Robert L. Stephens
| Robert L. Stephens | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Nickname(s) | The Silver Fox |
| Born |
December 1, 1921 Gilmer, Texas |
| Died | May 21, 1984 (aged 62) Munich, Germany |
| Place of burial | Gilmer, Texas |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1943 - 1973 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
|
| Commands held | Chief of Fighter Operations, Edwards AFB, 1952-55 Test Director F-104 1954-58 Test Director YF-12 and SR-71 1963-68 |
| Awards |
Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Meritorious Service Medal |
| Other work | Aerospace Representative |
Robert L. "Silver Fox" Stephens (1 December 1921 – 21 May 1984) was a United States Air Force test pilot who set several speed and altitude records while testing the Lockheed YF-12 and SR-71.
Robert L. Stephens was born on December 1, 1921, and raised in Gilmer, Texas, graduating from Gilmer High School in 1939 and from Texas A&M University in 1943 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon J. Stephens, he entered the Army Air Corps in 1943 and flew P-47s in combat during World War II. After the war, he earned a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Princeton University.
Stephens rose to the top of his profession as a test pilot for some of the most exotic aircraft in the USAF inventory. In 1949, he graduated from the Air Materiel Command Experimental Test Pilot School at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base with Class 49D. He was called the "Silver Fox" due to his prematurely gray hair which he kept in a neatly trimmed crew cut. In 1952, Stephens arrived at Edwards Air Force Base, California to serve as Chief of Fighter Operations. From 1963 to 1968, he served as test director of the YF-12 and SR-71 test force. He was the first military pilot to fly the YF-12A interceptor and the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft.
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