A. Scott Crossfield
A . Scott Crossfield, famed aviator and X-15 test pilot, had his first flight at
the age of six in an oil company plane and says that he does not recall ever having
desired any other career than aviation. He began flying lesson at the age of 12, in return
for delivering newspapers at the Wilmington Airport. By the time he graduated from high
school, he had resolved to emulate such famous test pilots as Boeing's Eddie Allen and the
Air Force's Jimmy Doolittle. He received both his bachelor of science and master of
science degrees in aeronautical engineering from the University of Washington. His
distinguished career in aviation really began in 1942 when he was a U.S. Navy fighter
pilot and fighter gunnery instructor. From 1946 to 1950, he was the Chief Operator of the
University of Washington's F. K. Kirsten Wind Tunnel, and from 1950 to 1955 was an
aeronautical research pilot for the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics at Edwards
High Speed Flight Station. From 1955 to 1961, Mr. Crossfield was the design specialist,
X-15 project pilot, and chief engineering test pilot for North American Aviation, Inc.,
Los Angeles Division. He was involved in all phases of X-15 specification and design,
cockpit and control systems, engine systems, structures, and so forth. He was also the
pilot for the first 30 demonstration flights of the X-15. In 1967, he joined Eastern
Airlines as a division vice president. After four years, he was promoted to staff vice
president working transportation development issues for the airline until leaving Eastern
in 1974 to assume the position of senior vice president at Hawker Siddley. Mr. Crossfield
has worked as an independent technical consultant for several corporations, House
committees and subcommittees, NASA and the FAA
From Civil Air Patrol's 1997 National Congress On Aviation And Space
Education (NCASE) Conference Program.
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Updated: 23 February, 1999
