testpilots

Great pic. Haven’t seen this one in the Glamorous Glennis lineup before! 👍

On September 18, 1947, the National Security Act of 1947 created the United States Air Force (USAF) as a separate military branch. The USAF traces its roots to the early 1900s and the United States Army and the Aeronautical Division of the Signal Corps. One month later, Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager would break the sound barrier flying the Bell X-1, which he named "Glamourous Glennis" after his wife.

I met Chuck Yeager in the wee hours of the morning at Burbank Airport, in an FBO. He and I were the only two people there. That was Saturday, February 8, 1986, when he piloted a Piper Cheyenne 400 LS from Burbank Airport to La Guardia Airport in New York in 5 hours, 23 minutes. The man I met was a very approachable, humble guy. I wished him luck, as we parted.

The aircraft the Mercury Seven are standing in front of (Convair F-106B Delta Dart, AF 59-0158) escaped being blown out of the sky as a target drone and was recently restored. It now sits on display in Century Circle at Edwards Air Force Base. www.youtube.com/watch?v=x70VvAeQ5X0 www.edwards.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123066163 Links to the original photo: grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2000-001286.html grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/MEDIUM/GPN-2000-001286.jpg

Great photo, they were some guys.

On the far left is Lockheed Test Pilot Tony LeVier, on the far right is another legendary aviator and test pilot, Herman R. 'Fish' Salmon (See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Salmon ). Salmon would take the F-104 up on its first flight on February 17, 1956. What is also interesting about this photo is if you look over LeVier's right shoulder, you will see a fairing covering this F-104 Starfighter's jet intake. The F-104's intake design was initially classified, and early publicity photos featuring the aircraft were made with these fairings concealing the aircraft's intake configuration. Accordingly, it is very likely that they aircraft they are standing in front of is one of the first two service test Lockheed YF-104A Starfighters (USAF Ser. Nos. 55-2955 or 55-2956). Here is a lowered-resolution photo in the SDASM Photostream better illustrating the fairings (also possibly featuring Salmon in the pressure suit): The gentleman in the suit is the (then) long-time president of the Lockheed Corporation, Robert E. Gross. Since the YF-104A first flew in February 1956, and Robert Gross' last year leading Lockheed was 1956, we can be relatively confident that this photo was taken that year as well. I am unable to identify the other pilot in the photo at this time.

The pilot standing next to the 104's needle is "Fish" Salmon, my dad

Hi Renne Salmon, Its me Rozie Recchia! I saw this picture online and wanted to know more about it.I saw your name and just wanted to say hello. I hope you and your family are doing well.