John B. McKay
John Barron McKay (born December 8, 1922 in Portsmouth , Virginia , † April 27, 1975 in Lancaster , California ) was an American test pilot.
Career
During the Second World War he served in the Pacific as a pilot in the US Navy . In 1950 he graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering .
NACA
From February 1951 he worked for the NACA , where he flew experimental aircraft such as the Douglas Skystreak , Douglas Skyrocket , X-lB and the X-lE.
NASA
John B. McKay was one of the first pilots to the X-15 program at the Flight Research Center , Edwards Air Force Base of NASA in California have been rectified. As a civil test pilot and aeronautical engineer, he completed a total of 30 flights on the X-15 between October 28, 1960 and September 5, 1966 .
family
John McKay was married with eight children.
Awards
For his service in World War II he was awarded the Air Medal and received the Presidential Unit Citation . In 1996 he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor . Like the two other civilian pilots, he received his astronaut wings posthumously on August 24, 2005.
literature
- Milton O. Thompson: At The Edge Of Space: The X-15 Flight Program . Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London 1992, ISBN 1-56098-107-5 .
Web links
- John McKay on Spacefacts.de
- John B. McKay in the Encyclopedia Astronautica (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | McKay, John B. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | McKay, John Barron (full name); McKay, John |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American test pilot |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 8, 1922 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Portsmouth |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 27, 1975 |
| Place of death | Lancaster |