Shortly after the war ended, he was asked to contribute his flying boat expertise to another military program. Louie Bertorelli is in the dark shirt in the middle of the last row. George Rodney is the tall man at far right. Flight test staff at Middle River in Baltimore, circa 1955. George went through military flight school and became the company test pilot. I did not think to ask him what kind of training he got in test flying, but I know he had to figure much of it out himself. Since it was his full-time job at a company that built airplanes, I know he was very focused on doing it well. In World War II, George was a new engineer working in Martin’s design organization in Baltimore. They were having a terrible time finding test pilots who could give good feedback to the engineers. One day, one of his managers said, “Since we cannot find a military pilot who can speak engineer, maybe we can take an engineer and teach him to speak pilot.” So they asked George if he would like to be a test pilot. He said, “Sure.” To run the new agency, they hired a man named George Rodney. A tall, slim, quiet and patient man, George came from the Martin company where he had been one of its first true test pilots.
#WARBIRDS OVER THE BEACH 2017 CODE#
Very impressive.In 1987 I joined NASA HQ in Washington, D.C., to help modify the Space Shuttle program after the Challenger accident. I was hired by what they called Code Q, the brand-new quality and safety organization. Before the accident, the safety related offices were all under the chief engineer and had no direct path to the Administrator and other senior leaders. Code Q was part of improving the agency’s oversight of its work.
But overall, great job and great treasure. My back was killing me after standing around for almost two hours, so the last hour or so was not as enjoyable as the first part. My only criticism is that there should be benches throughout all five hangars. (I'm thinking it's a perfect place for a cafe with lots of windows!) But there is also a small park at the entrance with shaded picnic tables and dinosaurs! And there is a gift shop. If you want to ride in one, check that out also! There is a vending machine and a couple of tables in a corner. BE WARNED their website is terrible, but don't hesitate to call to get prices and schedules. If you want to see these planes up close, make sure you schedule your visit when they are not scheduled to fly.
You may want to check before your visit because there are several air shows during the year. Most of these planes are original and still fly.
Docents are readily availble to answer questions and their knowledge. There are five hangars: two are self guided and the other three are available on scheduled guided tours included in the cost of admission. We spent three hours amazed at the vintage planes and other items stuffed into the buildings and did not see everything. Located in the wide open, unspoiled fields of southern Virginia Beach is its best kept secret.
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