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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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Nicolson, Herbert L.

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  • Nicolson, Herbert L.

Herbert L. Nicolson

Preferred Name: Nic
Date of Birth: December 14, 1935
Highest Military Grade: 0-3 – Captain
Hometown: Baldwin, NY
Biography
Pilot Information
Album

In 1955 I enlisted in the USAF and applied for Aviation Cadets.

I flew the F-100A at Nellis in mid-1958 after the F-84F at Luke during Advanced Pilot Training. I remember going into burner to 50,000 feet to see how it would fly at that altitude. Wasn’t that comfortable really. I learned about adverse yaw during a night flight when I got a little slow turning from base to final.

After Nellis, I was assigned to the 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron/20th Tactical Fighter Wing at Wethersfield where they had F-100D’s.

In 1966, I resigned my commission and joined American Airlines, where I flew DC-6, BAC 111, B727, B707, DC-10, B747, Airbus A300-600, B757, and B767.

I retired in December of 1995 at the mandatory age of 60.

Units Assigned

  • 1955 Enlisted USAF
  • 1956 Lackland AFB for Preflight
  • 1957 Spence AB, GA (T-34, T-28)
  • 1957-1958 Bryan AFB, TX (T-33)
  • 1958 Luke AFB, AZ/Nellis AFB, NV (F-84F, F-100A
  • 1958-1962 – 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron/20th Tactical Fighter Wing, Wethersfield, England
  • 1962-1966 – 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron and 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, England AFB, LA
  • 1966 resigned commission

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

T-34
T-28
T-33
F-84F
F-100A
DC-6
BAC111
B727
B707
DC-10
B747
AirBus A-300-600
B757
B767

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • SOS

Civilian Education:

  • 2 yrs. Hofstra University

Nicolson, Herb
Album Slideshow
Slideshow
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Wall of Honor Location

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