• July 22, 2015: Italian Aircraft Refuels F-35A

    The Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Test Force cooperated in the first flight and aerial refueling of the flight test and evaluation and Aerial Refueling Certification of the Italian KC-767A variant with the F-35A.At the start of the 2000s a considerable and sudden increase in their maintenance

  • July 23, 1964: Col Yeager - New Aerospace Research Pilot School Commandant

    Colonel Charles E. Yeager became Commandant of the United States Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School following an assignment at Edwards Air Force Base as Deputy Director of Flight Test.As long as the United States has had military airplanes, it has needed skilled test pilots. In the very

  • July 21, 2015: Maj Gen Harris - New Test Center Commander

    The Air Force Test Center Directors briefed Major Genera David A.  Harris, center commander, on their organizational structure and expected challenges to be faced in the near future. This briefing served as the staff immersion with the new commander..General Harris was commissioned in 1986 after

  • July 20, 1939: Muroc Land Acquisition

    A third condemnation suit was filed for the balance of the 60,000 acres needed to complete the Muroc bombing facility. In the meantime, many of the defendants in the previous two suits were reportedly settling out of court for their land holdings.A Condemnation suit is a judicial proceeding for the

  • July 19, 1963: North American X-15 Flight Records

    Joseph A. Walker flew North American X-15 No. 3 serial number 55-6672 – destroyed during flight test No. 191 when X-15 entered a hypersonic spin while descending with Maj Michael Adams at the controls on 15 November 1967, to records of 347,800 feet (66.3 miles) and 3,710-miles per hour.Joseph Albert

  • July 18, 2013: Sky Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System

    The F-22 Combined Task Force  accomplished its first Line in the Sky Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (GCAS) mission,The Auto GCAS,developed jointly by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was designed to

  • July 17, 2001: Search and Recovery for F-16 and Aircrew

    The Services Division deployed Edwards AFB's Search and Recovery (SAR) Team and support members-nearly 100 military and civilian personnel-to search for the F-16 lost 17 July 2001. The 13-day operation covered hard terrain in a remote area of China Lake Echo range and successfully recovered the

  • July 16, 2007: Airborne Laser Intercepts Big Crow Aircraft

    In an effort to simulate a missile intercept, the Airborne Laser actively tracked the Big Crow airborne target aircraft, compensated for atmospheric turbulence, and fired a surrogate for the high-energy laser. The test demonstrated most of the steps needed for the Airborne Laser to engage and

  • July 15, 2018: Joint Technical Services Contract Extended

    The Air Force Test Center Contracting Directorate announced  performance on the J-Tech execution contract as completed and Contracting terminated it for convenience as the J-Tech II contract ramped up for its execution phase.Aecom’s wholly owned subsidiary JT4 has secured a $3.1 bllliion contract to

  • July 14, 1964: Test Pilot School Curriculum Evolution

    Eighteen students participating in the Aerospace Research Pilot School class 63A inaugurated the first combined experimental test pilot course and aerospace research pilot course.From Generals Jimmy Doolittle and Chuck Yeager to astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Gus Grissom, test pilots have been some of

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