| Philip F. Oestricher | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1931 |
| Died | (aged 84) |
| Place of death | Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
Philip F. Oestricher (1931 – December 18, 2015) was an American aerodynamics engineer and test pilot.[1] He made both the unscheduled first flight of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon on January 20, 1974 and its official first flight on February 2, 1974.[2][3]
Career[]
Oestricher worked at Consolidated Vultee as an aerodynamics engineer on the B-36 bomber. He later served in the United States Marine Corps, where he flew the F-4D Skyray. As a test pilot, Oestricher flew all models of the F-111 fighter-bomber.[1]
On January 20, 1974, Oestricher piloted the unscheduled first flight of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon at Edwards Air Force Base, California. While performing high-speed ground tests, Oestricher nearly lost control of the aircraft when it entered a series of roll oscillations. Oestricher elected to take the craft airborne to avoid crashing and remained in flight for six minutes. Oestricher also piloted the F-16's official first flight on February 2, 1974.[2][3] He contributed to the development of multiple versions of the F-16 and established F-16 safety protocols.[1]
Death[]
Oestricher died in Fort Worth, Texas, on December 18, 2015, at the age of 84.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "In Memoriam - Philip F. Oestricher, Test Pilot". Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. December 22, 2015. https://www.codeonemagazine.com/news_item.html?item_id=1499.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Stout, Joe (1992). "What A Wonderful Airplane: YF-16 First Flight". Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. https://www.codeonemagazine.com/article.html?item_id=158.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mizokami, Kyle (January 23, 2020). "That Time When the F-16 Accidentally Had Its First Flight". https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a30645599/f-16-first-flight/.
External links[]
- "Memorable Moment - YF-16 Test Pilot Phil Oestricher". Lockheed Martin. April 4, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAp4RtGKbHE.
The original article can be found at Phil Oestricher and the edit history here.