AIAA St. Louis Celebrates a Milestone: The F-15 Turns 50

By Carmelo Turdo

The St. Louis Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) held their last spring dinner meeting on Tuesday in honor of the upcoming 50th Anniversary of F-15 Eagle 's first flight. From its home in St. Louis to service in air forces around the world, the F-15 has earned a reputation for owning the skies since taking over the mission from the legendary F-4 Phantom II. Many of the AIAA members in attendance worked on the F-15 from the beginning at McDonnell Douglas and some are still involved with the current generation produced at Boeing's St. Louis production facility. More events will be scheduled as the actual July 27, 1972 date nears.

Bob Dowgwillo, retired Boeing aerodynamics engineer and frequent subject matter expert guest speaker for local aerospace organizations and media productions, hosted the dinner meeting and gave a presentation on the F-15 development dating back to the mid 1960s. Departing from the trend of commonality of fighter aircraft between the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy that saw the deployment of the successful Phantom II but also the development of the regrettable F-111B, the Air Force sought a dedicated air superiority fighter to counter the growing threat of advanced Soviet fighters and interceptors such as the MiG-25. In 1967, McDonnell Douglas responded to a request for proposals for the FX concept refinement two years after the initial studies were initiated by other companies. In 1968, project definition contracts were awarded to Fairchild Hiller, North American and McDonnell Douglas (McAir) in St. Louis. Through many iterations, the Model 199 proposal was awarded the development contract as the F-15 Eagle in 1969 with Pratt & Whitney providing the new F-100 series engines.

The F-15's first flight was conducted on July 27, 1972 by McDonnell Douglas test pilot Irv Burrows at Edwards AFB, CA. The development program became known as one of the smoothest in modern military history, using twenty pre-production aircraft to test all aspects of the jet's performance. No aircraft were lost, and the aerodynamic and propulsion issues discovered were evaluated and resolved before the first aircraft was accepted by the Air Force at Luke AFB in November of 1974. From January 16-February 1, 1975, Operation Streak Eagle broke eight time-to-climb records previously held by the Phantom and the Soviet MiG-25. Since then, the F-15 has evolved into the current production models for allied nations and again for the U.S. Air Force as the F-15EX. 

Boeing F-15 Chief Test Pilot Matt "Phat" Giese gave a presentation on the current F-15 program involving the F-15QA for Qatar and the new F-15EX now under development for the U.S. Air Force. Giese, a former U.S. Air Force test pilot and a colonel in the Air Force Reserve, conducted tests on the F-15SA fly-by-wire system and flew the first flights of the F-15QA and F-15EX models. 

The most advanced Eagle yet developed, the F-15EX employs the fly-by-wire control system developed for the F-15SA and F-15QA along with additional radar, sensor, central computing and cockpit display enhancements that outrival even the stealth jets now in service. The F-15EX  airframe carries forward the air superiority and strike capabilities of the previous models but with more responsive handling qualities. Full Size Determinant Assembly (FSDA) production delivers larger subassemblies to the final production area, saving time and money while increasing quality. The first two F-15EX aircraft are currently in flight testing at Edwards AFB, CA and several more are in production. 

Following the formal presentations, several attendees were recognized. Matt Giese was given a mounted AIAA challenge coin in appreciation for his presentation at the dinner meeting. Giese then recognized Jackie Blumer, a 2022 Challenger Learning Center/AIAA Trailblazing STEM Educator Award recipient, with an F-15EX memento that he carried during his test flight. Those in attendance who are associated with the F-15 program then gathered for a group photo.

Boeing F-15 Test Pilot Is Guest Speaker at Aviation Explorer Post Meeting

By Carmelo Turdo

Boeing F-15 Experimental Test Pilot Jason "Mongoose" Dotter was the guest speaker at the Aviation Explorer Post 9032 monthly meeting Wednesday evening. The informal presentation began in the auditorium of the James S. McDonnell Prologue Room and migrated to the musem area containing oversized models of the F-15 and other aircraft manufactured by Boeing and her legacy companies. Post members, high school students from the St. Louis metro area, engaged in a free-flowing discussion with "Mongoose" about the F-15, military flying, aerospace engineering and aviation careers.     

"Mongoose" joined the Boeing flight test team in 2020 following a career in the U.S. Air Force flying the F-15E Strike Eagle operationally and numerous other aircraft types as a military test pilot. His last duty assignment was as the F-15E Test Director with the 84th Test Evaluation Squadron at Eglin AFB, FL. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He currently holds the following civilian certificates and ratings: single and multi-engine land, instrument, commercial and CFI.

"Mongoose" took his first flight ever in the T-37 "Tweet" jet trainer after completing Officer Training School. He then progressed to fly the T-38 Talon supersonic trainer, where he graduated second in his class. He chose, and received, an assignment to fly the F-15E Strike Eagle and later an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in 2006. His call sign was earned during a row with some F-16 pilots during a pre-Red Flag deployment. The Eagle and (F-16) Viper crews were arguing about who shot who during the training mission, and Dotter, not yet having a permanent call sign, became the symbol of a well-known Viper killer, the mongoose. And the name stuck.

Military flying does not require a degree in a science or engineering field, though having one is advantageous. "I kind of had a leg up on my other F-15 classmates because I understood aerodynamics and it was interesting to me," he replied to a question posed on this topic. "There is no hard requirement from the Air Force or the Navy that you have to have a certain type of degree to fly a certain type of plane. However, to go to test pilot school, you have to have hours in the jet, and you have to have an engineering, physics or math degree to be a test pilot." In this case, having the engineering degree contributed to his success.  

The members of Aviation Explorer Post 9032 regularly meet role models such as "Mongoose" at their monthly meetings and special events throughout the year. Post membership offers a wide range of aviation activities, field trips and career preparation options. The post works closely with EAA Chapter 32, based at St. Charles County Smartt Field, where the Explorers gain practical knowledge and skills in aircraft construction and maintenance along with their flight opportunities. Contact Aviation Explorer Post 9032 for membership information.

CFII Devin Horn Joins the Gateway Flight Training Team

By Carmelo Turdo

Gateway Flight Training, based at Creve Coeur Airport, has expanded their services and staffing in recent months to fulfill the increased demand for pilot training, aircraft maintenance and avionics services. As mentioned in our previous story, one of the new CFIs to join Gateway Flight Training is Devin Horn, a CFII who comes to St. Louis from his previous flight instructing position at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescot, AZ. The Aero Experience recently visited with Devin Horn before he held an orientation with one of his students.

Devin Horn received his Private Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating and Commercial Single-Engine Certificate at Lane Aviation Academy in Eugene, Oregon. He then transferred to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ where he received his CFI and CFII Certificates and instructed for two years. He originally became interested in aviation when he started river sports, and ironically his first canoe was made by Grumman. Horn wanted to do something that involved speed, and short of becoming a racecar driver, aviation seemed to be the way to accomplish that desire. 

Though the Midwest offers different topography and weather than in the Great Northwest, an attitude of safety and in-house aircraft maintenance support remain essential to all flight training operations. 

"Those fundamental components of a good flying organization don't change," Horn told The Aero Experience. "I've flown in Oregon, I've flown in Arizona and now out in Missouri. The aviation infrastructure, the aviation support in this area, is really impressive." He added that the emphasis on safety and the atmosphere of open communication at Gateway Flight Training are essential to providing the best possible outcomes for the students.

Devin Horn's long-range plan is to fly jets, either in the  corporate world or for an airline, and also serve others through humanitarian aviation. And he still feels the need to teach along with the need for speed.

"I really don't want to ever stop instructing. I grew up teaching sports and coaching, and so teaching is something that I've enjoyed. This was the best way for me to translate into that in the flying world, so I have the opportunity to teach something I love, which is aviation, and I'm not going to just stop doing that because there are other jobs out there." 

Hear Devin Horn tell his story in this brief video from our recent interview. Better yet, visit him and take flight at Gateway Flight Training! 

St. Louis Rocketry Association Marks Apollo 16 Anniversary With Launch Event

By Carmelo Turdo

The St. Louis Rocketry Association (SLRA) celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 16 flight with a commemorative launch event on Sunday, May 1, at Buder Park. Association members gathered with family, friends and guests to observe the launch of a wide variety of model rocket types. The highlight of the event was the elaborate launch sequence leading up to the flight of David Kovar's 1:100 scale Saturn V. 

The Apollo 16 moon mission (April 16, 1972 - April 27, 1972) was crewed by Mission Commander John W. Young, Lunar Module Pilot Charles Duke and Command Module Pilot Thomas Mattingly. The mission had ambitious goals, building from the successes of Apollo 15, but it was actually shortened by one day. Despite some setbacks, including technical issues with the command and service module and when John Young tripped over and broke the cable to the heat flow experiment on the moon's surface, the mission did expand the capabilities of Apollo. The crew spent 71 hours on the lunar surface, accomplished 3 EVAs totaling over 20 hours, collected 209 pounds of lunar material and drove the Lunar Roving Vehicle 16.6 miles. 

SLRA periodically hosts commemorative launches to celebrate the anniversaries of NASA manned space flights. Association members are especially fond of launching their Saturn V and Mercury Redstone rockets, some of which were represented at the recent event. 

The Aero Experience attends these events whenever possible, and here we include a photo survey of the rockets launched as well as a highlight video that puts you in the middle of the action. We thank the SLRA members attending the Apollo 16 Commemorative Launch event for their hospitality and willingness to share their knowledge and experience with model rocketry.