Col. Robert L. "Silver Fox" Stephens, USAF

Col. Robert L. "Silver Fox" Stephens, USAF (HM1BF7)

Location: Lancaster, CA 93534 Los Angeles County
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Country: United States of America
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N 34° 41.883', W 118° 8.346'

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Inscription

Aerospace Walk of Honor

Colonel Stephens distinguished himself in flight test, flying nearly all of the jet fighter aircraft from the F-80 Shooting Star to the F-106 Delta Dart. He graduated from the Experimental Test Pilot School in 1949.
Called the "Silver Fox" because of his prematurely gray hair, he was the first military pilot to fly the YF-12A, the Air Force's secret titanium-skinned interceptor, and the SR-71 advanced reconnaissance aircraft.
On May 1, 1965, at Edwards Air Force Base, Stephens established four world speed and altitude records in the YF-12A. He averaged 2,070 miles per hour over a 17-kilometer straight away course, then held 80,257 feet to establish a world record for sustained horizontal flight. Those records stood until 1977, when they were surpassed by the SR-71.
He was Chief of Fighter Operations at Edwards Air Force Base from 1952 to 1955. He flight-tested the YF-100A, YF-102, XF-104, X-5, X-1B, Navy F2H3, F4D, the F-94 series, F-86, F-89D, F-89H, and YF-101.
Stephens, a P-47 fighter pilot during World War II, has been honored with the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, Thompson Trophy, MacKay Trophy, Flying Tiger Trophy, Federation Aeronautique Internationale Gold Medal, and Henri De La Vaulx Medal. A member of the International Order of Characters, he was past president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
Established in 1990 by the Lancaster City Council, the Aerospace Walk of Honor celebrates test pilots who were associated with Edwards AFB. Recognition is awarded for distinguished aviation careers marked by significant and obvious achievements beyond one specific accomplishment.
Details
HM NumberHM1BF7
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Placed ByLancaster City Council
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, October 27th, 2014 at 1:39am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)11S E 395672 N 3840149
Decimal Degrees34.69805000, -118.13910000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 34° 41.883', W 118° 8.346'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds34° 41' 52.98" N, 118° 8' 20.76" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)213, 661
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 564-566 W Lancaster Blvd, Lancaster CA 93534, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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