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
The following was sent to the SSS from John’s son…
“According to Dad’s flight log, on August 22, 1957, he gave the first-ever instrument flight check in the F-100F to Jesse Locke who passed with flying colors.
Dad was named Outstanding Instructor at Nellis for his work in the F-100 when he was tasked with evaluating the aircraft’s instrument training capabilities. After recognizing the project’s inherent problems while flying numerous project sorties, he developed the original techniques used in the instrument phase of the F-100. It was upon his suggestions and recommendations that the Instrument Phase Briefing Manual used by students at Nellis was based. He was solely responsible for developing practice instrument letdowns and approaches that were adaptable to the F-100.
He also revised the techniques and procedures adaptable to the F-100 that involved Radio range, Automatic Direction Finding, Visual Omni Range, and Ground Controlled Approaches. For his highly successful, aggressive handling of his assignment, he received letters of commendation from Col. Bruce Hinton and Gen. James McGehee.
After retiring in 1975 after 25 years of distinguished service, Dad raised beefalo in Kyrock, Ky. and lived in his boyhood home in Bowling Green, Ky.”
