Richard G. Thomas
| Richard G. Thomas | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
April 2, 1930 Chautauqua County, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 19, 2006 (aged 76) Lancaster, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Richard G. "Dick" Thomas |
| Alma mater | Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, Saint Louis University, B.S. 1952 |
| Occupation | Test pilot |
Richard G. "Dick" Thomas (April 2, 1930 – June 19, 2006) was an American test pilot, who flew the Tacit Blue, and several spin tests on the F-5F program, including the first flights on both aircraft for the Northrop Grumman Corporation.
Thomas was born on April 2, 1930, in Chautauqua County, New York, to parents L. Mary Thomas (née Cushing; 1905–1974), a teacher (Sherman Teachers College), and Donald A. Thomas (1901–1973). He attended Mayville Central High School and graduated in 1948, in Mayville, NY. He attended Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, at St Louis University where he majored in Aeronautical Engineering, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree. As a graduate of ROTC, he joined the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant in 1951 and earned his pilot wings in 1952. After graduating from Parks College, and leaving the USAF, he worked for Beech Aircraft Company (Beechcraft Corporation) in 1956 flying all models, and served with the Kansas Air National Guard from 1956 to 1961. Then he went onto the Boeing Company in 1958, in Wichita, Kansas, where he flew the B-47 and B-52. In 1961, Boeing sent him to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland. He then left Boeing to join Northrop, in March 1963.
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