The Players: Test Pilot
F/Lt. Jack Woodman, R.C.A.F.
Updated 31 July, 2006
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Jack F. Woodman
1925 - 1987
Joined the RCAF at age 18 in 1944, selected to be an Air Gunner completing 23 combat missions with RCAF Bomber Command in Europe in Halifax and Lancasters.
Jack left the RCAF went to the University of Saskatchewan taking associate general-engineering training. He re-enlisted in the RCAF in 1948 for pilot training, receiving his wings in Nov 1948.
He flew Air Rescue in Manitoba until selected for the RAF's Empire Test Pilots' School at Farnborough, England. After graduating Farnborough he did flight test duties for the RCAF.
He was assigned as the RCAF acceptance test pilot to AVRO.
He was involved in testing the first Canadian designed jet fighter, CF-100 and flew it at the 1955 Paris Air Show.
Jack spent a year in the F-102A with USAF, including Fighter-Interceptor School.
Woodman was the project pilot of the Mach 2 Avro Arrow CF-105.
Woodman flew a F-86 Sabre chase plane for the first Arrow flight piloted by Jan Zurakowski.
He wore a special helmet camera to film the flight.
He was the only RCAF pilot to fly the Arrow.
When the RCAF selected the F-104 as its fighter-bomber in Europe, Jack was the Project Pilot, working with Lockheed on the CF-104 version, which flew August 1961. He was one of the two pilots to evaluate the Starfighter for Canada.
In Aug 1962 joined Lockheed Aircraft Company as an engineering test pilot testing F-104s for foreign contracts.
Named as the project pilot for the NF-104 AST, he was the first to fly and test the NF-104A Space Pilot Trainer, a rocket powered Starfighter
Involved in Lockheed’s bid for the American Supersonic Transport (SST), until its cancellation.
Test pilot of the company’s L-1011 TriStar airliner.
Became an American citizen in December 1966.
Succeeded Herman ‘Fish’ Salmon as Lockheed’s Chief Engineering Test Pilot.
Jack rose to Division Manager of Commercial Operations.
Jack died of cancer on May 16, 1967 ??? 1987???
1 June 1995 - named to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame for his contributions to aviation and his skills as a test pilot.
Jack Woodman's Arrow Flight Log
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