Kenneth O. Chilstrom
Kenneth O. "K.O." Chilstrom (born April 20, 1921) is a retired United States Air Force officer, combat veteran, test pilot, and author. He was the first USAF pilot to fly the XP-86 Sabre, chief of fighter test at Wright Field, commandant of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, and program manager for the XF-108 Rapier.
| Kenneth O. Chilstrom | |
|---|---|
 Colonel Ken Chilstrom in 1961 | |
| Nickname | K.O. |
| Born | 20 April 1921
(aged 104) Zumbrota, Minnesota |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1939–1964 (25 years) |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Commands held | Chief of Fighter Test, 1946–48 USAF Test Pilot School, 1949–50 F-108 Program Manager, 1958–59 |
| Battles/wars | World War II Cold War |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal |
| Other work | Aerospace Industry Author |
Chilstrom was a pilot in the first jet air race and delivered the first air mail by jet. He flew over eighty combat missions in the Italian Campaign of World War II.[1]
Kenneth O. Chilstrom Media
A Captured German Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-5 sits awaiting test drives. This aircraft was one captured in Tunisia.
XP-86 in flight over the Mojave Desert in 1947
Artist's impression of two F-108s attached to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
WWII aviators Ken Chilstrom and Tom Horton at an OBPA luncheon in 2014
References
- ↑ "Kenneth O. Chilstrom". P-47 Thunderbolt Pilots Association. Yulee, Florida: Logic Mountain LLC. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
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