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
On a refueling training flight out of Clark AB in the Philippines (with Colonel Chuck Yeager on my wing), the basket came off onto my probe. Colonel Yeager was my Wing Commander at Clark, and my witness that it was a materiel (lock ring) failure and not my fault.
After leaving the Air Force I flew the B727, DC9, and MD-80 for Trans World Airlines, retiring as Captain on the MD-80 in 2000.
I had a couple of horses during the ’70s and ’80s and enjoyed Competitive Trail Riding. During a furlough from TWA in 1970, I attended horseshoeing school and then worked as a farrier (horseshoer), which I continued for several years after my recall to TWA!
