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This Day in History – June 10, 1969 – The X-15 gets a place in history

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

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Skowron, Edward R.

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Edward R. Skowron

Preferred Name: Edward
Nickname/Call Sign: Moose
Date of Birth: June 9, 1934
Highest Military Grade: 0-5 – Lieutenant Colonel
Hometown: Cheshire, MA
Edward R. Skowron - before
Edward R. Skowron - now
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Ed Skowron left the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts in 1953 to go from high school to flight school and on to 52 years of active aviation. He trained as an Air Force fighter pilot spending 24 years in the trade. He flew various types from the subsonic F-84s to the supersonic F-100, F-105, the A-7 and F-4.

He completed two combat tours in Southeast Asia flying in the first organized mission in the F-105 on Jan 13 1965 and then in the A-7 on the last day of aerial combat in Cambodia on Aug 15 1973 as the “Sandy” Squadron Commander responsible for the location and rescue of downed airmen. Following military retirement, he joined the staff of Learjet factory test pilots and for 26 years flew domestic and worldwide production and experimental testing as well as representing the FAA as a Designated Engineering Representative test pilot.

He also flew customer demonstration and delivery flights. He was type rated in all variants of the Learjet and accumulated more than 15,000 hours of military and civilian flying.

This story about Ed titled We Weren’t Flying Over Laos – Ed “Moose” Skowron appeared first on American Warrior Radio.

We Weren’t Flying Over Laos (by Ben Buehler-Garcia)

Ed “Moose” Skowron accumulated more than 15,000 hours in the cockpits of both civilian and military aircraft. Some were combat missions over Laos that were not credited. However, it was his 99th combat mission in Vietnam that he remembers most.

Ed wanted to be a pilot since he was a child. He wanted to fly for the Air Force or Navy but admits he didn’t like school all that much, which limited his options.

The Air Force had a navigator training program that didn’t require a college degree so he signed up. After beginning training, his class was informed that the Air Force was short pilots and any navigator interested could test for pilot school. Ed jumped at the chance.

Some of his first training would be a Luke Air Force base outside of Phoenix, which would prove ironic later in life. As a 21-year-old flying with nuclear weapons under his wings, he remarks why war is a young man’s vocation.

Ed jokingly confirms that during the early days of the Vietnam War “We were not in Cambodia and we were DEFINITELY not flying over Laos.” He relates one mission while “not flying over Laos”. A covert ground operator radioed he was popping white smoke to pinpoint his location. When Ed saw white smoke rising through the tree canopy he radioed back to confirm. The reply he received was “I did NOT pop smoke – put all your bombs on that location.” It turned out the enemy had been monitoring their radio frequency and ending up paying for that deception with their lives.

Units Assigned

  • 1956-1959 8th/416th Tactical Fighter Squadron (F-84G and a dollar Hun ride)
  • 1959-1960 57th AD 8th AF Westover, Jet upgrade IP (T-33)
  • 1960-1961 Luke/Nellis AFB, The long Course (F100 C/D/F)
  • 1961-1962 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron/18th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kadena, Okinawa, (F-100D)
  • 1962-1963 TDY, Nellis AFB, NV (F-105D Initial)
  • 1963-1965 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron Kadena AB, Japan/Korat AB, Thailand (F-105D)
  • 1965-1966 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron Korat, Thailand
    Shot down on 99th Mission, 100th in HU-16
  • 1966-1969 Staff Officer, TAC HQ, Langley, Fighter Training Branch (T-33)
  • 1969-1970 Ops Officer, Det 1, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, Luke AFB, AZ, Cat III Testing ( A-7D)
  • 1969-1971 Commander, Det 1, Davis Monthan AFB, Completion, Testing (A-7D)
  • 1971-1972 Wing Flight Examiner, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, Davis Monthan AFB, AZ (A-7D)
  • 1972-1973 Ops Officer, 3rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Korat AB, Thailand, Replacing A-1s in the Search and Rescue role in SEA (A-7D)
  • 1973-1974 Commander, 3rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Korat AB, Thailand To end of hostilities.
  • 1974-1977 Asst Dir, Stan Eval, 9th AF, Shaw AFB, SC (T-33, A-7D, F100D/F)
  • 1977-1978 Air Force Advisor, 169th TFG, McEntire ANGB, SC, Completing conversion from Air Defense to Tactical Air Command ( A-7D)
  • 1978 Retired USAF, continued testing Learjets thru 2004.

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

F-84 G
T-33
F-100 C/D/F
F-105 D
A-7 D

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • 1954 Enlisted Aviation Cadets
  • 1955 Columbus and Bryan Graduating Class 55L. Fighter Training
  • Del Rio and Luke. T-Bird, F-84 E/F/G.
  • Instructor Pilot School Waco
  • SOS Maxwell AFB, AL

Civilian Education:

  • 1953 Adams High School

In Vietnam, 100 combat missions were required before being sent home. Ed’s last mission in September of 1966 was supposed to be a “milk run”. But diving to check out a burned-out truck he soon found himself staring down the barrels of numerous anti-aircraft guns. He was hit and headed out to sea. Smoke got so bad in the cockpit that Ed couldn’t see his own hands.

He tried to eject but soon realized he had neglected to remove the seat pins during pre-flight checks. Luckily he was able to remove the pin and ejected.

The rescue crew that landed in the ocean to rescue him was a reserve unit out of Luke AFB – they were on their very first mission and Ed was on his last. When the rescue crew landed, mortars and other rounds churned the water all around them. Ed recalls the pilots’ eyes were wide as saucers. Despite a few wounds he was recovered and went on to a long aviation career.

TAKEAWAY: “You DID NOT want to get shot down over Laos. At least in North Vietnam, there was a chance you would be taken prisoner.”

Skowran, Ed Moose
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