Would a fleet sortie improve the air battle?

If Kimmel put the fleet to sea, would an air battle over Hawaii produce a better outcome?

Possibly, but Kimmel would more likely use the sortie to pursue the Japanese carriers than to keep the fleet near Hawaii for a local air melee.

A viewer asks whether putting the fleet to sea could have improved the air battle over Hawaii. Kimmel probably would not sortie merely to stage an air melee close to Pearl Harbor. His more likely purpose would be to seek and attack the Japanese carriers. Moving ships offshore and conducting an offensive search create different risks, objectives, and demands for reconnaissance.