From The Archives: Twenty-Five Years Ago In Aviation Week

For Aviation Week’s Sept. 6, 1999 issue, Rocky Mountain bureau chief William B. Scott flew a 3.3-hr F-22 safety chase mission with F-22 test pilot Lt. Col. David M. “Doc” Nelson on the stick. 

Scott, a former flight test engineer and graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School, observed a Raptor high angle-of-attack test mission from the aft cockpit of an F-15B.  

At the time, flight and ground testing of the Lockheed Martin fighter was on schedule to meet Fiscal 1999 objectives, which included high-and low-speed envelope expansion. 

Raptor test aircraft achieved Mach 1.5 in non-afterburning “supercruise” and more than 50-deg. angle-of-attack. Most performance results were classified. Lockheed Martin photo by Judson Brohmer.

See the cover and read the full issue September 6 1999 | Aviation Week 

Read the article F-22 Hitting Aggressive Flight Test Goals - Flight-Report on page 78

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