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  Space Cover 301: Pilot Tom McMurtry: A Tribute

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Author Topic:   Space Cover 301: Pilot Tom McMurtry: A Tribute
Bob M
Member

Posts: 1744
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 01-24-2015 07:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bob M   Click Here to Email Bob M     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Space Cover of the Week, Week 301 (January 25, 2015)

Space Cover #301: NASA Pilot Tom McMurtry: A Tribute

Research pilot Thomas McMurtry passed away recently at age 79. McMurtry's many accomplishments and duties included research pilot and Director of Flight Crew Operations at Dryden Flight Research Center. And his many awards included NASA's Exceptional Service Award.

He graduated from the US Navy Test Pilot School and later joined NASA in 1967. During his 32 years at NASA, he piloted the U-2, X-24B Lifting Body aircraft, F-8A, AD-1, FY-12C (later called the SR-71 Blackbird), F-104 and F-15.

But perhaps his greatest achievements were his involvement in two significant NASA flight programs: the X-24B Lifting Body Program and the (ALT) Approach and Landing Test/Enterprise Program.

McMurtry piloted the X-24B on two of its 36 free flights, including the X-24B's final flight, becoming the last pilot to fly a lifting body aircraft. The top cover marks the first of his two X-24B flights and is nicely autographed by him.

These two covers both mark McMurtry's second and final X-24B flight. The top cover was flown aboard the B-52 mothership and was signed by both the B-52 mothership pilot and McMurtry. The bottom cover also marks the X-24B's final flight and is autographed by McMurtry and the other five X-24B pilots. Sadly two of these pilot's lives ended tragically, with Dick Scobee dying aboard Challenger and Mike Love dying not long after the end of the X-24B Program in an aircraft crash at Edwards AFB.

McMurtry was the co-pilot of the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) on the ALT flights, including the first Enterprise free flight, with Fred Haise and Gordon Fullerton aboard Enterprise.

At the top is a photograph of the SCA/Enterprise combo on the first tailcone off flight (fourth free flight) and the cover at the bottom marks the first Active Captive flight of the SCA/Enterprise pair and is autographed by McMurtry and three other SCA crew members.

Covers were done in good quantities for the X-24B and ALT flights, and collectors would have an interesting challenge in assembling complete collections of flight covers for the X-24B's 36 free flights (49 all together) and the ALT Program's 13 flights: Inactive Captive (5 flights with Enterprise unmanned); Active Captive (3 flights with 2-man crew aboard Enterprise); and free flights (5).

bobslittlebro
Member

Posts: 179
From: Douglasville, Ga U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2009

posted 01-24-2015 09:19 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for bobslittlebro   Click Here to Email bobslittlebro     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Very nice tribute Bob. Tom McMurtry was always great about autographing items for us collectors. He was also very helpful with supplying addresses of hard to fine test pilots for me in the past. The top X-24B signed cover is superb! Great inscription.

11Boron12
Member

Posts: 79
From: Mannheim, Germany
Registered: Nov 2014

posted 01-24-2015 10:34 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for 11Boron12   Click Here to Email 11Boron12     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Is he still signing covers and if yes is his address known?

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 01-24-2015 10:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
As Bob's post above begins:
quote:
Originally posted by Bob M:
Research pilot Thomas McMurtry passed away recently at age 79.
A memorial thread is here.

albatron
Member

Posts: 2732
From: Stuart, Florida
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 01-24-2015 11:34 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for albatron   Click Here to Email albatron     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Great post Bob, thank you.

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