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
“After the Air Force, I became a born again Fighter Pilot flying F-86s and F-100s for Flight Systems.”
Jim had a long and storied Hun career starting with an A-model gunnery checkout at Nellis AFB in ′58. Next was Turner AFB (309th TFS Jun – Dec ′58); Clark AB, P.I. (510th TFS Sep ′60 – Feb ′62); England AFB (613th/614th TFS Mar ′62 – Jan ′65); Wheelus AB, Libya, (50th TFW/401st TFW Liaison, Feb ′65 – Oct ′67); Tuy Hoa AB, SVN, (306th TFS Dec ′67 – May ′68);Tan Son Nhut AB, SVN, (7th AF Tactics Jun – Dec ′68); Nellis AFB ( F-100 FWS IP Jan – Nov ′69). Then, it was on to the Aardvark world till retirement in Jun ′76.
