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Col. Randy Neville (USAF Ret) began this
20-year Air Force career in June of 1976 after Graduation from
the University of Tennessee with a BS in Electrical
Engineering. After attending pilot training at Williams AFB,
Neville then joined the Air Defense Weapons Center’s 95th
Fighter-Interceptor Training Squadron, and later with the 57th
Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Keflavik NAS, Iceland.
In March 1980 the then Captain joined
McChord’s 318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which at that
time flew the Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star proficiency trainer
and the F-106A/B Delta Dart Interceptor. During his three
years with the “Green Dragons” Neville proved to be one of the
Squadrons best Pilots, performing as one of the Squadrons,
Instructor and Evaluation pilot and Flight Commander. In 1982
the then Captain was selected for the team of "Top Gun's" to
represent won the right to represent in the Squadron at the
premier Worldwide Air Defense Weapons Competition, the 1982
William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Meet, and the last for the
Squadron in the F-106.
During his tour with the 318th FIS, the
then Captain was assigned to F-106A s/n 56-0459, a former test
airplane that in 1959 was used to make an attempt at the
World's Speed Record in 1959 which was later accomplished by
another F-106. After researching the airplanes history in the
Speed Record project (Operation Firewall) Neville sought
approval from higher headquarters to attempt a new speed
record in F-106 -0459, unfortunately the approval was never
granted. As the squadron began retiring F-106's in favor of
the F-15's, # -0459 was selected to remain at the Base and
join the newly established McChord Air Museum.
After the 318th conversion to from the
F-106 into the F-15 Eagle, Neville joined his first overseas
unit, the F-16 equipped 401st Tactical Fighter Wing’s 614th
Tactical Fighter Squadron Torrejon, Spain, later he would be
back in the states with the 3246 Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, FL
conducting weapons development tests on the F-4 and F-16. and
In his final assignment Neville was appointed as Director of
Flight Operations for the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards
AFB. After a 20 year career Randy Neville retired from the Air
Force in 1996.
Shortly after the end of his Air Force
career, Neville continued his tie with high performance
aircraft with his employment as a Test Pilot with Boeing’s
F-22 Fight Test Organization during the fighters early
development. During his time in Seattle, Neville would also
work with Boeing's Commercial Flight Test organization,
testing many of the company’s newest Commercial Airplane
derivatives.
As the F-22 program moved into the
active flight test (airframe and avionics testing), Neville
relocated to Edwards AFB, CA, and began flying the F-22, as
well as the F-16, which is routinely use as a chase aircraft.
Neville was the primary pilot responsible for expanding the
Raptor’s flight envelope, or maneuverability capabilities.
In 2004 Neville became the first Raptor
pilot to reach the 500-hour mark. With more than 600 hours in
the F-22, he is still (2009) the Raptors high-time pilot.
Neville also was a technical advisor in the making of the
movie “The Hulk” and played an F-22 fighter pilot in the
movie.
In 2005, Neville joined the 787 test
program as an engineering test pilot for the Boeing 787
Dreamliner. As an engineering test pilot, Neville conducts
flight tests of new airplane designs, establishing the basic
airworthiness of the airplane and verifying that it functions
as designed.
On December 15, 2009, Chief Test Pilot
Mike Carriker and First Officer Randy Neville were at the
controls of the 787 during its long awaited maiden flight over
Western Washington State. The pilots spent three hours putting
the 787 through its paces, before landing at Boeing Field in
Seattle. The 787 is the World's first jetliner to use
composite construction and all-electric systems.
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