FROM THE ARCHIVES

NASA's Pilot John B. McKay
Objects That Appeared To Be UFOs Over Edwards AFB

Brian Vike's Note: I received an email from Mr. John B. McKay's daughter, who related "just" what was told to her by her Father. No more, no less as she mentioned. I also asked Mr. McKay's daughter about what to do about her name, should I remove it, or leave it in the report. She told me it was fine to leave her name in this report. I thank Sheri very much for her kindness in writing to me and for the information she provided in her report.

I would like to request if anyone else from the Edwards AFB was witness to anything while on duty, or heard of anything unusual would they please contact Brian Vike at sighting@telus.net. Also please know that any and all your personal information is kept private.
Thank you.

Brian Vike's Note: I would like to add that yet another hero, Mr. John B. McKay served his country with "honor".

Also I would like to mention that the reason why I received her nice letter today, January 28, 2008 was due to the recent article I posted which was entitled Lt. Col. Roy Jack Edwards Tells His Son Of His UFO Encounter As A Test Pilot and the story on this can be found at: *Lt. Col. Roy Jack Edwards Tells His Son Of His UFO Encounter As A Test Pilot*

John Barron McKay American Test Pilot. Born 8 December 1922. Died 15 April 1975.

Personal: Male, Married, Eight children. Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, USA. Liver failure stemming from X-15 crash injuries.

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: Man-In-Space-Soonest - 1958, Test Pilot (NASA). Deceased Entered space service: 1960. Left space service: 1962. Number of Flights: 1.00. Total Time: 0.0083 days.

Born in Portsmouth, Virginia; married with eight children. US Navy pilot in World War II. Received a BS from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1950. He joined NACA in 1951 as a D-558 and X-1 test pilot. Project pilot on F-100, F-102, F-104, F-107 NACA test programs before being assigned as third NASA X-15 pilot on October 25, 1961. Made 29 X-15 flights, reaching an altitude of 90 km and obtaining astronaut wings, before being seriously injured in the 1962 X-15 crash near Lancaster, California. Died of liver damage stemming from his crash injuries at the age of 52.

NASA Official Biography

John B. McKay was one of the first pilots assigned to the X-15 flight research program at NASA's Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. As a civilian research pilot and aeronautical engineer, he made 30 flights in X-15s from October 28, 1960, until September 8, 1966. His peak altitude was 295,600 feet, and his highest speed was 3863 mph (Mach 5.64).

McKay was with the NACA and NASA from February 8,1951 until October 5, 1971 and specialized in high-speed flight research programs. He began as an NACA intern, but assumed pilot status on July 11, 1952. In addition to the X-l5, he flew such experimental aircraft as the D-558-1, D-558-2, X-lB, and the X-lE. He has also served as a research pilot on flight programs involving the F-100, F-102, F-104, and the F-107.

Born on December 8, 1922, in Portsmouth, Va., McKay graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 195O with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering. During World War II he served as a Navy pilot in the Pacific Theater, earning the Air Medal and Two Clusters, and a Presidential Unit Citation

McKay wrote several technical papers, and was a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, as well as the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

He died on April 27, 1975. (Credit: NASA) http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/Biographies/Pilots/bd-dfrc-p010.html

Sheri's Email To Me

Dear Brian,
I just received the UFO article from my cousin.. I am writing to say that my father, John B. McKay, who had a twenty year career as a test-pilot at Edwards Air Force Base starting in 1951, told me that he had also seen, while flying, objects that appeared to be UFO's. My father did not work for the military, he worked for NASA, and has an astronaut rating for going into space in the X-15 rocket plane. These are the details of his conversation with me, nothing more or less to it:

What Sheri McKay was told by her Father

One night while I was home for a visit, in the early 1970's, after my father was retired from NASA, he and I were having a conversation in the evening hours after dinner. I don't recall how the subject came up, but he told me that during his flying career, and on more than one occasion, he had seen objects in the sky, while flying, that appeared to be UFO's, that some other pilot's had also seen what appeared to be UFO's, and that they were not allowed to talk about it. He did not go into any further detail, and I don't remember asking any questions, but I did get the feeling that he wanted to tell someone, and I think the fact that he was already retired, and had just had a couple of gin martinis that evening made it easier to do so. And after reading about the experience of Mr. Edwards, and how he was treated in such an unkind manner by the military, I don't mind telling someone myself. As for my personal views, I am neither for or against the idea of UFO's. But I do think that the subject should be stripped of all sensationalism and cover-ups, and be approached on the highest level of scientific inquiry.

Sincerely,
Sheri McKay Lowe.

I would like to extend my many thanks to Sheri McKay Lowe for writing to me, and as I mentioned to her in a letter. I have always been a fan of her Father and sure respect his bravery and courage for all he done.

Credit: The Brian Vike Archives & Sightings.com