In Memoriam

William C. Dietz

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William C. Dietz

31 July 2006

William C. "Bill" Dietz, who led the proposal and flight test effort for the YF-16, died 31 July in Fort Worth, Texas. He was eighty-seven. Dietz was a nationally recognized aeronautical engineer, contributing to the design of military aircraft and missiles over a career that spanned fifty-three years. After graduating from the Aeronautical University of Chicago, Illinois, he joined Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego, California, in 1940. His initial work was on the PBY Catalina seaplane, followed by increasingly responsible roles on the PB2Y, PB4Y, B-24, B-32, B-36, B-58, F-111, F-16, and F-22 programs. In April 1972, he was promoted to vice president of F-16 Engineering, responsible for directing the engineering effort for the full-scale development and production program.

Visitor Comments

He was my step Grandpa!

Lauren Oliveira, Dec 18, 2019 - 09:16 PM

He was hilarious, even as a Teenage female I remember him just making me laugh all the time. He had a real laid-back way of life, valued education, and enjoyed reading the newspaper while the family played bored games. He had a loyal black cocker spaniel, named

Stinky, and boy was he! I'll never forget the time I had with him in the family. He had a beautiful home with a giant backyard over by Ridgmar Mall. My daughter was born June 26th 2006, and 3 days later when I left with her from the hospital we stop by to say hi and let him see the baby. And that was the last time I ever saw him. He was an amazing man that I'll never forget.

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