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
Bob Hutten graduated Air Force pilot training in April 1959 and his primary aircraft were the F-100 Super Sabre and the F-4 Phantom II. He flew 122 combat missions over Vietnam where he became a highly decorated combat pilot.
For his meritorious service in the air war, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, The Air Medal with 12 Oak Leaf Clusters, The Bronze Star and the Air Force Commendation Medal. He was honorably discharged from active duty Air Force in 1970 and then joined the California Air National Guard where he flew the C-130 Hercules until he finally retired from the military in 1983. He was recognized federally as a Colonel upon retirement and in the state of California as a Brigadier General.
In 1969, he became a pilot for Continental Airlines where he flew the DC-9, Boeing 707, 727 and 737 until his retirement in Oct, 2001.
