author
A. Scott (Albert Scott) Crossfield
1921–2006
A fearless test pilot and engineer, he helped push aviation into the supersonic age and became the first person to fly at twice the speed of sound. His career stretched from World War II service to the X-15 program and decades of work in aerospace safety and education.
1 Audiobook
Always another dawn : The story of a rocket test pilot
by A. Scott (Albert Scott) Crossfield
About the author
Born in Berkeley, California, in 1921, Crossfield studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington before serving as a naval aviator during World War II. In 1950 he joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the agency that later became NASA, and quickly earned a reputation as one of the nation’s standout research pilots.
He is best remembered for flying the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket past Mach 2 in 1953, making him the first pilot to reach twice the speed of sound. He later became the first of the X-15 program’s pilots and played a major role not just in flying experimental aircraft, but also in shaping how they were designed, tested, and understood.
After his high-profile test flying years, he worked in aerospace management, remained active in aviation, and became a respected speaker and advocate for flight safety and aerospace education. He died in 2006, but his name remains closely tied to the daring early years of supersonic and rocket-powered flight.