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53-447: The Society of Experimental Test Pilots is an international organization that seeks to promote air safety and contributes to aeronautical advancement by promoting sound aeronautical design and development; interchanging ideas, thoughts and suggestions of the members, assisting in the professional development of experimental pilots, and providing scholarships and aid to members and the families of deceased members. Seventeen pilots attended

106-599: A division vice president for research and development and, subsequently, as a staff vice president working with U.S. military and civilian agencies on air traffic control technologies. In 1974–1975, he worked for Hawker Siddeley as a senior vice president supporting HS146 activities in the United States. In 1977, he joined the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology where he served, until his retirement in 1993, as

159-467: A loafer and used his sock to wipe a hole in the ice to spot his chase pilot. On November 20, 1953, he became the first to fly at twice the speed of sound as he piloted the Skyrocket to a speed of 1,291 mph (2,078 km/h, Mach 2.005). The Skyrocket D-558-II surpassed its intended design speed by 25 percent on that day. With 99 flights in the rocket-powered X-1 and D-558-II, Crossfield had—by

212-571: A major role in the design and development of the North American X-15 and its systems. Once it was ready to fly, it was his job to demonstrate its airworthiness at speeds ranging up to Mach 3 (2,290 mph). Because the X-15 and its systems were unproven, these tests were considered extremely hazardous. Crossfield flew 14 of the 199 total X-15 flight tests with most of these tests establishing and validating initial key parameters. Crossfield

265-463: A notebook computer. He also hinted that Burt Rutan and his Scaled Composite company were performing pioneering work for a private aircraft to take-off from an airport, fly into outer space, and return to that airport. In 2004, White Knight carried Space Ship One to its successful launch and winning of the Ansari X-Prize , the first attempt by a plane since the X-15 cancellation. Crossfield

318-702: A reproduction Wright Flyer on the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers ' first flight on December 17, 1903. The training was successful, but the December 17, 2003 re-creation failed due to low engine power and the flyer's rain-soaked fabric covering which added considerably to its takeoff weight. The Wright replica ultimately flew successfully at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina after the Centennial jubilee but without media coverage. When asked to name his favorite airplane, Crossfield replied, "the one I

371-665: A speech to a class of young Air Force officers attending the Air and Space Basic Course . His funeral ceremony was held at the Arlington National Cemetery on August 15, 2006. On September 27, 2007, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a report stating the probable cause of his crash to be as follows: "The pilot's failure to obtain updated en route weather information, which resulted in his continued instrument flight into

424-524: A successful conclusion as he completed his final flight in the X-15. Although it had been his hope to eventually pilot one of the craft into space, the USAF would not allow it, and gave strict orders which basically amounted to "stay in the sky, stay out of space." Altogether, he completed 16 captive flights (mated to the B-52 launch aircraft), one glide flight and 13 powered flights in the X-15. The retirement of

477-631: A technical adviser on all aspects of civil aviation research and development and became one of the nation's leading advocates for a reinvigorated research airplane program. In 1986, this House Committee tasked Crossfield to be a member of the task group assigned to investigate the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster . In a 2000 public lecture, Crossfield described how the X-15 aeronautical calculations and design required computing power that filled four 10'x12' rooms. He went on to say that these very same calculations could be performed today on

530-731: A wide margin—more experience with rocketplanes than any other pilot in the world by the time he left Edwards to join North American Aviation in 1955. In September 1954, Crossfield was forced to make a deadstick landing in the North American F-100 Super Sabre he was evaluating at the High-Speed Flight Station (the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center ), a feat which North American's own test pilots doubted could be done, as

583-598: A widespread area of severe convective activity, and the air traffic controller's failure to provide adverse weather avoidance assistance, as required by Federal Aviation Administration directives, both of which led to the airplane's encounter with a severe thunderstorm and subsequent loss of control." Crossfield received the Lawrence Sperry Award (1954), Octave Chanute Award (1954), Iven C. Kincheloe Award (1960), American Rocket Society (ARS) Astronautics Award (1960), Harmon International Trophy (1961 at

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636-647: Is also provided to members. The Society holds a number of conferences annually: The Society annually presents a number of awards to recognize notable members of the flight test community. These are: In 1967, the Society created a foundation to provide for scholarships and other forms of educational assistance to children of deceased or disabled Society members. As of 2020, the scholarship foundation has granted over 3.5 million dollars in educational assistance to more than 178 students. Approximately 12 students per year attend school with Society assistance. Membership in

689-469: Is the main setting of Star Trek: Discovery . [REDACTED] Media related to Albert Scott Crossfield at Wikimedia Commons Boistfort, Washington Boistfort ( / ˈ b ɔɪ s t f ɔːr t / ) is an unincorporated community in the northwest United States , in Lewis County , Washington , about twenty miles (30 km) southwest of Chehalis . Boistfort established, in 1853,

742-592: The Iven C. Kincheloe Award began. This annual award honors the member who has done the most proficient test work during the previous year. James Gannett of Boeing and Joseph John "Tym" Tymczyszyn of the Civil Aeronautics Administration won the first Kincheloe Award for their work toward certification of America's first turbojet airliner' the Boeing 707 . They have been followed each year by

795-738: The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ' (NACA) High-Speed Flight Station (later named the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and then the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center ) at Edwards Air Force Base , California, as an aeronautical research pilot. Crossfield demonstrated his flight test skills on his very first student solo. His instructor was not available on the designated early morning, so Crossfield, on his own, took off and went through maneuvers he had practiced with his instructor, including spin entry and spin recovery. During

848-1002: The Paul Tissandier Diploma , the Victor A. Prather Award, and the Donald D. Engen Award. An elementary school was named in his honor near his last residence, in Herndon, Virginia (a community just northeast of Dulles International Airport ). A ribbon named after him is one of the Aerospace Education Awards in the Civil Air Patrol Senior Members program. The terminal at the Chehalis-Centralia Airport (CLS) in Washington state bears his name. He

901-654: The University of Washington in Seattle , then worked for Boeing . He served with the U.S. Navy as a flight instructor and fighter pilot during World War II . During this time, he flew the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair fighters, as well as SNJ trainers, and a variety of other aircraft. He married Alice Virginia Knoph (June 27, 1920 – September 23, 2015) on 21 April 1943 in Corpus Christi, Texas . She

954-662: The White House by President John F. Kennedy ), Collier Trophy (1961 at the White House by President Kennedy in 1962), John J. Montgomery Award (1962), NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal (1993), and was named Honorary Fellow by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) (1999). Crossfield is the only American to be honored in the White House for his contributions in advancing aeronautical science—or any other discipline—more than once, let alone two consecutive years. He has been inducted into

1007-637: The F-100 had a high landing speed. Crossfield made a perfect approach and touchdown, but was unable to bring the unpowered aircraft to a halt in a safe distance, and was forced to use the wall of the NACA hangar as a makeshift brake after narrowly missing several parked experimental aircraft ("with great precision," as he later wryly joked). Crossfield was uninjured, and the F-100 was later repaired and returned to service. Crossfield left NACA in 1955. As chief engineering test pilot for North American, Crossfield played

1060-579: The Feathered Edge: The Bob Hoover Project As of December 31, 2023, the Society had 2,479 members from various countries. The society publishes a quarterly known as Cockpit that contains technical articles on flight testing. In addition to Cockpit , the society publishes the proceedings of the annual symposium in Los Angeles to provide a permanent record of flight test progress reports. A periodic newsletter

1113-822: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame (1965), National Aviation Hall of Fame (1983), the International Space Hall of Fame (1988), the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame (1998), Aerospace Walk of Honor (1990), The Glen A. Gilbert Memorial Award (1990), the FAI Gold Air Medal (1994) and the National Air and Space Museum Trophy (2000). Posthumously, he has been awarded the Hoyt S. Vandenberg Award,

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1166-1143: The National Congress on Aerospace Education later called the National Conference on Aerospace Education (NCASE). After his death in 2006 and the shift of NCASE from an annual to biannual conference, Crossfields's daughter, Sally Crossfield Farley, moved the award to the National Aviation Hall of Fame where it is presented during the Enshrinement Weekend each July in Dayton, Ohio . In the 1991 Discovery Channel series Frontiers of Flight, Crossfield judged he "...probably had more centrifuge time, pressure suit time and pressure chamber time and all of that than any man alive." From 2001 to 2003, Crossfield trained pilots Terry Queijo, Kevin Kochersberger, Chris Johnson and Ken Hyde for The Wright Experience, preparing to fly

1219-595: The Society is divided into six grades: The following is an incomplete list of notable individuals who are or were members of the society: Scott Crossfield Born October 2, 1921, in Berkeley, California , Scott Crossfield grew up in southern California and rural southwest Washington , a son of Albert Scott Crossfield, Sr. (May 13, 1887 – October 21, 1954) and his first wife Maria Lucia Dwyer (March 8, 1892 – March 23, 1960). Crossfield graduated from Boistfort High School southwest of Chehalis , attended

1272-451: The X-15 (due to funding cutbacks) after its record-setting Mach 6.70 (4,520 mph) flight prompted pilot Pete Knight to remark that he would have pushed it to even faster speeds if he knew it was the last flight. In his remarks to a number of aviation groups, Crossfield cited the X-15 as one of few aircraft that caused grown men to cry upon its retirement. He remained at North American as systems director of test and quality assurance in

1325-450: The airframe. On September 17, 1959, he completed the first powered flight. Because of delays in the development of the X-15's mammoth 57,000 pounds force (254 kN) thrust XLR-99 engine, the early flights were completed with a pair of interim XLR-11 rocket engines. Shortly after launch on his third flight, one of these engines exploded. Unable to jettison his propellants, Crossfield was forced to make an emergency landing during which

1378-404: The airplane's first flight, an unpowered glide from 37,550 feet. The flight was troubled as the flight controls had not been set up properly. As Crossfield attempted to land the unfueled X-15, it went into what Crossfield described as "a classic PIO" or pilot induced oscillation. He managed to set down the X-15 on the desert runway at the bottom of one of the severe oscillations saving himself and

1431-412: The area when air traffic controllers lost radio and radar contact with Crossfield's plane. The Gordon County Sheriff's department reported that debris from Crossfield's aircraft was found in three different locations within a quarter mile, suggesting that the plane broke up while it was still in the air. Crossfield was returning from Maxwell Air Force Base , Montgomery, Alabama , where he had given

1484-625: The cockpit to save him and despite being subjected to a later calculated acceleration force of near 50 Gs (although Crossfield stated in the Discovery Channel's series Frontiers of Flight that he began to have debilitating issues with his night vision after the accident) and the airplane was completely rebuilt. On November 15 of the same year, he completed the X-15's first powered flight with the XLR-99 engine. Two flights later, on December 6, he brought North American's demonstration program to

1537-597: The company's Space and Information Systems Division where he oversaw quality, reliability engineering and systems test activities for such programs as the Apollo command and service modules and the Saturn S-II booster. In 1966, he became the division's technical director for research engineering and test. In 1961, Crossfield became division director of test and quality assurance for NAA's Paraglider project. In 1967, Crossfield joined Eastern Air Lines where he served as

1590-626: The creek habitat for a total of 38 acres (15 ha), and included the planting of native vegetation over 45 acres (18 ha). Sites near the community were proposed as use for a potential dam. Coming after flooding in the Chehalis River basin after the Great Coastal Gale of 2007 , the plan was offered by a group of citizens but the Boistfort dam did not materialize. The CBS program continued to use an additional proposal of

1643-452: The excessive load on the aircraft broke its back just behind the cockpit. He was uninjured and the airplane was repaired. On June 8, 1960, he had another close call during ground tests with the XLR-99 engine. He was seated in the cockpit of the No. 3 X-15 when a malfunctioning valve caused a catastrophic explosion. Once again he was uninjured as Dr. Toby Freedman , NAA Medical Director, pried open

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1696-513: The first flights of the North American X-15 (1959). Boistfort is located in a prairie valley marked at its eastern edge by the Chehalis River and on the west by Mill Creek. The prairie, when the town was begun, measured approximately 1-mile (1.6 km) wide and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north-to-south. At the time of settlement, the lands were mostly prairie and lacked any forest cover. The communities of Curtis and Klaber lie to

1749-494: The first organized meeting of the "Testy Test Pilots Society" on 29 September 1955. This name was to be short-lived, however, as it was changed to The Society of Experimental Test Pilots at the second meeting on 13 October 1955. The first officers of the society were instated on October 25, 1955, and consisted of Ray Tenhoff, President; Scott Crossfield , Executive Adviser; Dick Johnson, Vice-President; Joe Ozier, Secretary; Lou Everett, Treasurer; and Al Blackburn, Legal Officer. Once

1802-570: The first public school and school district in Lewis County and the Territory of Washington. The community was originally chosen for the site of the University of Washington . Originally named Baw Faw Prairie, it was changed to Boisfort after the nearby prairie and valley of the same name. The spelling was officially changed to Boistfort. The French word translates as "strong wood or heavy forest" or "small valley surrounded by green hills" and

1855-440: The first spin, Crossfield experienced vibrations, banging, and noise in the aircraft that he had never encountered with his instructor. He recovered, climbed to a higher altitude, and repeated his spin entry and spin recovery, getting the same vibration, banging and noise. On his third spin entry, at yet an even higher altitude, he looked over his shoulder as he was spinning and observed the instructor's door disengaged and flapping in

1908-481: The immediate north, and the community of Wildwood lies approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) to the south. In 1853 or 1854, the first noted classes were held at the Newland home with 5 enrolled pupils. The original one-room school in Boistfort was established in the autumn of the year and was the first school district in Lewis County and the Territory of Washington. The district was labeled as No. 1. Boistfort

1961-519: The most notable contributors to aviation history. In 1969, Bob Hoover was president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), and he had been a personal friend of Charles Lindbergh since the early 1950s, when the reclusive Lindbergh was using the pseudonym "Mr Schwartz". Hoover persuaded Lindbergh to attend the SETP annual symposium and banquet at the Beverley Hilton, as his guest. At

2014-542: The organization and bylaws were established, the society incorporated in the state of California on April 12, 1956. The insigne of the society was designed by C. A. "Al" McDaniel and officially adopted for use in 1956. The first Awards Banquet was held on October 4, 1957, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. It was at the second such banquet, however, that the tradition of

2067-521: The outflow and floodplain of the creek. An $ 8.5 million, four-year project, known as the Stillman Creek Restoration Project, began in 2018 and was to restore the creek through a partnership of various government agencies and local landowners. The work culminated in slowing down the flow of the creek to prevent erosion and restoring the floodplain and course of the waters. The plan also restored 2.0 miles (3.2 km) of

2120-443: The spin. He reached back, pulled the door closed, and discovered all the vibrations, banging and noise stopped. Satisfied, he recovered from the spin, landed, and fueled the airplane. He also realized his instructor had been holding the door during their practice spin entries and recoveries, and never mentioned this door quirk. In later years, Crossfield often cited his curiosity about this solo spin anomaly and his desire to analyze what

2173-417: The time with other settlers staking additional claims, creating farm land and building homes. The people of Boistfort built a road into Claquato in 1854, opening up the new town to regional commerce. A post office in the area was established in 1857. In 1900 Boistfort had a store, a barber, church, a blacksmith shop, and a meeting hall. Boistfort High School was built in 1912 and closed in 1976. Boistfort

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2226-411: The top table, they were joined by Neil Armstrong , who had just been released from quarantine after the Apollo 11 mission. Hoover introduced both Lindbergh and Armstrong, to the surprise of the press and other attendees, and many photos were published of Hoover's wife Colleen flanked by both 'heroes' of aviation. The story of the occasion was later narrated by Hoover in the 2014 documentary film Flying

2279-565: The town center and eventually joins the South Fork Chehalis River , was part of the Chehalis Basin Strategy (CBS) plan to improve aquatic habitats and flood control throughout the watershed. The creek had lost salmon and plant habitats due to a combination of warming waters and erosion brought on by consequences of flooding and human activities. Severe flooding, particularly the 2007 floods , had shifted

2332-770: Was also most proud of his A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year Award which is awarded annually at what is known as the "Oscar Night" in aviation, the Annual Enshrinement Ceremony Weekend at the National Aviation Hall of Fame held each year at the end of July in Dayton, Ohio. Crossfield received an honorary doctor of science degree from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1982. While he

2385-561: Was celebrated as a daring test pilot, he claimed that his actual profession was an engineer. "I am an aeronautical engineer, an aerodynamicist and a designer. My flying was only primarily because I felt that it was essential to designing and building better airplanes for pilots to fly." In the 23rd century of the Star Trek universe, Crossfield is honored with the Crossfield -class of starships, one of which, USS Discovery (NCC-1031),

2438-659: Was chosen as the original site for the University of Washington though the college was eventually built in Seattle. Boistfort has historically voted Republican and conservative . As this is an unincorporated community , there are no defined bounds, and the precinct may be incongruous with the census boundaries. The 2020 election included 4 votes for candidates of the Libertarian Party and 2 votes for write-in candidates . Stillman Creek, which courses west of

2491-527: Was flying at the time," because he thoroughly enjoyed them all and their unique personalities. On April 19, 2006, a Cessna 210A piloted by Crossfield was reported missing while flying from Prattville, Alabama toward Manassas, Virginia , near his home in Herndon . On April 20, authorities confirmed his body was found in the wreckage of his plane in a remote area of Ludville in Pickens County Georgia . There were severe thunderstorms in

2544-554: Was going on and why it happened, as the start of his test pilot career. Over the next five years, he flew nearly all of the experimental aircraft under test at Edwards, including the X-1 , XF-92 , X-4 , X-5 , Douglas D-558-I Skystreak , and the Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket . During one of his X-1 flights, the cockpit windows completely frosted and Crossfield was literally flying blind. Ever resourceful, he removed

2597-523: Was home to hop fields owned by Herman Klaber, who had a small mansion now known as the Boistfort Mansion. He died on the Titanic in 1912 and his hop yards shut down soon afterwards. Notable test pilot Scott Crossfield (1921–2006) moved to the area in his teens and graduated from Boistfort High School in 1939. He was the first to travel at twice the speed of sound (1953), and piloted

2650-444: Was not only involved with the design of X-15 from the beginning, but introduced many innovations, including putting engine controls of the rocket plane into the cockpit. Previously, all engine adjustments resulted from technicians making adjustments on the ground based upon results of flight profiles. It was during this time that Crossfield was part of the U.S. Air Force 's Man In Space Soonest project. On June 8, 1959, he completed

2703-539: Was of Norwegian descent and had attended Garfield High School in Seattle. From 1946 to 1950, he worked in the University of Washington's Kirsten Wind Tunnel while earning his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in aeronautical engineering in 1949 and 1950, respectively. Their son Paul Stanley Crossfield was born in 1952 while the Crossfields resided in California. In 1950, Crossfield joined

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2756-474: Was played by Scott Wilson in the 1983 film The Right Stuff . Crossfield co-authored Always Another Dawn , a story of a rocket test pilot, with Clay Blair Jr, and authored "Onward and Upward" Research Airplanes, Act II . In 1986 he created and funded the A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year Award presented annually under the stewardship of the Civil Air Patrol during

2809-525: Was pronounced as "Baw Faw". The first non-indigenous settlers to the Boistfort prairie was the family of Charles and Elizabeth White who migrated from Peoria, Illinois beginning in April 1851. Traveling northwards from Portland, Oregon , the Whites came upon the valley in the spring of 1852, staking a land claim . Relatives of the family followed that year and into 1853, growing the community further during

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