Page 17 - Aerotech News and Review 6-3-13
P. 17
High Desert Hangar Stories with Bob Alvis
Special to Aerotech News times the independent contractors that with his involvement in our local
would fly into a target area to recon it YMCA.
Being Memorial Day weekend I for conditions for an up and coming
was searching for a story that would bombing mission. Looking up to this pilot who, to us
reflect service to country and sacri- young people, had the makings of a
fice by an individual that had ties to Many times unarmed and alone real American hero and as a NASA
the Antelope Valley and in particular with their only defense being their test pilot was living the life that few
the flight test community at Edwards flying skills and speed, their plane could ever realize but every young
AFB. of choice was the P-38 Lightning. boy and yes even some girls wanted
Sometimes armed with only cameras, and hoped they could achieve that life
It wasn’t long before a name started a skillful pilot at low altitude could one day .
to make the rounds in my head and a get in and out of an area without be-
story started to form up to be shared. ing detected and these men were very Joseph A. Walker, America’s sev-
good at performing their missions. enth astronaut from Washington,
The 154th Weather Reconnaissance Penn., cut his teeth in the cockpit of
Squadron started out in North Africa Fast forward to the 1960s and one those lone P-38s in World War II.
in World War Two and would eventu- of these pilots would be making the
ally end up in Italy preforming obser- rounds in our community taking part Not the glamorous flying that
vation and reconnaissance missions in public events, coaching local little would produce an ACE status but a
that flew deep into Germany. league teams and touching my life very important mission that was criti-
cal to victory in Europe and a quick
These “Cowboys” were many end to the war. Many of his squad-
ron mates would fly those statue on Lancaster Boulevard that bring an end to the greatest war in
missions never to be seen remembers “Little Joe” and all of his world history.
again and Captain Walker achievements in the skies over the
had some close calls him- Antelope Valley. Capt. Joseph A Walker, on this day,
self as stated in his squad- in your memory, we thank you for
ron’s history. But for me on this Memorial Day your service not only to this country
weekend I will remember that lone and the freedoms we enjoy but also
Joe’s test pilot years Army Air Corps captain skimming for the advancements in aviation that
were legendary, he flew the European country at tree top lev- you helped develop with your skills
the hot planes and he was el bringing back the information that as an American Test Pilot.
one of the best flying those would save the lives of thousands
test profiles and passing on of American soldiers and helping to Till next time Bob out ….
the information to the en-
gineers that would tap into
those “Shoulder top com-
puters” that were the key to
aircraft design flaws.
So today we have a
school here in the valley
named after him and a
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June 3, 2016 17
