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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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Laird, Ray W.

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  • Laird, Ray W.

Ray W. Laird

Preferred Name: Ray
Nickname/Call Sign: Fat Daddy
Date of Birth: June 8, 1936
Highest Military Grade: 0-3 – Captain
Hometown: Corsicana, TX
Biography
Pilot Information

Ray Laird says he had a “Lot of alert time at K8 (Kunsan) and K55 (Osan) along with the 416th TFS. While TDY to Tainan we were moved to Clark AFB to supplement the squadron at Danang when they had strikes up north.

I separated from the AF in June of 1965 and went to work with American Airlines in August of 1965. Retired from American in June of 1996.

Flying the F-100 was the best time of my life.”

Units Assigned

  • 6/1961-6/1965 531st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kusan AB/Osan AB,  South Korea (F-100)

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

F-100

DC-6
DC
B-707
B-727
DC-10
B-767
MD-11

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • Pilot training, transition training in the F-100

Civilian Education:

  • BS/Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M

Wall of Honor Location

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The mission of the Super Sabre Society is to preserve the history of the F-100 Super Sabre and the men who flew the aircraft.

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