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My Airplane Building Project
—Norman Bringsjord
It was a warm summer evening. I was working late at my hangar/workshop at the Leesburg (JYO) airport. I had the door wide open to invite some cool night air into my workspace. As I remember, I was taking a break with my feet up when a man approached quietly, out of the darkness. I guess it was the Questair Venture that caught his eye. He asked some questions and we talked for a bit before he vanished into the darknes . . . Click Here to read this story
Speed Record
—Gene Deatrick
On one of my trips with Scotty in his beautiful Cessna, we were heading west along I-70. Allowed only to smoke my pipe and be quiet, I had time for silent contemplation.
Observing the scenery as it passed beneath us, I told Scotty that this was the most ridiculous flight I had ever been privy to.
"What are you alluding to?", he asked.
"The first man to go Mach 2, an old je . . . Click Here to read this story
Still mad after 50 years....
—Don Gates
I met Mr. Crossfield at a Society for Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) annual conference held at the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown LA, my boss was presenting a paper there and I was doing some test flying at Edwards.
Chuck Yeager was also there in the reception hall, each man knew the other was there... and they very carefully avoided each other, gave the other guy 'the evil eye'... it was almost comica . . . Click Here to read this story
Dad and Scott
—Vicki Burton (Knepper)
My Dad was flight test supervisor @ Edwards AFB back in the day. I'd watch Dad cry over a glass of whiskey after losing a pilot during flight tests. Jeez... so many... before the days of wind tunnels and computer data. As Dad said, "We proved flight limits by breaking things (like wings)"...Dad skipped planet in 2001. He wrote his memoirs before he passed to be with his buddies and God. Here's the chapter he had to s . . . Click Here to read this story
First Meeting
—Michelle Evans
When I first started working on my book on the X-15, I set out to interview all the surviving pilots. At that time, there were nine of them still with us. Scotty was one of the first I had a chance to talk with. I contacted him and made plans to fly to Washington, DC, where he was working to make the X-30 a reality at that time. Always working, he thought it best if we could meet at the Rayburn Building. We sat in th . . . Click Here to read this story
Forever Friends
—Judy Rice
"Ladies don't talk like that," a gentleman’s voice said quietly in my ear. Not recognizing the gentleman, I gave pause just long enough to be distracted from my immediate mission. My sights had been on the individual leaving the stage.
The gentleman at my ear continued to explain in a quiet, easy manner that the individual leaving the stage was one of those famed aviators who always had folks clam . . . Click Here to read this story
The Heart of the Man
—Al Hallonquist
Growing up with the X-15 program as a child, Scott Crossfield was the first test pilot I was exposed to. Growing up to be an Aerospace Historian, I learned about so many more, but you always remember your first.
I had the honor of meeting and spending time with Scotty over the years but the true insight into his heart came a few years ago. Bob White is a dear friend, and a former fellow X-15 jock w . . . Click Here to read this story
Scott Crossfield, Supersonic Pioneer... An Appreciation
—Thomas F. Norton
Scott Crossfield was a hero who lived up to the expectations of his admirers.
Not all of them do, you know.
Crossfield died during the night of April 19 after encountering a Level 6 thunderstorm over Georgia, while flying his Cessna 206A toward Virginia. The wreckage was found the next day in a wooded gully near the mountain town of Ranger, in northern Georgia.
Scott Cross . . . Click Here to read this story
Remembering A. Scott Crossfield
—Maurice Cook
Using autobiography as a device and the research airplane era as the arena, Scott prepared a talk and slide show entitled ONWARD AND UPWARD Research Airplanes - Act II that he presented all over the country. He named the test pilots and recorded their flights in the X-1 through X-24 series research aircraft. He reminded us that, "there is no history, only biography." And, that it takes people to breathe life into . . . Click Here to read this story
Instrument Rating
—Bob Shumaker
In 1991 Scott wanted to get his civilian instrument rating. Apparently, the FAA would not transfer his earlier extensive military and NASA experience, so he worked a deal with my boss at the University of North Dakota to take a two-week refresher course. My role, as the associate Dean, was to pick him up each morning from his motel. One particular morning he appeared tired and bleary eyed, and he explained that he . . . Click Here to read this story
—Jerry Painter
The following is a brief tribute I posted to the Yak-List (yak-list@matronics.com) shortly after Scott was killed. It's also on my blog at www.FlyWBA.com. Having just read "Always Another Dawn" on the SCF website, I discovered that I'd made a number of errors, but here's what I wrote then:
When I was a kid in the aftermath of the Big One, when jets were dangerous New Things and rockets had men for gu . . . Click Here to read this story
A visit to the Crossfields
—Craig Brown
Since the early 60's I grew up and still live in the in the N. VA area. I remember as a child watching the TV documentaries of the various supersonic and X Program flights, including the X-15 flights. Seeing the X-15 engine test explosion sealed in my mind the bravery of the pilots, and needless to say Scott Crossfield became one of my heroes. Being fascinated by aviation, partly because of the accomplishments of . . . Click Here to read this story
Civil Air Patrol
—Joel Cosmano
My story is this. I just ran across this web site looking for information about Mr. Crossfield. I am a Civil Air Patrol member and what he has done in his life, is part of our aerospace teachings to our cadets. It is nice to see that people like him that helped forge our country are not forgotten. Thank you for keeping his legacy alive, I will continue to teach his work for all my cadets
Joel Cosm . . . Click Here to read this story