10 June 1969: The U.S. Air Force donated the first North American Aviation X-15, serial number 56-6670, to the Smithsonian Institution for display at the National Air and Space Museum. The first of three X-15A hypersonic research rocketplanes built by North American for the Air Force and the National Advisory Committee (NACA, the predecessor of NASA), 56-6670 made the first glide flight and
Lance is a graduate of Colorado School of Mines. He retired from Colorado Dept of Transportation after 28 years. After retirement he enjoyed ground school and flying a Super Cub in 1975-79.
He was on the original B-29 “T-Square-54” Restoration crew for the Lowry Heritage Museum, beginning Feb. 21, 1987. Lance is a past Wing Museum Board Member for two terms, 1995-2002, and is currently Events Manager and past Volunteer Collections Manager/Volunteer Curator of Military Aircraft, and Life Member of Wings. He was a Board Member for 5 years, and past Colorado Aviation Historical Society, Past President and Chairman of the Board. President and Chairman, Instructor and Field Agent for Colorado Aviation Historical Society Aviation Archaeology Program since 2006.
Lance was also the Flight Line Lead for Rocky Mountain Airshows, Broomfield, RMMA, and is a Life member of the USAF ASSOCIATION. He is also a past officer for Colorado General Aviation Alliance and member, Board Liaison for Colorado Pilots Assoc, member of Antique Aircraft Assoc of Colorado, life member and restoration team of Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, and life member of Spirit of Flight Museum, Erie, CO.
He says he loves “Flying Cutter’s F-100F doing aileron rolls, Mark Johnson’s T-5 Provost and Jack Wilhite’s MiG-17”.
