Military Career
Walker graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland and subsequently received flight training from the Naval Air Training Command at bases in Florida, Mississippi, and Texas. He was designated a Naval Aviator in December 1967 and proceeded to Naval Air Station Miramar, California, for assignment to F-4 Phantoms aboard the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and USS America. From December 1970 to 1971, he attended the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and was subsequently assigned in January 1972 as an experimental and engineering test pilot in the flight test division at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. While there, he participated in the Navy’s preliminary evaluation and Board of Inspection and Survey trials of the F-14 Tomcat and tested a leading edge slat modification to the F-4 Phantom. He then attended the United States Navy Safety Officer School at Monterey, California, and completed replacement pilot training in the F-14 Tomcat at NAS Miramar, California. In 1975, Walker was assigned to Fighter Squadron 142 (VF-142), stationed at NAS Oceana, Virginia, as a fighter pilot and was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea twice aboard the USS America.
He logged more than 7,500 hours flying time, with over 6,500 hours in jet aircraft.
Read more about this topic: David M. Walker (astronaut)
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