EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Flight Test Historical Foundation will be hosting a Gathering of Eagles event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the F-22 Raptor’s first flight. The event will take place Oct. 21 at the H.W. Hunter Pavilion at Antelope Valley Fairgrounds in Lancaster, California. The social hour begins at 4:45 p.m. with dinner at 6 followed by a panel discussion and an auction of unique aviation memorabilia.
The general public is invited to attend. Tickets may be purchased online at the foundation website here and through their Facebook page at AFFTMuseum.
All proceeds from the event will be used to support the Air Force Flight Test Museum at Edwards AFB and Blackbird Airpark in Palmdale, California. Money will be used for repair and restoration of aircraft in the museum’s inventory as well as constructing a new state-of-the-art museum and aerospace STEM education center outside the West Gate of the base to make it accessible to the general public.
“It is the mission of Flight Test Historical Foundation to preserve the rich local history of flight test through the support of the museum at Edwards AFB and Blackbird Airpark in Palmdale,” said Lisa Gray, chairwoman of the Flight Test Historical Foundation board of directors.
Panelists will discuss their experiences as F-22 pilots with a following question-and-answer session from audience.
The panelists include Paul Metz, Chuck Killberg, Bret Luedke, Randy Neville and James “JB” Brown, who were chief test pilots on the F-22 during the early stages of flight test for the fifth-generation fighter. Additional panelist, Steve Rainey, is a current chief test pilot with the F-22 Raptor program at the 411th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards.
The honorary chairman of the Flight Test Historical Foundation is retired Maj. Gen. Doug Pearson, former commander of the Air Force Test Center. He will also be in attendance.