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
LTC Charles W. “Bill” Martin, Jr. was the Chief of Standardization and Evaluation at the 192nd Fighter Wing, Virginia Air National Guard at Richmond International Airport.
He was an Instructor Pilot in the F–16C aircraft and in his civilian capacity is responsible for the tactical and instrument flying evaluations of all unit pilots. He is a Command Pilot with over 3,700 flying hours; all of which were accumulated in single-seat, single-engine jet fighters.
Bill was born July 20, 1947, in Petersburg, Virginia, and grew up in Colonial Heights, Virginia, graduating from high school there in 1965. He graduated from Randolph–Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in November 1970.
LTC Martin also graduated from the USAF Air Command and Staff College in 1990 and in 1996 was designated as an Outstanding Graduate from the USAF Air War College.
His military career began at Moody, AFB, Georgia where he attended USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training. Following graduation in February 1971, he was assigned to Tucson, Arizona, where he flew the F–100 Super Sabre. He was then assigned to McConnell AFB, Kansas, where he flew the F–105 Thunderchief. He was then assigned to the Virginia Air National Guard and continued to fly the F–105 for over 1,100 hours of flying time. He transitioned with the unit to the A–7 Corsair II in 1981 and accumulated over 1,400 flying hours before converting to the F–16 Fighting Falcon in 1991. As of April 2000, he had over 1,000 hours in the F–16C and has been deployed to Norway, Panama, Canada, England, Ecuador and Italy to participate in NATO Operation Decisive Endeavor over Bosnia.
LTC Martin‘s military decorations include Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Combat Readiness Medal with one Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, Armed Forces Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award with one Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with an Hourglass Device, Air Force Training Ribbon and Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon.
LTC Martin resides in New Kent, Virginia, with his wife, Laura, and their children, Alex, Jesse, Sara, and Ryan.
