America's Stealth Fighters And Bombers
Acknowledgments
I would like to use this space to thank a while lot ol people, and in the process I'll probably leave out a few. First and foremost I must thank Bill Sweetman who got me going in our first effort, Lockheed F-117A Stealth Fighter, and to Mary Pat Sweetman, maker of the best chocolate chip cookies anywhere. Steve Paulson, an F117A pilot who went out on a limb and allowed me to interview him months before anyone knew anything about the F-117A. Mr. Pete Eames, Program Security for Special Projects in the Pentagon, located in room 5D156. My best friend, John Andrews of the Testor Corporation, who I call Spy One: I didn't think it would ever be this much fun when we first met in the summer of 1975. M. Sgt. Bobby Sheldon, Public Affairs NCO for the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, now the 49th Fighter Wing: I know your hands were tied in responding to most of my requests, but thanks for the ones you did respond to. The two commanders of the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing that I met from a distance, Col. Tony Tolin and Col. Al Whitley: you and your team of Stealth drivers did one hell of a job over the skies of Baghdad. Mr. Ben R. Rich and the entire team of Black Jet builders and designers: Thanks for the fun of seeing it all come together. Bill Park, the first man to fly Have Blue among other Lockheed planes. Richard Stadler, chief of public relations for the Lockheed Advanced Development Company. The best photographers that Lockheed could have, Denny Lombard and Eric Schulzinger. Mike Dornheim of Aviation Week and Space Technology. Col. Ken Dyson, US Air Force retired. A very special thanks goes out to the man who tried to fly the very first F-117A, and nearly lost his life in the process, Robert L. Riedenauer, who his friends call "R plus nine": I hope I got your name spelled right this time. To a number of former Lockheed Advanced Development Company employees that I can't mention, not because they violated security‹they didn't‹but just because. To the entire Public Affairs staff of the 57th Fighter Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Colonel Sconyer, Lt. Col. Weber, and Capt. Kevin Baggett, Tactical Air Command Headquarters Public Affairs. Maj. Greg Kreiss, 57th Fighter Wing Public Affairs; you put on one great Stealth show. Fellow photographer and good friend Tony Landis; in the four years we have been shooting airplanes together, we have never photographed a normal aircraft. To all the photographers who have helped me over the years, including Chuck Mayer, Dave Prettyman, Randy Kovisko, Terry Love, Sid Bremer, Chris Mayer, Dave Brown, Jerry Geer, Doug Slowiak, Kevin Patrick, Brian C. Rogers, Mick Roth, Don McGarry, Mike Quan, and Mike Groove. Knox Bishop anc Dick Cole, two of the best the International Plastic Modeler's Society has to offer. Jay Miller, the hardest working man I know; if I worked onetenth as hard as he does, I could become one of the best authors in the field, behind of course Bill Sweetman and Jay Miller. A special thanks to Tim Parker, the publisher of Motorbooks International, and Greg Field, aerospace editor, for all their patience over the last twelve trying months. I thank you all.
This entire process began over twelve years ago because a very well known author, Jeff Ethell, gave me a push to do something on the SR-71; well,Jeff, I'm on my way. On October 28,1991, a New York Air National Guard C-5A, flow. by the members of the 137th Military Airlift Squadron, transported to Minneapolis, Minnesota, the eighth production Lockheed A-12. It now takes its place of honor as the centerpiece of the Minnesota Air Guard Museum.
Jim Goodall
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8/12/96