Johnny Armstrong was part of the X-15 flight test team from Jan 1962 until the end of the program in 1968. He was the AFFTC USAF flight planner and his duties included; developing the flight test plan, training the pilot using the iron bird simulator, vectoring the B-52 to the launch point and being the energy management monitor in the mission control room.
Johnny, during his time as a student in Aeronautical Engineering at the Universary of Alabama, began his engineering career as a student aide at Redstone Arsenal in 1953 and plotted telemetry data from the first flight of the Redstone rocket lead by Werner Von Braun’s Peenemundee Germans.
He has over 51 years of government service with over 50 years at the Air Force Flight Test Center. He was with the AFFTC for 4 years as an Air Force officer/flight test engineer beginning in 1956 during which time he flew in 27 different aircraft to include: F-94C, F-104B, B-36, B-47, B-57, and the YB-58. Flying in the YB-58 he became the first non-rated USAF officer to fly to Mach 2. In Dec 1959, he was the flight test engineer on the successful flight test to set a new altitude record with pilot Capt Joe Jordan to 103,395 feet.
Following his military service he was with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center as part of the Flight Evaluation team for the first launch of the Saturn vehicle. He returned to Edwards as a civil servant in 1962 and was the Air Force flight planner on the X-15 program for 7 years and planned Pete Knight’s flight that set the maximum Mach number of 6.7. He was also the flight planner for the X-24A and X-24B lifting bodies. He served as AFFTC project manager for the X-24B, the DoD evaluation of the Space Shuttle, National Aerospace Plane X-30, X-33, and others.
Mr. Armstrong is currently assigned as the Chief Engineer of the AFFTC 412 Test Wing Hypersonic Combined Test Force.
His awards include:
Nominated for the Smithsonian Career Award by AFFTC and AFMC – 2006
Flight Test Historical Foundation “Eagle” – 2006 for B-58 Flights
Society of Flight Test Engineers Kelly Johnson Award – 2005
Rotary National Award for Space Accomplishments – 2005
USAF Meritorious Civilian Service Medal – 2003
University of Alabama Distinguished Engineering Fellow – 1990
Air Force Flight Test Center Civilian of the Year – 1988
Air Force Flight Test Center General Manager of the Year – 1988
University of Alabama Outstanding Engineering Fellow – 1988
Johnny Armstrong was part of the X-15 flight test team from Jan 1962 until the end of the program in 1968. He was the AFFTC USAF flight planner and his duties included; developing the flight test plan, training the pilot using the iron bird simulator, vectoring the B-52 to the launch point and being the energy management monitor in the mission control room.
Johnny, during his time as a student in Aeronautical Engineering at the Universary of Alabama, began his engineering career as a student aide at Redstone Arsenal in 1953 and plotted telemetry data from the first flight of the Redstone rocket lead by Werner Von Braun’s Peenemundee Germans.
He has over 51 years of government service with over 50 years at the Air Force Flight Test Center. He was with the AFFTC for 4 years as an Air Force officer/flight test engineer beginning in 1956 during which time he flew in 27 different aircraft to include: F-94C, F-104B, B-36, B-47, B-57, and the YB-58. Flying in the YB-58 he became the first non-rated USAF officer to fly to Mach 2. In Dec 1959, he was the flight test engineer on the successful flight test to set a new altitude record with pilot Capt Joe Jordan to 103,395 feet.
Following his military service he was with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center as part of the Flight Evaluation team for the first launch of the Saturn vehicle. He returned to Edwards as a civil servant in 1962 and was the Air Force flight planner on the X-15 program for 7 years and planned Pete Knight’s flight that set the maximum Mach number of 6.7. He was also the flight planner for the X-24A and X-24B lifting bodies. He served as AFFTC project manager for the X-24B, the DoD evaluation of the Space Shuttle, National Aerospace Plane X-30, X-33, and others.
Mr. Armstrong is currently assigned as the Chief Engineer of the AFFTC 412 Test Wing Hypersonic Combined Test Force.
His awards include:Nominated for the Smithsonian Career Award by AFFTC and AFMC – 2006Flight Test Historical Foundation “Eagle” – 2006 for B-58 FlightsSociety of Flight Test Engineers Kelly Johnson Award – 2005Rotary National Award for Space Accomplishments – 2005USAF Meritorious Civilian Service Medal – 2003University of Alabama Distinguished Engineering Fellow – 1990Air Force Flight Test Center Civilian of the Year – 1988Air Force Flight Test Center General Manager of the Year – 1988University of Alabama Outstanding Engineering Fellow – 1988