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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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Holt, Ira T.

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  • Holt, Ira T.

Ira Tilton Holt

Preferred Name: Ira
Nickname/Call Sign: IT
Date of Birth: November 6, 1930
Highest Military Grade: 0-5 – Lieutenant Colonel
Hometown: Hamilton, MT
Headed West Date: October 30, 2019
Ira T. Holt - before
Biography
Pilot Information
Headed West
Album

“Being a fighter pilot is one of the best things I ever did in my life.” I’ve experienced some interesting things along the way: On Nov 8, 1952  I was involved in mid-air collision – bailed out after losing a wing.

Other items of note:

I may have been the only 52-F Class member to get 100 missions in Korea
June 1953 – I flew 5 missions on 15th, 4 on 16th, and 1 early on 17th – then weather.
In 1955 – I dead-sticked an F-84F after losing all oil!
Also in 1955 – I took off in an F-84F with an Mk7 shape, a 450 gal tank, two 230 gal tanks, and JATO – my computed takeoff roll was over 10,000 ft.
In 1959 -I landed an F-100A “gear up” – short between throttle and stick.
In the 1960’s – I landed F100C with nose wheel up and locked.

In my civilian life, I was a parachute design engineer, worked on nuclear weapons chutes, and on the recovery system of the Space Shuttle Boosters.

Units Assigned

  • 5/1951-7/1951 Basic Training- Lackland AFB, TX
  • 8/1951-9/1951 Line Flunky – Waco AFB, TX
  • 9/1951-3/1952 Hondo AFB, TX (T-6)
  • 3/1952-9/1952 Webb AFB, TX (T-28, T-33)
  • 9/1952-12/1952 Luke AFB, AZ (F-84G Gunnery)
  • 1/1953-8/1953 Taegu (K2), Korea (F-84G – 100 missions)
  • 9/1953-9/1955 4925 Test Group (Atomic), Kirtland AFB, NM (F-84 C/D/E/F/G, F-86 E/F/H, T-33, F-100A, also logged a little time in B-25, B-45, B-57)
  • 3/1956-5/1957 California ANG, Van Nuys, CA (F-86A)
  • 5/1957-7/1958 New Mexico ANG, Kirtland AFB, NM (F-80C)
  • 8/1958-8/1964 NMANG (F-100 A/F)
  • 8/1964-6/1968 NMANG (F-100 C/D/F)
  • 6/1968-6/1969 at Tuy Hoa AB, RVN (F-100 C/D/F)
  • 6/1969-3/1974 NMANG (F-100 C/D/F)
  • 3-1974-10/1980 NMANG (A-7D)
  • 1981 Retired USAF

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

T-6
T-28
T-33
F-84 C/D/E/F/G
F-84G -1oo missions
F-86 A/E/F/H
F-80C
F-100 A/C/D/F
B-25
B-45
B-57
A-7D

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • 9/1951-3/1952 Pilot Training class 52F, Hondo AFB, Big Spring, TX

Civilian Education:

  • 1957 Aeronautical Engineer, Northrop Aero Institute
  • 1948-1951 Physics major, San Diego State and UCLA

Ira T. Holt, LtColl USAF, Ret., “Headed West” October 30, 2018. 

Ira passed peacefully at home, close to his birthplace in Hamilton, MT, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Ira T. Holt - nowIra was born November 6, 1930, to Henry and Carol Holt, in Covina, California.

Among many accomplishments, Ira attended Northrop Aero Institute, served in the Korean War and Vietnam, retired from the New Mexico Air National Guard and Sandia National Labs as an Aerodynamic Engineer. He was married to the love of his life, Charlene A. (Belt) Holt, for 67 years. Ira loved to hunt and fish, as well as serving for years on the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife. Two of those years, he served as President of the Montana Wildlife Federation.

Ira is survived by his wife, Charlene; four children, Michael (Elaine), Shelley (John), Lucinda (Michael), Mathew (Diane); 11 grandchildren; and 9 great-grandchildren.

Donations in Ira’s name may be made to Marcus Daly Hospice, 1200 Westwood Dr., Hamilton, MT 59840 (1)

Holt is remembered as saying “Being a fighter pilot is one of the best things I ever did in my life.”

Source: (1) https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/abqjournal/name/ira-holt-obituary?id=8755869

 

Ira T. Holt - before
Album Slideshow
Slideshow
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