Bill Dana
Aerospace Pioneer William H. Dana Dies
“One of the nation’s most respected aerospace pioneers has passed away. Distinguished research pilot and aeronautical engineer William Harvey Dana died on May 6, 2014. His long and illustrious career at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center spanned more than 48 years, during which Dana logged more than 8,000 hours in over 60 different aircraft from helicopters and sailplanes to the hypersonic X-15. Several of the airplanes he flew are displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.”
Bill Dana was the last person to pilot an X-15 which he accomplished during the program’s 199th and final flight on October 24th, 1968, two days after the splashdown of the first manned Apollo flight. As noted in the article Dana was awarded astronaut wings in 2005 for his two X-15 flights that went above 50 miles. At the time of his flights military pilots were awarded astronaut wings for any flight above 50 miles. Dana was a civilian at the time and flying for NASA. A true space pioneer.
Great photo to note Bill Dana. Epitome of a test pilot, standing in front of a winged reusable spaceship, wearing spacesuit and holding helmet. He had been there, done that, and yet passed away seeing this country without a operational spaceship to carry people.