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
Bill Hayes loved bluegrass, old Westerns, Coca-Cola, playing golf, and crisp, uncirculated currency. He never entered a room quietly. He was a man of strong faith whose impassioned prayers were for his country and his family, and every day he picked fresh flowers from the garden for Kathleen, his wife of nearly 60 years.
He spent 29 years in the United States Air Force. He was an F-100 and A-7D fighter pilot, a Vietnam War veteran, and Commander of the 75th Tactical Fighter Squadron based at England AFB, LA. His later assignments took him to Saudi Arabia and to the Pentagon, and he retired as a colonel with multiple honors.
After serving his country, Bill flew for Sun Country Airlines, Minneapolis, MN, and made Captain in a little over three years. He then went into Management after seven years (while still flying). In his ninth year, he became VP of Flt Ops. and retired in February of 2002.
Bill and his family moved to Sumter, SC. He had some arrhythmia problems with his heart which a Doctor in Charleston solved with ablation.
He continued to work and taught Operations Management courses, at Shaw AFB, to students enrolled with Webster University. This lasted about two years (“I guess what goes around, comes around,” Bill says).
After another retirement Bill said, “I am now, just retired”.
He was a long-time active member of the Super Sabre Society.
