A 1956 graduate of the USAF Flight Test Pilot School, Colonel Wendell Shawler flew many of the nation's early military jets from the F-80 through the F-104, conducting cold weather tests in Alaska, hot weather tests in Arizona and icing tests on the F-101B.
He was Chief of Fighter Flight Test at Edwards Air Force Base and the first director of the F-15 Joint Test Force, where he became the first USAF pilot to fly the F-15 Eagle. After retiring from the USAF; Shawler became Chief Test Pilot and Edwards Test Site Director for Fairchild Republic Company for the A-10 and T-146.
He flew A-10 test missions, conducting the first flight of the YA-10B, the initial flight test of the Night Adverse Weather System and test flights on the T-46, including the 62% Scale Next Generation Trainer. He later became a test pilot for the National Test Pilot School.
Shawler Flew the F-94 in the Korean War. He flew the 0-1 as Forward Air Controller, and the MIG-17, testing the Chinese version of this aircraft over Vietnam. He flew a total of 296 combat missions encompassing 580 hours in combat. During a flight test career spanning 40 years, Shawler flew over 9,000 hours in 78 types of aircraft, including the U-2, T-39, F-101, F-102, F-104, F-4, A-7, A-37, T-38, F-14 and F-15. He spent more than 26 years performing flight test in the the skies above the Antelope Valley.
Colonel Shawler is a Fellow and Past President of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He has been honored with the Legion of Merit twice, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 13 Air Medals, three Air Force Commendation Medals and the Aerospace Walk of Honor.