Tom Morgenfeld, a former Chief Test Pilot at Lockheed Martin’s world-famous Skunk Works, spent a recent afternoon at AlmaVia of Camarillo, where he shared his experiences as a test pilot for three generations of fighter jets.
Sponsored by the Men’s Group and open to the AlmaVia of Camarillo community, the event drew about 30 residents. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy before becoming a record-setting test pilot, Tom flew 120 combat missions and amassed over 600 aircraft carrier landings. He was a test pilot for the Stealth Fighter (F-117), Advanced Tactical Fighter (YF-22A) and Joint Strike Fighter (X-35).
Tom was a very down-to-earth character who was engaging and exciting to listen to. His talk and PowerPoint presentation brought back many wonderful memories for the residents. One AlmaVia resident, Rush Birdwell, was a WW2 Bomber Pilot who flew combat missions over the Pacific. He and Tom met after the talk for some mutual admiration.
Thank you, Tom, for spending a wonderful afternoon with us! Keep soaring with the eagles!
