| Sources |
- [S104] Cocke County, Tennessee, and its People, Cocke County Heritage Book Committee, (Walsworth Publishing, 1992), 230, 232.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 24 Jun 2011.
LT Shelton Graduates from Naval Test Pilot School
LT Mike Shelton, Jr., received his graduation certificate from Rear Admiral Mahr, who is the Commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, during a formal ceremony on June 10.
By Michael S. Shelton, LCDR, USN, Ret.
On June 10, 2011, amid a splendid and formal backdrop of black jacket, white jacket / black tie, evening gown, and formal military "Mess Dress" attire, attended by some of the cream of the crop of current and retired test pilots, Navy Lieutenant Michael S. Shelton II graduated along with 30 other graduates of Class 139 with the prestigious Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, located in Lexington Park, Maryland. The Class included members of the Canadian Air Force, Spanish Air Force, Italian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force, and the Royal Australian Air Force. Five of the graduates, through extra study with the USAF Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio, were also awarded Masters Degrees in Aeronautical Engineering.
LT Shelton is married to Noelle (Connors) Shelton of Stafford. They have a daughter, Lillian "Lily" Grace, and son Joseph "Joey" Michael. LT Shelton is the son of Michael and Ann Shelton of Stafford, Virginia. His grandparents are Arthur Shelton and Mary Ann Shelton of Newport, the late Joe McGee of Pensacola, FL, and Ms. Jan Farthing of Lenoir, NC.
Prior to his orders to the United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS), LT Shelton had completed his first sea tour, flying the F/A-18C Hornet strike fighter with The Blue Diamonds of Strike Fighter Squadron 146 (VFA -146) out of NAS Lemoore, located in Lemoore, California. He flew demanding all-weather day and night combat missions over Afghanistan and Iraq, supporting ground and combat operations. He operated with Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), attached to the USS John C. Stennis, on the west coast.
USNTPS provides instruction to experienced pilots, flight officers, and engineers in the processes and techniques of aircraft and systems test and evaluation. The school investigates and develops new flight test techniques, publishes manuals for use of the aviation test community for standardization of flight test techniques and project reporting, and conducts special projects. The USNTPS curriculum is 48 weeks long, and a class is convened every January and July. It is a unique educational program of considerable engineering depth and project variety, designed to prepare students to meet the requirements of Navy Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E), Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) activities, and various other Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) activities in all U.S. military services, other U.S. Government agencies, and many foreign nations. Three curriculums provide instruction in academics, flight test preparation, flight test conduct, data collection, data reduction, and test report preparation. Flying over a dozen different types of airplanes, LT Shelton completed the fixed-wing curriculum, which prepares pilots and engineers to evaluate airplane performance and flying qualities. His particular final exam test airplane was the OV-1 Mohawk, a twin-turboprop Army observation and attack airplane that saw extensive service in the Vietnam War. LT Shelton was required to prepare a detailed Flight Test Plan, then approach the airplane's testing of performance and flight handling characteristics as if it were a new airplane and had not been flown before.
The guest speaker was Navy retired Captain Robert "Hoot" Gibson. CAPT Gibson was a Navy fighter pilot (the F-4 Phantom II and the F-14 Tomcat). He flew combat missions in Southeast Asia and attended the Navy Fighter Weapons School "Topgun" course at former Naval Air Station (now Marine Corps Air Station) Miramar in San Diego. He later graduated first in his class from Naval Test Pilot School and served as a Navy test pilot prior to his selection as an Astronaut in the first group of Space Shuttle Astronaut selectees. He flew five Space Shuttle missions (four as Mission Commander) and has over 36 days in space orbit. Prior to his retirement from NASA, he had served as Chief of the Astronaut Office and Deputy Director of Flight Crew Operations. He maintains active flying and is an Air Race Pilot annually competing in the Unlimited and Jet Classes at the Reno Air Races in Reno, NV.
CAPT Gibson provided an inspiring and to-the-point, brief speech that emphasized "keeping your guard" up in the hazardous environment of flight test. Witty, yet serious, he underscored the point about the loss of the Space Shuttles "Challenger" and "Columbia," both which were needlessly lost with tragic loss of life each time. The "system" had let the crews down because engineering and management had become complacent and comfortable with success, and failed to realize that each Shuttle flight was still a flight-test event that needed proper attention to detail and awareness of special challenges. "Don't Let Your Guard Down" was the central thesis of his speech.
LT Shelton is a 2002 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He has received orders to Air Test and Flight Evaluation Squadron Nine (VX-9) of China Lake, CA. He will be assigned to a joint Navy / Air Force test office with Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, NV.
LT Shelton's father, Michael Shelton senior, is a 1970 graduate of Cocke County High School, and was himself a Naval Aviator, flying the F-14A Tomcat and TA-4J Skyhawk. LT Shelton's mother, E. Ann (McGee) Shelton, is from Pensacola, Florida. She attended Troy State University in Troy, AL and is a graduate of Bee County College in Beeville, TX. They both live in Stafford, VA. LT Shelton's sister, Heather Danielle Shelton, is a 2006 graduate of Liberty University of Lynchburg, VA. Heather resides in Stafford and works in Alexandria, VA.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 13 Jan 2012.
Local Air Force pilot does flyover
A Newport Air Force test pilot will be one of those who fly over the Saturday, Jan. 14, football game between the 498'ers and Saints. The time is estimated to be 4:30 p.m. ET
Lt. Mike Shelton is a test pilot with VX-9 out of NASD China Lake, California. He is assigned with the Navy/Air Force test office at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas.
If the weather permits on Saturday, Lt. Shelton with be part of a three-plane F/A-18 Super Hornet formation flyover at the start of the game.
Parents, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Shelton, formerly of Newport, said, "We are pretty excited. Jet fuel and jet engines are the smells and sounds of freedom."
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1980 - (44 years)
(Age 72 years) 