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
Al Lewis says, “Was in a flying job for 24 of my 28 years”. Al began as an Aviation Cadet in 1959 and was a Distinguished Graduate in 1960.
Al remembers that while he was in the 460th TFS at Portland, “the ADC decreed that all flights above 50 grand would be in a full pressure suit. We all dutifully went to Tyndal AFB and got fitted for the orange full suit modified from the Mercury astronauts suits. I, being a 2/Lt at the time, was designated the guinea pig for life support troops to practice suiting up.”
Al retired June 1, 1987, after 28 years in the USAF.
