Famed Wright Field test pilot dies at 101

Dec. 6—Famed Air Force test pilot Kenneth Oscar Chilstrom died Saturday.

Chilstrom was a retired colonel and author of "Test Flying at Old Wright Field." According to a brief online obituary, the Fort Belvoir, Va. resident was 101 years old.

"Test flying at Wright Field provided the highlights of my flying days," Chilstrom wrote at the P-47 Thunderbolt Pilots Association web page (http://p47pilots.com/).

Wright Field was a predecessor U.S. Army Air Corps and Air Force installation, an area that came to be part of today's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

"After completing test pilot training in performance and stability and control courses, there were many challenging assignments such as the project pilot on the XP-86," Chilstrom wrote at the P-47 web site. "World War II produced many X, Y and production model aircraft, and we had them all at Wright Field."

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center History Office Twitter account noted his passing, saying: "We regret to announce that legendary Wright Field @WrightPattAFB & @EdwardsAFB test pilot Col Kenneth O Chilstrom passed away Saturday 12/3. He was also the XF-108 program manager for @AFLCMCofficial ..."

According to his Wikipedia page, he "strongly desired a position in flight test at Dayton, Ohio's Wright Field — the dream job of many fighter pilots."

He was able to secure a position as maintenance officer at Wright Field, his Wikipedia entry said.

"Flight test at Wright Field expanded rapidly and provided Chilstrom with the opportunity to realize his dream. He tested a number of P-47 Thunderbolt variants including the XP-47E with a pressurized cockpit and the XP-47J — one of the fastest piston engine fighters ever built," the entry said.

In 1949 and 1950, Chilstrom was commandant of the Air Force Test Pilot School and commanded the last of that school's classes held at Wright Field.