Contact: Bob Ratliff
Bob Gilliland
The first person to pilot the world's fastest and highest flying jet will discuss his experiences Feb. 3 at Mississippi State.
Former Lockheed Aircraft Corp. test pilot Bob Gilliland will speak at a 3:30 p.m. public program at the university's National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center. The center is located adjacent to campus in the Mississippi Research and Technology Park.
Shortly before Christmas of 1964, Gilliland took the Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" to altitude and speed records that still stand. Wearing pressurized gear necessary to operate at the extreme edge of the Earth's atmosphere, he flew the then-top secret reconnaissance aircraft at speeds above Mach 3--three times the speed of sound--and at altitudes above 80,000 feet.
Earlier, the Memphis, Tenn., native and U.S. Naval Academy graduate had flown some of the nation's first jet fighters in combat during the Korean Conflict before being assigned as a test pilot to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
Gilliland, who joined Lockheed in 1960 as a civilian test pilot, received the 1964 Ivan Kincheloe Award by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots for his work in helping develop a family of revolutionary aircraft.
Gilliland's MSU visit is sponsored by the ERC Student Activities Advisory Board.
"We're honored to have a speaker of Mr. Gilliland's background on campus for this presentation and to tour our aeronautical engineering facilities," said senior aerospace engineering major Carolyn Dear of Florence, president of the sponsoring organization.
For additional information about Gilliland's MSU visit, telephone (662) 325-8278.