the years of dedicated service in the Philippine Air Force, he garnered several awards and decorations, in recognition of his professionalism and outstanding contribution and was assigned to different key sensitive positions up the ladder until he assumed position as the 24th Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force on November 29, 1996, until 1999.
Cantilan Bank
After his retirement in 1999, Hotchkiss joined the Cantilan Bank, a rural bank jointly founded by his father and sixteen other incorporators in 1980.
Now, it holds distinction as the most recognized rural bank in the country and the only community bank that is compliant with international standards.
Currently, Hotchkiss is the president and chairman of the board of Cantilan Bank.
CAAP Director General
On August 29, 2012, Hotchkiss was appointed as director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), ending a two-month stint as a mere director and officer in charge of an agency vital to aviation reforms.
He is the former Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. He is the current President of the Cantilan Bank, a rural bank in Surigao del Sur. He became the 24th commanding general of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
He served various positions in preparation to the more demanding position in the PAF. He was a member of the famed Blue Diamonds, a combat ready pilot. On November 29, 1996, he became the Commanding General of the PAF. Further, in line with environmental protection, he is an ''ex officio'' member of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.
External links
Biography of “The Environmentalist” William K. Hotchkiss from the Philippine Air Force website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hotchkiss, William 03
Philippine Air Force generals
Filipino environmentalists
1943 births
Living people
Filipino people of American descent
People from Surigao del Sur