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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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Shanks, Theodore E.

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  • Shanks, Theodore E.

Theodore E. Shanks

Preferred Name: Ted
Date of Birth: November 22, 1941
Highest Military Grade: 0-6 – Colonel
Hometown: Portland, OR
Theodore E. Shanks - before
Biography
Pilot Information

“Ted Shanks grew up in Africa a son of a missionary dentist in West Africa. He was a USAF navigator and fighter pilot in the 123rd, 124th and 112th Fighter Squadrons retired a USAF Colonel in 1992.

He was a Flight Engineer, Co-pilot and Captain for United Airlines (as well as a Line Check Airman for United training and qualifying newly trained pilots on the Boeing 777 – Ted’s moniker is “UAL Boss”). In Ted’s “spare time” he built a small light plane – still has it and has built several cedar strip small boats. Incidentally if you would like to see a well-equipped and maintained trawler look at the “Malaika” moored in John Wayne Marina.

Married…to Judy a retired School principal. Three offspring; Molly a Safety Managing Director for Alaska Airlines, Shelley a Director of Elementary Education in Marysville and son T.J. a Lt. Colonel and Squadron Commander in the USAF. Judy is an inveterate quilter and instructor in the US Power Squadron.

Ted is active in Freemasonry, the US Power Squadron the Sequim Bay Yacht Club.” (1)

Source (1): https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000000726/en-ca/files/homepage/january-2019/January-2019.pdf

Units Assigned

  • 1960 123rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron, ORANG (F-89J)
  • 1969 124th Fighter Interceptor Squadron IAANG (F-102A, F-89J)
  • 1972 112th Tactical Fighter Squadron, OHANG (F-84F, F-100 D/F, A-7D)

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

F-89J
F-100 D/F
F-84F
A-7D

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • 1962 USAF Navigator School
  • 1966 USAF Pilot Training
  • 1970 Air Command & Staff
  • 1977 ICAF
  • 1978 Air War College

Civilian Education:

  • 1965 BGE, University of Omaha
  • 2005 MSI, American Military University

Wall of Honor Location

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