Thank you to all of our friends for making this year’s GOE an out-of-this-world event!
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Breaking of the Sound Barrier and the Monumental Advancements in Flight Test and Aerospace Development Since
Experts from SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Orbit, USAF, and NASA came together for a panel discussion on the science of the aerospace and flight test that brought us to where we are today and what the future holds for human space exploration.
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
BILL “EVIL” GRAY, Lt. COL, USAF (Ret.)
USAF Test Pilot; AFFTC Chief of Flight Safety; Chief Test Pilot AF Test Pilot School; Chief Test Pilot X-62
2014 Eagle
DONALD L. MALLICK, Lt. COM. USN (Ret.)
USN Pilot; NACA Langley Pilot, NASA Dryden Chief and Research Pilot, Chief Pilot Lunar Landing Research Vehicle, Deputy Chief Director NASA Dryden (Ret.)
2001 Eagle
FRED W. HAISE, JR, CPT, USN (Ret.)
USMC Pilot; USAF Test Pilot; NASA Astronaut, Apollo 13, Commander Enterprise Space Shuttle; Northrop Grumman VP Space Programs, Northop Grumman President (Ret.)
2022 Eagle
PAMELA A. MELROY, COL. USAF (Ret.)
USAF Test Pilot; NASA Astronaut, Pilot Discovery & Atlantis Space Shuttle, Commander Discovery Space Shuttle, NASA Deputy Administrator
2022 Eagle
TODD “LEIF” ERICSON, COL. USAF (Ret.)
USAF Test Pilot; Virgin Galactic V.P. Test Plot; SpaceX/Polaris Dawn Mission Director; Denmar Director of Business Development
2022 Eagle
KELLY LATIMER, Lt. COL. USAF (Ret.)
USAF Test Pilot; NASA Research Pilot; Boeing Test Pilot, Chief Test Pilot C-17; Virgin Galactic Test Pilot, Director of Flight Test
2018 Eagle
JARED “ROOK” ISAACMAN
CEO & Founder Shift4 and Draken International; Commander, SpaceX Inspiration4 and commercial astronaut; Commander, Polaris Dawn
WESLEY R. PERSALL
USAF Captain and Flight Test Engineer; Scaled Composites FTE; Virgin Galactic/The Spaceship Company; Blue Origin Principal Test Engineer
Honorary Chair, Mr. Rod Roddenberry
Star Trek has been breaking barriers and inspiring generations for decades, and we are honored that Mr. Roddenberry is joining us for our 75th Anniversary of Breaking Barriers program and event. He will discuss the many barriers Star Trek has broken and where the show is boldly going in the future.
Eugene Wesley “Rod” Roddenberry, Jr. serves as guardian of the Roddenberry legacy, which traces back to the original Star Trek.
The son of legendary science fiction creator Gene Roddenberry, whose Star Trek series changed the face of television and continues to inspire today, Rod has followed in his father’s footsteps to be a catalyst in the creation of a world where humanity works together for the greater good.
In addition to serving as the chief executive officer of Roddenberry Entertainment, which develops a multimedia slate of thought-provoking projects spanning film, television, graphic novels, comic strips, podcasts and other mediums, Rod is an executive producer of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Lower Decks. He also spearheads the Roddenberry Podcast Network, whose Mission Log is distinguished as the most downloaded of all Star Trek podcasts.
In 2011, Rod started the Roddenberry Foundation, which funds innovative solutions that address humanity’s greatest challenges across such areas as science, technology, education and the environment.
ABOUT THE GATHERING OF EAGLES EVENT
The Gathering of Eagles is a yearly celebration of the Flight Test Historical Foundation to acknowledge significant achievements in the flight testing of aerospace vehicles. The celebration honors both significant events and individuals that have made these events possible. The Gathering of Eagles is meant to provide an avenue for camaraderie, education, and as a way to memorialize and honor the people who contributed to the historic advancements in aerospace development by these programs. The event is also a fundraiser, providing resources to the Air Force Flight Test Museum at Edwards Air Force Base, University scholarships, and a variety of STEM education programs.
Since 1983, the Flight Test Historical Foundation has been honoring luminaries in the aerospace world at events and award dinners. In 1996, the FTHF awarded the first Eagle Awards to Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, Bob Cardenas, De Beeler, and crew chief Jack Russell on the 50th Anniversary of the Bell X-1 breaking the sound barrier. In 1999, Pete Knight, Scott Crossfield, Joe Engle, Bill Dana, Fitz Fulton were honored with Eagles at the event celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the X-15 test program. Every year thereafter, the Foundation has awarded members of teams engaged in significant milestones in flight test and aerospace advancement conducted in the Aerospace Valley.
Sponsorship Opportunities are Available!
Please contact lbrown@flighttestmuseum.org for information about ads in our programs and sponsorships. See past programs below!
Event Programs
Previous Eagle Awards and Honors
1989 (Tribute to Aerospace): Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the First Moon Landing
Honored Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins (first time they’d been together in one place since 1969)
1990 (Tribute to Aerospace): Just Wings, Fifth Annual Tribute to Aerospace honoring Jack Northrop and several flying wing pilots such as first flight pilot Max Stanley, Bob Cardenas, Chuck Tucker, Bruce Hinds and Rick Couch
1991 (Tribute to Aerospace): 40TH Anniversary of the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) Award accepted by Maj Gen John Schoeppner, then AFFTC Commander
1992 (Tribute to Aerospace): 50th Anniversary of America’s First Jet – Bell P-59 Honored Lt Gen Laurence C. “Bill” Craigie, First U.S. Military Jet Pilot
1993 (Tribute to Aerospace): Kelly Johnson 50th Anniversary of Lockheed Skunk Works – Award accepted by Sherm Mullin
1994 (Tribute to Aerospace): 50th Anniversary of the USAF Test Pilot School
1995 (Last Tribute to Aerospace): Edward Heinemann and Douglas Aircraft
1995 (Gathering of Eagles) “An Evening of Aviation History!” “Special Guests” included Yeager, J.J. Quinn, Tony LeVier, Pete Knight, Bob Gilliland, Bob Cardenas (and many other aviation greats).
1997: 50th Anniversary of the X-1 program – Honorees: Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, Bob Cardenas, Jack Russell, De Beeler
1999 40th Anniversary of the X-15 test program – Honorees: Pete Knight, Scott Crossfield, Joe Engle, Bill Dana, Fitz Fulton
2001: 50th Anniversary of the AFFTC – Honorees: Lt Gen Thomas Stafford, Charlie Bock, Jesse Jacobs, Don Mallick and Fred Stoliker
2002: 50th Anniversary of the B-52 – Honorees: John Carlson, Phil Conley, Charlie Kuyk, Al Phillips, Guy Towsend
2003: Centennial of Flight and Century Series Fighters – Hororees: Hank Beaird, Bob Little, Bob Titus and Bill Weaver
2004: Out of the Black, Into the Blue –Paper Designs and Flying Prototypes – Honorees: Keith Beswick, Den Dyson, Doug Benjamin, Rudy Haug, Dan Vanderhorst and Dick Thomas.
2005: 50th Anniversary of the U-2 – Honorees: Louis Setter, Harry Andonian, Bob Riedenauer, Tom McMurtry, Don Sorlie
2006: B-58 Hustler 50th Anniversary – Honorees: Johnny Armstrong, Beryl Erickson, Harold Confer, Charles Harrison, Robert Sowers
2008: XB-70 Valkyrie Flight Test Program – Honorees: Paul Reukauf, Lyle Schofield, Bill Schweikard
2009: 50th Anniversary of the X-15 Flight Test program – Honorees: Bob White, Betty Love, Bob Hoey, John McTigue
2010: Excellence in Aviation Awards – Honorees: Brig. Gen Robert Cardenas, Bob Hoover, Clay Lacy, David Tallichet
2011: Excellence in Aviation Awards – Honorees: Frank Robinson, Robert Gilliland, Jens Neelsen
2012 – Salute to the Space Shuttle
NASA ALT/OFT – Approach and Landing Teams, Orbital Flight Test
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center’s Space Shuttle Operations Team,
Boeing’s Space Shuttle AIT Team – Assembly, Integration and Test of all orbiters
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s SSME – Space Shuttle Main Engine Team
US Air Force Space Shuttle Recovery Team
2012 Excellence in Aviation
Space: Dr. Buzz Aldrin and General Joe Engle
Aviation: Col. Joe Kittinger, Award presented by Bob Gilliland
Aviation Business: Mr. Del Smith, CEO Evergreen Aviation
Friends of the FTHF Foundation: Mr. David Hartman and Dr. James O. Young, former Chief Historian of the AFFTC History Office
