Col Willard R. MacFarlane

F-15 Streak Eagle pilots (from left) Maj. W.R. Macfarlane, Maj. Roger Smith and Maj. Dave Peterson.

Col Willard R. MacFarlane was awarded the prestigious Mackay Trophy by distinguishing himself in the most meritorious flight of 1974. Then-Major Macfarlane, with Major Roger Smith and Major David Peterson, demonstrated the outstanding performance of the new McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle during Operation Streak Eagle at Edwards AFB, California, and Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota. Macfarlane set eight world time- to-climb records, his highest being to 12,000 meters in just 59.38 seconds. His extensive background included duty in Southeast Asia flying missions in the F-4, F-104, and O-1E, exchange duty with the Royal Air Force flying the Hawker Hunter, instructor in combat tactics for the German Fighter Weapons School and as Deputy Director of the F-15 Joint Test Force. A graduate of the USAF Academy, he is a native of Ogden, Utah.