Pete Knight sets crew‑powered speed record in X‑15A‑2 at Edwards AFB
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- On October 3, 1967, test pilot Pete Knight flew the X‑15A‑2 from Edwards Air Force Base, reaching Mach 6.72 (4,520 mph) and climbing to 280,500 feet, establishing the official world record for the highest speed by a crewed, powered aircraft.
- Knight’s flight was part of a career that included more than 6,000 flight hours in over 100 aircraft, 253 combat missions in Southeast Asia, and test work on frontline jets such as the F‑100, F‑101, F‑104, as well as later advanced fighters like the F‑15 Eagle and F‑16 Fighting Falcon; he retired as a colonel in 1982 after 32 years of service.
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