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F-22 test pilot receives Chuck Yeager award
March 9, 2000 (by
Jeff Hollenbeck) -
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company test pilot Jon Beesley was recognized for his work on the F-22, F-16 and F-117 programs last month when he received the prestigious Chuck Yeager Award from the Engineers Council.
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The award was presented in formal ceremonies in Los Angeles during National Engineers Week. Selection criteria for the Yeager award reflect a lifetime career of dedication to the progress of aerospace technology. Past recipients include several astronauts and other distinguished test pilots. Bruce Hinds, the first pilot to fly the B-2, won the award in 1999.
Beesley's flight test career began in 1981, when he was one of the initial U.S. Air Force test pilots for the F-117 program. He joined Lockheed Martin (then General Dynamics) in Fort Worth in 1986 and worked on night attack systems for the F-16
In the early 1990s, Beesley flew the YF-22 during the Demonstration Validation phase of the Advanced Tactical Fighter program. These flights involved high-angle-of-attack tests, AIM-9 separation tests and flight control development. His current responsibilities as an F-22 test pilot at the F-22 Combined Test Force at Edwards AFB, Calif., include handling qualities development and high angle of attack testing. He has accumulated over 120 hours in the F-22 and approximately 5,000 total hours in over 40 other aircraft types
Founded in 1955, the Engineers Council has presented numerous awards recognizing outstanding contributions by individuals in our community and throughout the world in the fields of engineering, education, special fields of work and public service. The council was formed through the joint efforts of the California Society of Professional Engineers, the American Institute of Plant Engineers, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
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Beesley's flight test career began in 1981, when he was one of the initial U.S. Air Force test pilots for the F-117 program. He joined Lockheed Martin (then General Dynamics) in Fort Worth in 1986 and worked on night attack systems for the F-16
In the early 1990s, Beesley flew the YF-22 during the Demonstration Validation phase of the Advanced Tactical Fighter program. These flights involved high-angle-of-attack tests, AIM-9 separation tests and flight control development. His current responsibilities as an F-22 test pilot at the F-22 Combined Test Force at Edwards AFB, Calif., include handling qualities development and high angle of attack testing. He has accumulated over 120 hours in the F-22 and approximately 5,000 total hours in over 40 other aircraft types
Founded in 1955, the Engineers Council has presented numerous awards recognizing outstanding contributions by individuals in our community and throughout the world in the fields of engineering, education, special fields of work and public service. The council was formed through the joint efforts of the California Society of Professional Engineers, the American Institute of Plant Engineers, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.