Gathering of Eagles honors women in flight test, raises funds for new museum

  • Published
  • By Kenji Thuloweit
  • 412th Test Wing Public Affairs

The Flight Test Historical Foundation hosted its annual Gathering of Eagles gala Oct. 13 at the H.W. Hunter Pavilion at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds in Lancaster, California.

This year’s event honored women of flight test and honored six new eagles of the foundation who were recognized for their contributions to aviation and work in the flight test community.

Bill Gray, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School chief test pilot, emceed the event. Following dinner service and a silent auction, Col. Angela Suplisson, Air Force Test Center vice commander, moderated a question and answer panel with the eagles in which they discussed how they were introduced to their careers and notable projects each has worked on.

The 2018 eagles are:

Dr. Eileen Bjorkman, U.S. Air Force, member of the Senior Executive Service

Dr. Sandy Miarecki, U.S. Air Force Academy; retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel

Kelly Latimer, Virgin Galactic; retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel

Cynthia Bixby, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center

Laurie Grindle, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center

Florence Lowe "Pancho" Barnes, aviation pioneer (posthumously)

The Flight Test Historical Foundation is the primary supporter of the Air Force Flight Test Museum on Edwards AFB. The silent auction consisted of aviation memorabilia and artwork. The proceeds will be used to support the museum and Blackbird Airpark in Palmdale, California. Monies raised are 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 Edwards to make it accessible to the general public.

“Aircraft and aircraft restoration displays and construction projects are entirely funded by the foundation,” said Lisa Gray, Flight Test Historical Foundation chairwoman. “The museum, even behind the gates of Edwards Air Force Base, hosted over 51,000 visitors last year. Can you imagine how many visitors that will be if we get outside the gates?”

Edwards AFB leadership along with Flight Test Historical Foundation members broke ground on the location of the new museum in March. While the foundation is making progress, additional funds are still needed to begin construction of the new building, which will also host education events in partnership with the local community.

George Welsh, AFFT Museum director, said museum volunteers, and cooperation with local schools and professional organizations, has laid the ground work for a great new place to house the history of flight test in the Mojave Desert and a center of education for the Antelope Valley.

“I want you to imagine a lot of pieces of a puzzle coming together,” said Welsh. “You put all those pieces together and you have the future flight test museum and education center; all we need is a building.”

For more information, visit www.flighttestmuseum.org or look up AFFTMuseum on Facebook.

Editor’s Note: The Flight Test Historical Foundation is a private organization. It is not part of the Department of Defense or any of its components and has no government status.