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
“I directed the F-100D/F maintenance activities of the 481st Tactical Fighter Squadron during conversion from the centralized maintenance concept of Air Force Manual 66-1 to a reconstituted Tactical Fighter Squadron. My duties and responsibilities expanded from those of a Flight-line Maintenance Officer to a Material Staff Officer.
I was assigned five officers and 242 enlisted personnel to provide complete organizational support for 18 F-100 fighter aircraft. The support included squadron: Supply, Quality Control, Maintenance Control, Avionics, Munitions, Aero Repair, Aerospace Ground Equipment, Flight-line, Motor Vehicle, and Propulsion Maintenance.
I contributed to the 27th Wing plan for Facilities utilization and organized the hangars and buildings assigned to my squadron into the necessary shops. The conversion was accomplished while supporting the Replacement Training Unit mission (RTU) of the 481st Tactical Fighter Squadron.
During the period 31 October, 1966 to 12 August, 1968 we increased the aircraft utilization rate from 16 to 22 hours per month, and graduated every class of RTU pilots ahead of schedule.”
