George J. Marrett

Infobox Military Person
name= George J. Marrett
born= birth year and age|1935
died=
placeofbirth= Grand Island, Nebraska
placeofdeath=


caption= George J. Marrett by F-104 (USAF Photo)
nickname=
allegiance=flag|United States of America
branch=
serviceyears= 1957 - 1969
rank=
current position=
commands=
unit= 84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron 602nd Fighter Squadron (C)
battles=
awards= Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal
relations=
laterwork= Author, Trustee

George J. Marrett (born 1935) is a retired test pilot and aviation author.

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. [http://www.ewarbirds.org/bio/georgemarrett.html Estrella Warbird Museum Marrett Biography] , retrieved May 31, 2008.] 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. [http://myweb.cableone.net/dfaltus/George%20Marrett.htm Webb AFB Notable Graduates] , retrieved June 1, 2008.] 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. [http://www.aero.state.ne.us/gmarrett.htm Nebraska Department of Aeronautics Biography] , retrieved May 31, 2008.]

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 Air Force Base, California. [http://www.aviationspeakers.com/Speakers/george-marrett.php Aviation Speakers Bureau Marrett Biography] , retrieved June 1, 2008.] 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,(1994) "USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond", p. 86] 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. 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. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/1591145112 Contrails Over the Mojave Product Description] Amazon, retrieved June 1, 2008.]

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. [http://www.centennialofflight.gov/user/news_releases/press_af_rescue.htm Centennial of Flight Press Release] , retrieved June 1, 2008.]

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.

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.

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.

Publications

Marrett is the author of the following books:
*cite book | title=Cheating Death: Combat Air Rescues in Vietnam and Laos | publisher= Smithsonian Books | year=2003 | id=ISBN 1588341046 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=RiqTHgAACAAJ&dq=Cheating+Death:+Combat+Air+Rescues+in+Vietnam+and+Laos |accessdate=2008-06-01
*cite book | title=Howard Hughes: Aviator | publisher= Naval Institute Press | year=2004 | id=ISBN 1591145104 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=5HkBAAAACAAJ&dq=Howard+Hughes:+Aviator |accessdate=2008-06-01
*cite book | title=Testing Death: Hughes Aircraft Test Pilots and Cold War Weaponry | publisher= Praeger Security International | year=2004 | id=ISBN 0275990664 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=EeJgLqz8UzcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Testing+Death |accessdate=2008-06-01
*cite book | title=Contrails Over the Mojave: The Golden Age of Jet Flight Testing at Edwards Air Force Base | publisher= Naval Institute Press | year=2008 | id=ISBN 1591145112 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=2k9hHwAACAAJ&dq=Contrails+Over+the+Mojave |accessdate=2008-06-01

Marrett is the author of the following articles:
* California Dreaming
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3897/is_200006/ai_n8914511 Chasing the XB-70 Valkyrie]
* Defending the Golden Gate
* Don't Kill Yourself!
* [http://skyraider.org/skyassn/warstor/warstor.htm#anchor494609 The Jolly Gets An Assist]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3897/is_200306/ai_n9262103 F-101 Voodoo Curse]
* [http://myweb.cableone.net/dfaltus/George%20Marrett.htm Mach Buster]
* SANDY to the Rescue
* [http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/starfighter.html Sky High]
* Sore Feet
* Space Cadets

Honors

Marrett was inducted in the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame on January 26, 2006 in Kearney, Nebraska. [http://www.aero.state.ne.us/febmar06pi.pdf Nebraska Aviation Symposium] , retrieved June 1, 2008.] He was elected to the Grand Island, Nebraska High School Wall of Honor and inducted in October 2007. [http://sites.gips.org/newsreleases/stories/storyReader$4 Grand Island, Nebraska School District News Release] , retrieved June 1, 2008.] Marrett joined the Society of Experimental Test Pilots in 1967 and upgraded to Associate Fellow in 1981.

References

*cite book |last= |first= |title=USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond |publisher=Privately Published |year=1994 |id=

Notes

External links

* [http://skyraider.org/skyassn/memberpics/marrett/marrett.htm George Marrett A-1 Photos] , Skyraider Association, retrieved June 1, 2008.
* [http://www.atascaderonews.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=308 Local author draws on experiences as test pilot for latest book] "Atascadero News Online", retrieved June 13, 2008.