Robert J. Gilliland - Lancaster, CA - Specific Veteran Memorials on Waymarking.com

The Lancaster Aerospace Walk of Honor starts at the Boeing Plaza and has markers running west along Lancaster Blvd. The plaza has a McDonnell Douglas F-4D-25-MC Phantom II on display with numerous plaques below the plane recognizing individual people, both veterans and civilians, that have contributed to advances in aerospace. The plaques continue along Lancaster Blvd. Please see the Walk of Honor map to find the individuals recognized. This waymark is specifically for Robert J. Gilliland.


Plaque Inscription:
Robert J. Gilliland

Robert J. Gilliland, the first man to fly the SR-71 Blackbird, has logged more experimental supersonic flight test time above Mach 2 and Mach 3 than any other pilot.

A Sailor in World War II and a 1949 Naval Academy graduate, Gilliland joined the newly formed United States Air Force. After flying P-47 Thunderbolts and F-84 Thunderjets in Germany, he flew F-84s during a combat tour to Korea in 1952. As a fighter test pilot in 1953 at Eglin Air For Base, Florida, he flew most of the aircraft in the Air Force inventory. Later, he joined Lockheed as a civilian test pilot flying the F-104 Starfigher.

In 1962, Gilliland began to test teh fastest and highest flying airplanes, including the A-11/A-12, YF-12A and the SR-71. He made the first flight of the SR-71 on December 12, 1984, taking the aircraft to Mach 1.5 and 30,000 feet altitude. He served as the principal test pilot for the SR-71's development program. He logged over 6,500 hours in many different aircraft, including the F-104, F-80, F-84, F-86, F-6, P-47, YF-12A and SR-71.

A Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Gilliland was awarded the Iven C. Kincheloe Award in 1964 for his work on the Blackbird program. He was named an Eagle by the Air Force Flight Test Historical Foundation in 1998 and received the Godfrey L. Cabot Award in 2001. He is a trustee of the Association of Naval Aviation.

Established in 1990 by the Lancaster City Council, The Aerospace Walk of Honor celebrates test pilots who were associated with Edwards AFB. Recognition is awarded for distinguished aviation careers marked by significant and obvious achievements beyond one specific accomplishment.

Aerospace
Walk of Honor

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