"Dick Johnson, Test Pilot"

Dick was born on September 21, 1917 near Cooperstown, the eighth of 10 children. His father died when he was only 8, and his mother raised the family on very modest means. His first love was flying, and when he was just a kid, he had a homemade airplane he powered with a Model T engine. As he matured, however, it looked like Dick was destined for baseball. In fact, he was actually in spring training with the Boston Red Sox when he decided in 1942 to fight in WWII.

As a fighter pilot in North Africa and Italy, Johnson logged 4500 hours in more than 35 aircraft, including the rocket-propelled Bell X-1, the world’s first supersonic aircraft. In all, he flew 180 missions, mostly in a P-47 Thunderbolt also known as the "Train Buster."

After the war, Johnson decided that baseball couldn’t compete with flying, so he stayed in the Air Force. Then in 1948, news came back to Cooperstown that Johnson had broken the world's absolute speed record by pushing an F86 Sabre jet fighter to a speed of 670.98 mph. He beat fellow pilot Chuck Yeager’s record for breaking the sound barrier the previous year. For his efforts, Johnson won the prestigious Thompson Trophy and the French Henri de la Vaulx medal.

As they say in Top Gun, Johnson felt the need for speed. In 1953, he left the military to become chief test pilot for General Dynamics in Ft. Worth, Texas. There, he tested and helped deploy the F-102, F-106, YF-102 and made the first flights in the variable sweep wing F-111. He also helped design the F-16, and in 1955, Johnson and five other pilots founded the internationally known Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

Johnson’s skill and courage have earned him world recognition and a host of medals and awards, including the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 Air Medals and many more. At the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Johnson’s name is etched on a wall bearing the names of world speed record holders.

Also on display is Johnson’s coveted Ivan C. Kincheloe Trophy, which he was awarded in 1967 as the Nation’s Best Test Pilot.

Through it all, Johnson remained modest and self-effacing. In fact, when he was dying of brain cancer a little over a year ago, he expressed a wish to be buried at Arlington Cemetery – but his family couldn’t prove he had gotten his awards, because he had thrown them away. Thankfully, Senator Dorgan was able to cut through the red tape to honor Johnson’s wish and his memory.

Many consider Dick Johnson to be the greatest test pilot in American history, but he hasn’t received his due here in North Dakota. Back in 1948, Cooperstown held a Dick Johnson Day during which Governor Aandahl presented him with diamond studded pilot’s wings. But other than that, he’s been overlooked. Many have lobbied for his induction into the Roughrider Hall of Fame, hoping the award would come while he was still living. But Johnson hasn’t even been inducted into the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame yet.

Who knows? Maybe that’s how he would’ve wanted it. But a fly-by would be nice. Or how ‘bout a nice sonic boom?

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Johnson was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery with full Air Force Military Honors January 7, 2003.

Richard L. "Dick" Johnson
Richard Johnson flew 4,500 hours piloting more than 35 aircraft before leaving the Air Force in 1953 for civilian flight testing of the F-102. He was chief engineering test pilot for the F-102 and F-106 supersonic interceptor programs.

After graduating from the Air Materiel Command Engineering Test Pilot School in 1946, he established the 1948 world speed record of 670.981 miles per hour in the F-86. He also performed aeromedical research flights in the F-84
and F-86 to demonstrate high negative "G" capabilities by doing outside loops. As a Convair test pilot, he made the first flights in the YF-102, YF-102A and YF-106A. Johnson joined General Dynamics as Chief Engineering
Test Pilot in 1953 and rose to become Director of Flight and Quality Assurance. He made first flights in the variable sweep wing F-111.

In addition to directing the flight testing of the F-111, he made many of the test flight himself. he made the first wing-sweep demonstration and the first F-111 supersonic sortie. Johnson joined the United States army Air
Force in 1942 and flew 180 missions as a fighter pilot in World War II. He later flew six missions in Korea in the F-86. Richard Johnson has been honored with the Society of Experimental Test Pilots' Iven C. Kincheloe
Award, the Air Foce Meritorious Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Silver Star, 14 Air Medals, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Henri de la Vaulx Award, the Thompson Trophy, MacKay Trophy, Flying Tiger Trophy, Federation
Aeronautique Internationale Gold Medal and Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement and the Aerospace Walk of Honor