From http://thetartanterror.blogspot.com/2011/04/maj-phil-neale-1930-1965.html
Major Phillip E. Neale Jr was born
in El Paso, Texas on the 24th January 1930. He graduated from Las Cruces New
Mexico High School where he distinguished himself as a letter man in three
sports and served as president of the student body. He worked his way through
college and won his letter in football for 3 years, service as co-captain in his
senior year. His collegiate activities merited his inclusion in the Who’s Who of
American Universities. He graduated from New Mexico State University in January
1952 with a degree in Agricultural Engineering and he received his commission in
the USAF through his campus ROTC.
He entered active service 7th April 1952. He received his pilot training
(Primary and basic) at Stallings AFB, North Carolina and Bryan AFB, Texas,
graduating as a jet qualified pilot. In succeeding months he graduated from the
Day Fighter Gunnery School, Nellis AFB, Nevada, the Jet Instrument School, Moody
AFB, Georgia and the All Weather Interceptor School, Perrin AFB, Texas. While
assigned to Kirtland AFB he flew F-86’s for two years with the 93rd Fighter
Interceptor Squadron. His next assignment took him overseas to Germany where he
served with the 525th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Bitburg.
He returned at the end of this
tour to the Zone of Interior and was assigned 3rd January 1959 as a student in
the USAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot School. While there, he continued the
excellent work characteristic of his collegiate and early military career. He
graduated first in flying, receiving the Ekerern Award and he was rated second
in overall proficiency in his graduating class. Major Neale then served for two
years as an instructor in the Pilot School before being named as chief of the
newly established Aerospace Research Pilot’s training and research division.
While an instructor he co-authored two handbooks which are still used as the
basic text books in the Performance phase of flight testing. He became qualified
in rotary wing aircraft and then instructed a special US Army test pilot course
using the UH-1A helicopter. While temporarily grounded for physical reasons he
was assigned the task of writing, promoting and managing an Engineering Service
Project which ultimately resulted in the school receiving 18 additional century
series aircraft, 17 additional officer positions, and approximately $15 million
for aircraft modifications. He also co-authored a Qualitative Operational
Requirement for an Advanced Aerospace Trainer. For his work at the school he
received the Air Force Commendation Medal.
In September 1963 he was reinstated to flying status and assigned to the V/STOL
branch of the Directorate of Flight Test Operations. He flew test programs on
several models of the UH-1 and the CH3C helicopters, made evaluation flights on
XV-5A and XC-142 experimental aircraft. He was considered and expert in the
field of V/STOL aircraft. He was sent to the French Flight Test Centre (CEV) as
the pilot member of a four man USAF Test Team to evaluate the Dassault Balzac, a
nine-engined jet direct lift aircraft. He was killed on September 8, 1965 when
the Dassault Balzac crashed during a test flight from Bretigny, near Paris,
France.