Airbus A330-200F Multi signed by crew

For the maiden flight of its new mid-sized, long-haul A330-200 Freighter, Airbus assembled a seasoned cockpit team: test pilots Philippe Perrin and Martin Scheuermann, and flight engineers Wolfgang Brueggemann, Stephane Vaux, and Pascal Vernau.

Philippe Perrin - Test pilot, joined the Airbus Flight Test department in 2004. Interested in engine design, he took part in the development of the Geared Turbo Fan in Toulouse and the development of the PowerJet SaM 146 in Russia.He graduated from the French Ecole Polytechnique in 1985, and first flew in the French Air Force, obtaining the qualification of test pilot. In addition, he participated in the development of the French Mirage 2000-5 multi-role jet fighter. Perrin has logged more than 4,000 flight hours on over 50 different types of aircraft, including the Airbus A300 Zero-G, which is in service with Novespace. In addition to his test pilot work, Perrin was selected to become an astronaut in 1996. He was assigned to the STS 111 space shuttle mission to the International Space Station, where he performed three space walks.

Martin Scheuermann - Test Pilot joined Airbus in 2001 as a test pilot. Previously, he trained in the army and the navy – including flying the Breguet-Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft – and qualified as a pilot with Lufthansa. In 1993, he qualified as a test pilot at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in California. From 1994 to 1998, he worked as a test pilot on transport aircraft, and in particular on the Breguet-Atlantic ATL and Aérospatiale/Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Transall. Before coming to Airbus, he was employed as an instructor at the French test pilot school in Istres.

Wolfgang Brueggemann - Flight Test Engineer graduated from the Empire Test Pilots' School in 1993 as Flight Test Engineer. After graduation, he worked in the Airbus Production Flight Test Department until he was nominated to Development Flight Test in 2000.
Beyond general aircraft testing, he is specialised in systems flight testing on all Airbus aircraft types. He has accumulated approximately 3,000 flight test hours on all Airbus types.
Brueggemann joined Airbus in Hamburg as a systems development engineer in 1980. After moving to Airbus in Toulouse in 1983, he participated within the chief engineer teams in the systems design of the A320 and A340.

Stephane Vaux - Flight Test Engineer was appointed flight test engineer in 2001 after working in the Airbus Design Office for eight years, both in Toulouse and Hamburg.
As a flight test engineer, he has accumulated more than 1,500 flight hours on all Airbus aircraft types. He is involved in the development tests and in the handling qualities and flight control systems aspects of all Airbus aircraft types. He began his flight test career in 1997 as a ground engineer specialising in handling qualities and flight control systems.

Pascal Verneau - Flight Test Engineer started his career in flight test in 1993 and joined Airbus’ flight test division in 1999. At Airbus, he participated in the development tests of the A340-600, then became aircraft manager for the second flight test A380 aircraft. Since the beginning of the A380 certification campaign, he has flown 2,500 hours on Airbus’ 21st century flagship jetliner. Verneau has accumulated more than 8,000 flight hours on over 90 different aircraft types and helicopters.

Charles A.Plummer 1936-2010

The first flight of the prototype of the AV-8B Harrier took place at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis on Nov. 9, 1978.The aircraft hovered for seven minutes at an altitude of 130 feet above the runway.
The short flight by MCAIR Pilot Charlie Plummer culminated weeks of ground testing the light attack aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps.

Thomas Morgenfeld

Thomas A. Morgenfeld is a 1965 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1967. He had two fleet tours flying the F-8 Crusader, one in Fighter Squadron SIXTY-TWO and one in Fighter Squadron ONE-NINETY-ONE. There he flew more than 120 combat missions and amassed more than 500 carrier landings. Between the two tours he attended the United States Naval Postgraduate School where he earned his M.S. degree in aeronautical engineering. In 1975 he attended the Empire Test Pilots' School in England, winning the McKenna Trophy as top student in his class. In 1976 Mr. Morgenfeld was ordered to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron FOUR where he participated in several classified test programs in addition to serving as the F-18 Project Pilot. In 1979 Mr. Morgenfeld went on to USAF exchange duty with the 4477th Test and Evaluation Flight. While there he became the first Naval Aviator to qualify as an Air Force Aggressor pilot.
Mr. Morgenfeld joined Lockheed in December 1979 as an Experimental Test Pilot in the world famous Skunk Works. There he was assigned to the F-117 program where he has flown almost 1,300 hours in testing that radical aircraft. In 1989 Mr. Morgenfeld went on to the Advanced Tactical Fighter program where he was primarily responsible for flying the second YF-22A prototype. After Lockheed won that competition, he was named Chief Test Pilot for the YF-22A follow-on test program. In 1991 he was named Chief Test Pilot for the Skunk Works and in 1999 was promoted to Director of Flight Operations as well. He was the Chief Test Pilot on the Joint Strike Fighter program where he performed the first flight on the X-35 and tested all three versions of the airplane. He also served as an Engineering Technical Fellow of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. until his retirement in 2004.
Mr. Morgenfeld, a retired Navy Captain, is a Fellow and past President of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He is a member of two Collier Trophy winning teams and has been inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor.

Nello L.Infanti 1921-2010

Nello Infanti was born December 23, 1921 in Fiume Veneto, Italy. In 1930, his family emigrated to Buffalo, N.Y. Through the challenges of being an immigrant in the United States, during the Great Depression, Nello persevered, attending Technical High School majoring in Architecture. He was a multi-sport athlete (baseball, basketball, track and tennis), being most proud of his baseball success over Warren Spahn, posting a career batting average of .667 against the future baseball Hall of Fame pitcher.Upon graduation from Tech in 1939, Nello worked briefly for Bell Aircraft and Curtis – Wright before enlisting in the Army in 1942 to pursue his dream of flying. In 1943, he graduated from combat flight school as a fighter pilot and was deployed to the European theater. He was primarily stationed in North Africa, flying over 60 combat missions in a P-38 fighter-bomber in Southern Italy, Europe, Africa and Russia, most against the German Luftwaffe. He returned to the U.S. in 1945, spending one year as an Army Aircorps flight instructor. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with Seven Oak Leaf Clusters for his exceptional service to our country and with four confirmed "kills" was one confirmed "kill" from being designated an "Ace".In May of 1946, Nello went to work for Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory and in 1947 married the love of his life and childhood sweetheart Louise (Belluz). From 1948 through 1951, he attended Rennsselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and received his Aeronautical Engineering Degree in 1951. He continued his education in mathematics and physics, accumulating over 30 post graduate credits at the University of Buffalo.Nello also successfully completed a two-year college course, in six months, at Edwards Air Force Base, receiving a very rare degree, for a civilian, awarded by the United States Air Force, in "Flight Techniques and Engineering Principles of Experimental Testing".From 1952 through 1958 Nello continued to serve his country in the Air Force Reserve as a Squadron Commander for a jet fighter – bomber wing.Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory (later called Calspan) was where Nello pursued his passion and excelled during his 40-year career there, retiring in 1987. He became the Company's Chief Test Pilot in 1963 and accumulated over 9,000 hours of flight test time, while flying over 100 types of aircraft. He made first flights, and subsequent developmental flights on many cutting edge and highly classified research programs. Most of the testing was done in four extensively modified and highly sophisticated in-flight simulators:• The C-131H Total In-Flight Simulator (TIFS) which was the training vehicle for the Space Shuttle pilots (he actually trained astronauts such as Cols. Hank Hartsfield, Gordon Fullerton, Joseph Engle, John Young and others) as well as the B-1 Bomber, C-5 and the Concorde• NT-33A fighter simulator, which was the training vehicle for the famous X-15 program• The X-22A variable stability take-off and landing aircraft • The LearjetHe flew extensive development flights in six other variable stability simulators: F-94, Jet Star B-26, C-45, and two helicopters. Nello also flew the first IFR flight in TIFS with an experimental Fiber Optics control System believed to be an aviation FIRST.In all, Nello accumulated over 12,000 hours of total flying time of which approximately 2200 hours were in jets. He was supersonic rated right up to the time of his retirement.A long time member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and in October of 1977, Nello was designated a Fellow, one of only 85 out of the Society's 1,450 members. Included in this illustrious and very exclusive peer group of Fellows were Astronauts and giants of aviation history such as Neil Armstrong, Chuck Yaeger, Scott Crossfield, Deke Slayton, Alan Shepard and Bob White, to name a few, most of whom were considered friends. Nello was always active in organizations in which he believed. He continued his affiliation with his alma mater – RPI by serving on numerous committees, receiving recognition "for his many years of service as - Secondary School and Alumni Scholarship Programs Coordinator". He was a past President of the Aero Club of Buffalo and a member of QB (Quiet Birdman) Buffalo Hangar, Silver Wings and was a Deputy Sheriff in the Erie County Aviation Reserve Division. Nello is also an inductee in two Halls of Fame:• The Niagara Frontier Aviation Hall of Fame• The Western New York Softball Hall of Fame

Daniel K. “Shaka” Hinson 1963-

A native of Charleston, SC, Daniel K. “Shaka” Hinson graduated from the University of South Carolina and was commissioned in the United States Navy in May of 1985. After his first assignment training prospective Naval Flight Officers at VT-10 in Pensacola, he deployed with VFA-15 aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt in 1991, and flew combat missions in support of Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Provide Comfort. He reported as a member of the United States Naval Test Pilot School’s (USNTPS) 103rd class in June of 1992.

A distinguished graduate from USNTPS, Dan was assigned to the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, MD, from June, 1993 to June, 1995. As a test pilot for the Ordnance Department, he was the Project Officer for the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), the Automated Tactical Manual Supplement (ATACS) and many other smaller programs. He also flew test flights in support of High Lateral Asymmetry Flying Qualities envelope expansion, Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Engineering and Manufacturing Development, and Automated Carrier Landing Systems certification on three aircraft carriers. He successfully launched the first free-flight JSOW at China Lake, CA in December, 1994, which marked the new era of GPS/INS-only guided munitions. Later in December of 1994, he was awarded the Captain “Axel” Hazelrigg Award for superior leadership.

Dan reported directly to the VFA-131 “Wildcats” in June of 1995, where he flew missions in support of Operations Decisive Endeavor and Southern Watch. In late November, 1997, he reported to the Staff of USNTPS and in addition to personally managing the Weapons Integration and Night Vision Device exercises, he held the positions of Senior Airborne Systems Curriculum Instructor and Operations Officer. During this tour, he was selected as the 1998 USNTPS Instructor of the Year.

Dan served as the C-5 Plans Cell Chief at the Balkans Combined Air Operations Center, Vicenza, Italy, before returning to the United States in March, 2001 and serving as the Carrier Air Wing SEVEN Operations Officer. Highlights of this tour include support for Operation Noble Eagle for homeland defense following the attack of September 11, 2001, and combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom while deployed aboard USS John F. Kennedy in 2002.

After reporting in October, 2002 for duty as the Executive Officer, then Commander Hinson took command of the Strike Fighter Weapons School, Pacific in January, 2004. He subsequently reported to the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office as the Communication, Navigation and Identification Integrated Product Team Lead in June of 2005. Dan retired from the Navy in June, 2008, and joined Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) as a Program Manager and Test Pilot for the Navy T-6B Program. He has been the Research, Development, Test & Evaluation Manager and Lead Test Pilot for the AT-6 Program since January, 2009. Highlights of flight testing while at HBC include Navy T-6B air-to-air and air-to-ground tactical training system software testing, as well as envelope expansion, system integration and flight demonstration of the AT-6 from first flight through the Joint Expeditionary Forces Experiment in April, 2010.

Dan has accumulated over 4,500 total flight hours in 69 different airplanes and helicopters, including 2,700 hours in all series of the F/A-18 and 504 carrier arrested landings. He holds the civilian certification of Air Transport Pilot. In 2006, Dan organized, incorporated and was the first President of the USNTPS Alumni Association, in which position he served for two years. His SETP activities have included Symposium Papers in 1995 & 2009; East Coast Section Secretary, Treasurer and Vice-Chairman; he is currently the Central Section Vice-Chairman.

Alain Di Bianca

Alain Di Bianca

The EC175, the latest member of the Eurocopter range, performed its official maiden flight in the skies above Marignane on December 17th 2009. At the controls were Alain Di Bianca, Eurocopter Experimental Test Pilot, as well as Michel Oswald and Patrick Bremont, Flight Test Engineers.

Paul Rudolf (Rudy) Opitz 1910-2010

He was born on August 9, 1910 in the town of Landeshut, in Silesia Germany. He started his love for flying by joining a local flying club and teaching himself how to fly in a homebuilt glider. After receiving formal instruction in 1932, he entered and placed in several gliding competitions. Between 1941 and 1945, he acted as chief military test pilot for the Me-163A and Me-163B rocket powered interceptor aircraft. He made the first powered flight of the Me-163B, the only rocket powered interceptor aircraft ever to achieve operational status. The Me-163 Komet was a tailless rocket powered interceptor and was the fastest aircraft to see combat in World World II, achieving a top speed of well over 600 MPH in level flight. At the end of World War II, he was recruited by the U.S. Government, ultimately coming to the U.S. to work at Wright Paterson Air Force base as a part of operation Paperclip, the U.S. government operation that brought Dr. Wernher von Braun, Dr. Anselm Franz, and other noted German Scientists to the U.S.A. He became a U.S. Citizen in 1955 and in 1956, he left Wright Patterson to be a test pilot at the newly formed turbine division of Lycoming Co. in Stratford, which was formed by fellow paperclip scientist Dr. Franz. At Lycoming, he worked as Chief of Flight Test Operations supporting the development of gas turbine engines for helicopters and aircraft until his retirement. He also served as an FAA pilot examiner for glider private, commercial, and flight-instructor ratings for over three decades.

Colin Allen 1924-2006

Colin Allen was born in 1924 and was educated at Eton College and Cambridge. He joined the Royal Airforce in 1943 finally serving in 540Sqn P.R.U flying Mosquitos.
On leaving the RAF in 1947, he spent twelve months as a pilot with Central African Airways. He then joined British European Airways and flew with them as a pilot for three years. During this period he was also a member of No. 604 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force.) flying Vampires before joining Avro.
In 1952 he joined Vickers Armstrong (Weybridge) Ltd., and was, for six years, a production and experimental test pilot flying Valiant and Viscount aircraft.He joined Avro as a test pilot in 1959.
After leaving Avro he went to the Air Investigation Branch (A.I.B) in the late 60s, before joining an African based airline flying DC8s. He then rejoined the A.I.B before retiring in the 1980s.

James Rodney Blackett Hartnoll 1914-1952

Test pilots (Left to right )Bill Humble,Alex Henshaw,Jeffrey Quill,Geoffrey deHavilland,F.H. Dixon,Colin Evans, Pat Fillingham and J.R.B Hartnoll.

Photo by Charles E Brown, Copyright RAF Museum.

J. R. B. Hartnoll was born in 1914, and educated at Harrow and University College, Oxford, he learned to fly with the Wiltshire Club in 1936, and soon afterwards joined the R.A.F. Shortly before the war he went to the de Havilland Company, but was called up as a member of the R.A.F.O. and posted as an instructor to No. 3 F.T.S., South Cerney. In 1941 he was seconded to de Havillands as a test pilot. He flew for their Propeller Division until the end of the war, and carried out the initial development flying of the first D.H. braking airscrews. After a short period at the end of the war in the D.H. engine-installation department, he started Photo Flight, Ltd., at Elstree, in 1948. He was now able to combine his interests in aviation and photography, and to specialize in commercial air photographs of high quality.Mr. Hartnoll lost his life when a light aircraft—in which he was returning from photographing a factory in Wiltshire—dived into the ground near Booker airfield.

Bernard 'Benny' I. Lynch B.E.M 1919-1986

Benny Lynch (in cockpit) with J.O Lancaster

On the 24th July 1946, Gloster Meteor EE416 flying 350 mph at 4500 feet before the first live ejection test in the UK. Undertaken by Bernard (Benny) Lynch, then one of Martin-Baker’s experimental fitters, at a speed of 320 mph, this ejection was perfect and was undoubtedly a landmark in the development of aircrew escape equipment and a highlight in the history of the Martin-Baker Aircraft Company.
From July 1946 Benny Lynch went on to make a further sixteen live ejection tests from the Meteors, both at home and overseas, and was awarded the British Empire Medal for his work. In all he made over 30 ejections.

Brian A. Powell 1921-2014

Brian Powell was always keen on flying. His first flight,at the age of six, was on an Avro 504K. He started gliding at Dunstable in 1936 and was a founding member of the Surrey Gliding Club.

He was originally trained in civil engineering, but had joined the University of London Squadron in 1937 and had graduated to the Hawker Hart when war broke out in 1939. However he was under age and was unable to join the RAFVR. He re-applied on his 18th birthday but was made a flying instructor for the whole war finishing at CFS in Rhodesia and latterly at Cranwell before being demobilised in 1946.By this time he had already taken a professional pilot’s licence.

After some three years in civil aviation where he was Chief Pilot of Westminster Airways he decided to combine his engineering training with flying and joined Vickers as a test pilot on the Viscount 630, Varsity and Valettas.

He was transferred to Airspeeds where he did development work on the Ambassador including Tropical Trials.Thereafter he went to de Havilland on the Comet 1. He was posted to Harwarden where the Comet 3 was being built.He also flew Venoms, Vampires, Doves and Herons.

He decided that there appeared to be no future with de Havilland so he went back into commercial flying as Chief Training Captain for Hunting Clan where he spent seven years flying Viscounts, Avro Yorks, DC 3’s, DC 6’s, Vikings and Brittannias.

Hunting-Clan was merged to form British United Airways, where he was Chief Test Pilot and also a route captain They were the first airline to order the BAC 1-11.

Subsequently,when Mike Lithgow and Dick Rymer were killed on the BAC 1-11 Deep stall accident and,at BAC’s request he was seconded back to Wisley where - in addition to development flying on the 1-11 and VC10 he spent three years training customers’ pilots. Returning to British United (which was subsequently taken over by Caledonian) he flew 1-ll’s VC10’s and 707’s until he retired in 1977.

He joined the Guild of Air Pilots & Navigators in 1946 and worked on various committees there eventually becoming Chairman of the Technical Committee. He served on the Court of the Guild for 21 years.

Flugkapitan Hanna Reitsch 1912–1979

Born in 1912, in Hirschberg, Silesia, from an early age Hanna wanted to fly. In her autobiography she wrote, “The longing grew in me, with every bird I saw go flying across the azure summer sky”. Despite her parents' misgivings, she managed to persuade them to let her take up gliding in her teens. She loved flying from the start, and although she started to study medicine, her true love was always aviation. She managed to convince her parents that for a future career as a flying doctor in Africa she would need a pilot’s licence, and began to take lessons in powered flight. Proving herself to be both dedicated and determined when it came to anything to do with flight, she soon gave up her medical studies to become a gliding instructor for a number of years, also winning many glider competitions and gaining a number of records.

From 1935, Hanna began to be involved in glider research and test gliding. In 1937 she was one of the first pilots to cross the Alps in a glider. Around this time she was ordered to report to a Luftwaffe testing station for duty as a test pilot, and thus began the type of flying for which she is best known. She flew a wide variety of types of military aircraft, including the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka and Dornier Do 17. Her obvious flying skill made her a star in the Nazi party, though she herself was not interested in politics and simply loved flying.

With the outbreak of war in 1939 Hanna was asked to fly many of Germany's latest designs. Among these were the rocket-propelled Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, and several larger bombers, on which she tested various mechanisms for cutting barrage balloon cables. She became Adolf Hitler's favourite pilot and was one of only two women awarded the Iron Cross First Class during World War II.

In 1937 Hanna first flew an early helicopter, designed by Professor Focke of Bremen. Teaching herself to fly it, she thoroughly impressed its inventor, and was soon engaged to fly indoors, demonstrating the new flying machine to the public inside the Deutschlandhalle at the Berlin Motor Show. This gave her a love of helicopters which was to last all her life.

Hanna was captured and interned towards the end of the war, but afterwards settled in Frankfurt am Main, in Germany. She took up gliding again, and became German champion in 1955. Throughout the 1970s she continued to fly, breaking gliding records in many categories. She died in Frankfurt at the age of 67, on 24th August 1979, following a heart attack.

Flugkapitan Fritz Wendel 1915-1975

Fritz Wendel was a German test pilot during the 1930s and 1940s.

On 26 April 1939 Fritz Wendel set the world air speed record of 469.22 mph, flying the Messerschmitt Me 209 V1. He defeated the record set on 30 March 1939 by Hans Dieterle flying the Heinkel He 100 V8. He was also the first pilot to fly a liquid rocket airplane in the Me 209 as well as a jet engine powered airplane in the Heinkel He280. Relics of the Me 209 V1 still exist in the Polish Air Museum at Krakow.

On 18 July 1942 in Leipheim near Günzburg, Germany, Wendel test flew the Messerschmitt Me 262. This flight was significant as it was conducted with jet engines (Junkers Jumo 003) for the first time. The Me 262 had flown first on 8 April 1941 with piston engines.

S/Ldr Robert Kronfeld AFC 1904-1948

Robert Kronfeld was an Austrian gliding champion and sailplane designer of the 1920s and 30s.He became a British subject and an RAF test pilot. He was killed testing a glider in 1948.

As a young man, he visited the Wasserkuppe in Germany and became passionate about the sport of gliding that was developing there. So Kronfeld became a member of the first Austrian gliding school.He befriended Walter Georgii, who was a meteorologist working at the nearby Darmstadt University of Technology and who had recently discovered thermals. Kronfeld became something of a test-pilot for Georgii, investigating this still-new phenomenon with the assistance of a variometer disguised as a vacuum flask.

In 1926, the German newspaper Grüne Post offered a DM 5,000 prize for the first glider pilot to fly 100 km (62.5 miles). Kronfeld took up the challenge in 1929 and selected a long chain of hills, the Teutoburger Wald as a promising site for the record attempt.
He took off in a glider of his own design, named Wien ("Vienna"), launched by bungee, near Ibbenbüren. After a flight lasting over five hours, he landed near Detmold, 102.5 km away. Kronfeld used the prize money to build a gigantic sailplane, named Austria, which had a wingspan of 30 metres - a record not to be matched until the end of the twentieth century. Kronfeld was the first winner of the Hindenburg-trophy in 1929.In the same year he undertook the first flight from a mountain in Lower Austria.He also staged large air shows.By 1930 he held the world records for distance (164 km) and height (2,589 m).

In 1930 he also had success gliding in England.On February 15, 1931 Robert Kronfeld and Wolf Hirth were the first men awarded with the "Silver C".On June 20, 1931 Kronfeld was the first pilot to fly a glider across the English Channel, making a return flight the same day.For this he won £1000 from the Daily Mail.

Kronfeld was an Air Scout within the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund and took part in the 4th World Scout Jamboree (1933) in Hungary as a member of the Austrian contingent.He participated in the Air Scout camp and contributed to the Airshow.He served as Commissioner for Air Scouts of the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund. Kronfeld also was an honorary member of this Scout association.
In 1933, the new Nazi government prohibited Jews from flying, and as a Jew, Kronfeld fled Germany first for Austria, later for the United Kingdom.In 1934 he was awarded with the Silver medal of the Lilienthal Society.There, he continued flying, taking over the British Aircraft Company, and in 1938 became chief instructor for the newly-founded Oxford University and City Gliding Club. He settled in England in January 1938 and his father followed him to England in 1939.

Kronfeld was a member of the Österreichischer Aero Club and brought the records of this association to the United Kingdom.

In 1939 he became a British citizen and during World War II he served in the Royal Air Force.He held the rank of Squadron Leader.He was posted to the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment on military glider development. For that work he was awarded the Air Force Cross.

Post war, as Chief Test Pilot for General Aircraft, he was killed in the crash of an experimental flying wing glider - the General Aircraft GAL 56 (TS507) - during stalling trials, at Lower Froyle after taking-off from Lasham Airfield.After successfully recovering from a stall, the aircraft entered an inverted dive. His observer was able to leave the aircraft and survived despite a low level parachute opening.

Lt Col John Carlson 1928-2016

Between 1954 and 1967, John Carlson tested the flight capabilities and the limits of medium to heavy bombers. He began his career in bombers as aircraft commander of a B-29 based in Japan and made the move to flight test asa 1954 graduate from the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB.

For the next five years,Carlson flew bomber tests of the B-29,variants of the B-66 and the RB-47H,culminating in flight testing of the B-52B and his role as primary test pilot on the B-52G Phase IV tests at Edwards AFB.

In 1959,he was assigned as project officer on the XB-70 at Air Force Systems Command Headquarters. After that, the Air Force assigned him for studies in aerospace engineering at the University of Texas. Carlson then returned to flight test in 1964 at Wright-Patterson AFB and flew the KC-135 and other aircraft as Chief of the Cargo Branch. The war in Southeast Asia then took Carlson to Vietnam as a Sandy Pilot. Flying a single piston-engine Douglas A-1 Skyraider,he took part in the rescue of downed aircrew members during two Vietnam tours.

He was then assigned to Wright-Patterson AFB as Chief of Standardization and Evaluation. In 1970 he returned to Southeast Asia as Chief of Operations and Training in F-4 Phantoms. He retired from the Air Force in 1974.

Andy Jones