Edwards AFB:”USAF Test Pilot University”

Robert Lilac, graduate of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School (now named the USAF Test Pilot School) gives us a look what it takes to become a USAF test pilot. From the early days of flight testing in Dayton, Ohio to the current Edwards Air Force Base, California, the history of flight test is filled with stories of famous test pilots and the major events that have shaped aerospace development, from the Wright Flyer to modern air and space vehicles. The “Flight Test University,” the USAF Test Pilot School, trains pilots, engineers, astronauts, and scientists who are in the forefront of U.S Air/Space endeavors. Bob Lilac will tell the story of the NF-104 Rocket-powered aircraft that he and Chuck Yeager (portrayed in the movie, “The Right Stuff”) flew to over 100,000 feet. He will relate his experiences in testing the A-7D and the F-5E (which was the “MIG-28” in the movie “Top Gun”). Come learn what it was like to test and evaluate this impressive machine!

Presenter: Col. Robert Lilac