Posted on 09/19/2008 10:24:47 AM PDT by BenLurkin
From the desert skies above Edwards Air Force Base to orbit around the moon, the five test pilots recognized by the city in the latest additions to the Aerospace Walk of Honor have made their marks in aviation history. Original Mercury 7 astronaut Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper Jr.; Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins; and the first female space shuttle commander, retired Air Force Col. Eileen M. Collins, will add their names to the 90 already honored with plaques along Lancaster Boulevard.
The three astronauts will be joined by test pilots Irving L. "Irv" Burrows, who piloted the first flight of the F-15 Eagle fighter jet, and retired Air Force Col. Joe Schiele, who was heavily involved in aviation technology development and flight research programs.
The five will be honored Saturday during events in downtown Lancaster.
The walk, inaugurated in 1990, recognizes test pilots who have contributed to the advancement of aerospace technology, plying their trade in the skies above Edwards Air Force Base and the Antelope Valley.
Saturday's free events begin at 10:30 a.m. with the unveiling of the plaques at Boeing Plaza, Lancaster Boulevard and Sierra Highway.
The festivities continue at 3 p.m. at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center, 750 Lancaster Blvd., with the formal presentation of medallions to this year's honorees.
Capping the afternoon's event will be a keynote address by Gentry Lee, chief engineer for planetary flight systems at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Lee's presentation, titled "From First Flight to Other Earths," will cover the continuing quest to explore beyond the Earth.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
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