Sierra Hotel Blog
On October 3, 1967, test pilot Pete Knight flew the X-15A-2 to Mach 6.72 — 4,520 mph — setting a world absolute speed record for manned aircraft that still stands today. Knight also earned his Astronaut Wings and a Distinguished Flying Cross for airmanship under total electrical failure at 107,000 feet. He flew 253 combat missions in Vietnam before retiring as a Colonel with over 6,000 flight hours in more than 100 aircraft types.
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On October 30, 1963, Lt. James Flatley landed a 121,000-pound four-engine KC-130F Hercules on the deck of USS Forrestal — with no tailhook and no catapult. He completed 29 touch-and-go landings, 21 full-stop landings, and 21 unassisted takeoffs. The Navy deemed it too risky for regular use, but Flatley earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for what remains one of the most audacious carrier landings ever attempted.
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Iven Carl "Kinch" Kincheloe Jr. shot down 5 MiGs in Korea, set a world altitude record of 126,200 feet in the Bell X-2, and became known as America's First Spaceman. He was killed at age 30 during an F-104 test flight at Edwards AFB.
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On April 7, 1999, a KC-135R Stratotanker at Tinker AFB was catastrophically over-pressurized during a maintenance test after a technician missed a full extra revolution of the pressure gauge needle. The resulting blowout tore a 35-foot hole in the aft fuselage and dropped the tail section to the ground.
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Shot down in Vietnam, severely burned, and told he'd never fly again, SR-71 Blackbird pilot Brian Shul endured 15 major operations before returning to fly the world's fastest jet at Mach 3 and 90,000 feet. Written by aviation historian and longtime friend Cory Crowell, this is a personal account of 30 years alongside one of the most remarkable aviators who ever lived.
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