Test pilot program Robert Michael White

congratulated after test flight

white attended u.s. air force s experimental test pilot school @ edwards air force base, california, , became test pilot, flying advanced models such f-86 sabre, f-89 scorpion, new f-102 delta dagger, f-104 starfighter , f-105 thunderchief. promoted deputy chief of flight test operations division, later becoming assistant chief of manned spacecraft operations branch.

x-15 in flight

white designated air force s primary pilot north american x-15 program in 1958. while new plane undergoing initial tests, attended air command , staff college @ maxwell air force base, alabama, graduating in 1959. made first test flight of x-15 on april 15, 1960, when aircraft fitted 2 interim, 16,000 lbf (71 kn) thrust rocket engines. 4 months later flew altitude of 136,000 ft (41.5 km), above rogers dry lake. white have participated in air force s man in space soonest program, had come fruition.

in february 1961, white unofficially set new air speed record when flew x-15 @ speed of 2,275 mph (3,660 km/h), following installation of 57,000 lbf (254 kn) thrust xlr-99 engine. white first human fly aircraft @ mach 4 , later mach 5 on next 8 months. on 9 november 1961, white flew x-15 @ 4,093 mph (6,590 km/h), making him first pilot fly winged craft @ 6 times speed of sound (mach 6). president john f. kennedy used occasion confer prestigious award in american aviation, robert j. collier trophy, jointly white , 3 of fellow x-15 pilots; nasa s joseph a. walker, commander forrest s. petersen of u.s. navy, , north american aviation test pilot scott crossfield. day later, air force chief of staff general curtis e. lemay awarded white new rating command pilot astronaut.

on 17 july 1962, major white flew x-15 altitude of 314,750 feet (59 miles, 96 km). qualified him usaf astronaut wings, becoming first winged astronaut, , 1 of few have flown space without conventional spacecraft. major bob white featured cover story in august 3, 1962 issue of life magazine, detailing july 17, 1962 flight.

pilot robert white commented on high altitude x-15 flights, flights 217,000 feet [66 km] , 314,750 feet [96 km] dramatic in revealing earth s curvature ... @ highest altitude turn head through 180-degree arc , wow! — earth round. @ peak altitude on arizona/california border in area of las vegas, , how described it: looking left felt spit gulf of california; looking right felt toss dime san francisco bay.