George J. Marrett
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| George J. Marrett | |
|---|---|
| born 1935 | |
 George J. Marrett by F-104 (USAF Photo) |
|
| Place of birth | Grand Island, Nebraska |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1957 - 1969 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Unit | 84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron 602nd Fighter Squadron (C) |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal |
| Other work | Author, Trustee |
George J. Marrett (born 1935) is a retired test pilot and aviation author.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
George Marrett was born in Grand Island, Nebraska in 1935 and graduated in 1957 from Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa with a bachelor's degree in Chemistry.[1] He entered the United States Air Force as a Second Lieutenant from the Reserve Officers Training Corps. Marrett received pilot training at Webb Air Force Base in Texas where he flew the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star.[2] After graduation in 1959, he went to advanced flight training at Moody AFB in Georgia where he flew the North American F-86 Sabre. Marrett spent four years in the 84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Hamilton Air Force Base, California, flying the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo.[3]
[edit] Test pilot and combat veteran
Marrett was selected to attend the Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS), now called the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California.[4] While at the school, Marrett flew a variety of aircraft including the Northrop T-38 Talon, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and General Dynamics F-106 Delta Dart. After graduating with Class 64A,[5] he was assigned to the Fighter Test Branch of Flight Test Operations at Edwards and completed three years flight-testing the McDonnell F-4C Phantom, Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter, and General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark.[1] Marrett flew during the heyday of flight test when many aviation record were set, such as Colonel Robert 'Silver Fox' Stephens' world speed record in the YF-12.[6]
From 1968 to 1969, Marrett flew the Douglas A-1 Skyraider as a “Sandy” rescue pilot in the 602nd Fighter Squadron (C), C for Commando, from Udorn and Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Bases, Thailand. He completed 188 combat missions with over 600 combat hours and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Air Medal with eight Oak Leaf Clusters.[7]
In 1969, Marrett returned from Vietnam and joined Hughes Aircraft Company as an experimental test pilot. For the next twenty years, he flew test programs which helped develop attack radar and missile in the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-18 Hornet, and an early version of the B-2 Stealth bomber. Marrett has flown over 40 types of military aircraft and logged over 8,500 hours.[3]
[edit] Later years
Marrett retired from Hughes Aircraft in 1989 and lives in Atascadero, California. He is one of the founders of the Estrella Warbird Museum at the Paso Robles airport, where he enjoys flying his privately owned plane, a 1945 Stinson L-5E Sentinel and 1946 Aeronca L-16 Champ. He is the chief pilot for DP Industries flying their Beechcraft King Air C-90 and is on the Board of Trustees of the National Test Pilot School in Mojave, California.[1]
Marrett has been married to his Nebraskan wife, Jan, for 50 years. They have one son who is a Professor of Geology at the University of Texas at Austin and another son who is a marketing director in the automotive field in southern California. They have four grandchildren ranging in age from 13 to 19 years old.
[edit] Publications
Marrett is the author of the following books:
- (2003) Cheating Death: Combat Air Rescues in Vietnam and Laos. Smithsonian Books. ISBN 1588341046. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
- (2004) Howard Hughes: Aviator. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1591145104. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
- (2004) Testing Death: Hughes Aircraft Test Pilots and Cold War Weaponry. Praeger Security International. ISBN 0275990664. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
- (2008) Contrails Over the Mojave: The Golden Age of Jet Flight Testing at Edwards Air Force Base. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1591145112. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
Marrett is the author of the following articles:
- California Dreaming
- Chasing the XB-70 Valkyrie
- Defending the Golden Gate
- Don't Kill Yourself!
- The Jolly Gets An Assist
- F-101 Voodoo Curse
- Mach Buster
- SANDY to the Rescue
- Sky High
- Sore Feet
- Space Cadets
[edit] Honors
Marrett was inducted in the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame on January 26, 2006 in Kearney, Nebraska.[8] He was elected to the Grand Island, Nebraska High School Wall of Honor and inducted in October 2007.[9] Marrett joined the Society of Experimental Test Pilots in 1967 and upgraded to Associate Fellow in 1981.
[edit] References
- (1994) USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond. Privately Published.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Estrella Warbird Museum Marrett Biography, retrieved May 31, 2008.
- ^ Webb AFB Notable Graduates, retrieved June 1, 2008.
- ^ a b Nebraska Department of Aeronautics Biography, retrieved May 31, 2008.
- ^ Aviation Speakers Bureau Marrett Biography, retrieved June 1, 2008.
- ^ (1994) USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond, p. 86
- ^ Contrails Over the Mojave Product Description Amazon, retrieved June 1, 2008.
- ^ Centenial of Flight Press Release, retrieved June 1, 2008.
- ^ Nebraska Aviation Symposium, retrieved June 1, 2008.
- ^ Grand Island, Nebraska School District News Release, retrieved June 1, 2008.
[edit] External links
- George Marrett A-1 Photos, Skyraider Association, retrieved June 1, 2008.
