Page 8 - Aerotech News and Review, Nov. 3 2017

Gathering honors F-22 first, raises museum funds
Photograph by Linda KC Reynolds
New Eagles–Paul Metz, Steve “Hooter” Rainey, Chuck Killberg, Bret Luedke, Randy Neville and James “JB” Brown were honored as Eagles during the Gathering of Eagles event presented by the Flight Test Historical Foundation. The event celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the First Flight of the F-22 and was a fundraiser to help move the museum off of Edwards Air Force Base.
by Diane Betzler
staff writer
The energy was electrifying Oct. 21 as hun- dreds gathered at the H.W. Hunter Pavilion at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds in Lancaster, Calif., to attend this year’s Gathering of Eagles and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the very first flight of the F-22 Raptor.
Eagle Honoree Paul Metz was Lockheed Mar- tin’s chief test pilot at the time and the guy with the right enough stuff to take the fearsome Rap- tor soaring high above the clouds over Marietta, Ga., Sept. 7, 1997.
“It was a perfectly executed mission,” Metz told those attending the event. “Raptor really demonstrated its power that day, we got our first taste of what the airplane could do,” he said.
Metz said the accomplishment of the first flight wasn’t his alone. “A team of engineers and aircraft maintainers made that first flight [along with me],” he said. “We all did it together, with- out all those people contributing it would not have been done,” he said.
Five other Eagle Honorees shared the stage with Metz as they too were inducted as an Eagle Honoree by the Flight Test Historical Founda- tion. Among their other accomplishments, each were part of “firsts” during F-22 flight testing missions.
Joining Metz as this year’s Eagle honorees were: Steve “Hooter” Rainey, Lockheed Martin’s current F-22 chief test pilot.
Chuck Killberg, Boeing’s chief F-22 test pi- lot from 1991 until 2002. Killberg has close to 10,000 flying hours in a variety of aircraft.
Bret Luedke, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Air Force Test Pilot School. Lockheed Martin hired him in 1993 as an ex-
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perimental test pilot and by 1995 he was working full-time with Metz on the F-22 Program.
Randall L. Neville, an F-22 test pilot for Boe- ing Integrated Defense Systems for nine years. He eventually became one of the primary enve- lope expansion pilots.
James “JB” E. Brown III was on the F-22 pro- gram from 2002 to 2013 and flew 547 test sorties racking up 1,042 flight hours.
All six pilots were welcomed as an Eagle of the Flight Test Historical Foundation Gathering of Eagles 2017.
Bill Gray served as Master of Ceremonies at the event and paid tribute to previous Eagle Bob Hoover, a World War II fighter pilot and Air Force flight test pilot with a myriad of accom- plishments too numerous to list. Hoover passed away last year.
Lisa Gray, chairwoman of the Board of Di- rectors on the FTHF, served as hostess for the evening and introduced speakers.
The first speaker of the evening was retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Wilbert D. “Doug” Pear- son Jr.
Pearson currently serves as deputy general manager of National Aerospace Solutions, LLC and provides test, operations and sustainment services to the Arnold Engineering Develop- ment Complex.
Pearson wowed the audience with what many said was a powerful message.
“I am an Airman, I’m proud to stand for our National Anthem and I’m proud to stand when our colors are presented,” he said. The general said all Americans should proudly respect their country’s flag.
He talked about the ongoing effort to raise the funds needed to relocate the Air Force Flight Test Museum outside Edwards’ West Gate so that ev-
eryone can have the opportunity to see firsthand what the museum has to offer. He thanked the FTHF and the Flight Test Museum for their ini- tiatives over the past 35 years and for their time
and dedication so many folks gave to the cause. He offered a special thank you to Lisa Gray for
See GOE, Page 10
Congressman Steve Knight and Chairwoman, Board of Directors for the Flight Test Historical Foundation, Lisa Gray, present Nicole Panossian the 2017 William J. “Pete” Knight Excellence in Aerospace Scholarship during the Gathering of Eagles event in Lancaster, Calif. Panossian is a junior in Mechanical Engineering at Cal State University, Long Beach Antelope Valley Engineering program and has always had an aptitude for math and science. She enjoys thermodynamics, fluid dynamics and hopes to work in aerospace upon graduation. The C. Gordon Fullerton Memorial Scholarship was presented to Kevin Loudon.
Photograph by Linda KC Reynolds
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