by Jerry C.
I grew up in Lancaster, California, in the
heart of the Antelope Valley, an iconic site in aviation history. From Chuck
Yeager’s historic breaking of the sound barrier in “Glamorous Glennis” to the
X-series aircraft (X-1 through X-15), I was a childhood witness to wondrous
sights across the desert sky. My father and uncle both worked at Edwards AFB
(Dryden Test Center). My dad refueled all of the experimental aircraft, and my
uncle maintained the propulsion systems. It seemed like half the population
worked in aviation in the 1950s and 1960s. Our windows would shake often from
test aircraft breaking the sound barrier. I, too, started my 30-plus year
federal career at Edwards, all focused around aviation with the Air Force at
depots and eventually at the Pentagon.
My most memorable moments were catching
glimpses of the SR-71 “Blackbird” – the fastest plane in the world, setting
records as yet unmatched. Through my father, I was able to see one up close.
The all-black paint, the design, the sleek body seemed a work of art, all
accomplished by Lockheed’s inimitable “Skunk Works,” of which I read everything
I could lay my hands on.
After finishing my government career, I was
thrilled (and still am) to have the opportunity to come to work for Lockheed
Martin and become a part of the greatest aircraft design and development
company in the world. In a sense, my childhood fascination and dreams have come
full circle, something my father and uncle would be proud of.
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| The love of aviation has been a part of my life since childhood. |
