• October 11, 2001: F-15 Flight Test Safety Record

    The F-15 Combined Test Force at the Air Force Flight Test Center achieved a major milestone when Lt Col Bill Thornton landed his Eagle on the main Edwards runway. With the landing, the Combined Test Force surpassed a remarkable 40,000 flight hours without incurring a single serious mishap since the

  • October 10, 1958: Flight Test Aircraft Get New Paint Scheme

    Following an Air Force directive, the 6515th Field Maintenance Squadron began painting all Edwards aircraft in a high-visibility orange paint scheme.  The new paint scheme was Intended to aid in recovery of downed aircraft and to decrease midair collisions.  All noncombat aircraft were to be

  • October 9, 1951: Arnold Engineering Development Complex Revises Mission

    The United States Air Force Air Research Development Center assigned the following  mission  to  the Arnold Engineering Development Complex, "The mission of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex was to construct and operate  the  Arnold  Engineering   Development  Complex located at Tullahoma,

  • October 8, 1999: Edwards AFB Rededication

    The Air Force Flight Test Center museum and the Air Force Flight Test Center History Office planned and hosted an event to honor Capt Glen Edwards and the 50th anniversary of the naming of the base. Captain Edwards' family was invited for a special celebration at the Air Force Flight Test Center

  • October 7, 1963: Engle: Twin Space Vehicle Pilot

    Captain Joe H. Engle became the third Air Force pilot to fly an X‑15. Engle later completed 16 X-15 flights, three of them high enough (over 50 miles) to win him his United States Air Force astronaut wings. He subsequently became a National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronaut in 1966 and

  • October 5, 1956: Edwards Base Chapel Dedicated

    The new Base Chapel was dedicated. The edifice subsequently became known as Chapel #1 or Memorial Chapel for its stained glass memorials to fallen comrades in flight.The new Edwards Air Force Base chapel located at the corner of Rosamond Boulevard and Popson Avenue was opened on October 5. after a

  • October 4, 2002: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Ground Testing

    A 452d Flight Test Squadron test team conducted a dual Global Hawk UAV ground test run, the first element in an accelerated Replace on Station (ROS) effort to demonstrate the ability of two UAVs to determine the feasibility of continuous round-the-clock airborne reconnaissance with only two air

  • October 3, 1967: X-15 Human Speed Record

    Major William J. Knight flew the modified X-15A-2 to a speed of Mach 6.7 (4,520 mph). The aircraft was flown with its full ablative coating and external fuel tanks. A dummy ramjet mounted on the lower ventral stub stabilizer fell away during the flight as a result of severe heat damage to the

  • October 2, 2009: Flight Test Nation Week

    Mr. Rex Moen, district representative for State Senator Roy Ashburn and Lisa Moulton, district director for California State Senator George Runner, presented Air Force Flight Test Center Commander Maj Gen David Eichhorn with a Resolution from the California Legislature proclaiming the entire week of

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