Donald L. Mallick

During his time at NASA, Mallick was asked to assist in publishing a book about his flying history, called “The Smell of Kerosene”. The book preparation took several years, and was published by NASA in 2004.

In 1984, Mallick was promoted to Deputy Chief of Dryden's Aircraft Operations Division. He served in this position until his retirement in 1987.

In 1972, Mallick officially retired from the Navy Reserves after achieving the rank of lieutenant commander.

In August 1967, Mallick was promoted to Chief Pilot of NASA Dryden (now Armstrong) Flight Research Center. He was project pilot on the YF-12 and XB-70A research programs of the late 1960s and 1970s.

In 1965, a fourth and final child was added to the family - son Darren Kent Mallick.

In the summer of 1964, Mallick enrolled at the USAF Test Pilot School (TPS), located at Edwards Air Force Base near NASA. He completed the six month TPS program and returned to Dryden to continue with his duties. Over the years at Dryden, Mallick participated in dozens of programs, but the three of “national interest” were:

Mallick made a flight in NASA's lightweight M2-F1 Lifting Body on January 30, 1964.

Donald L. Mallick was a research pilot with NASA Dryden (now Armstrong) Flight Research Center from 1963 until 1981. He later became Deputy Chief for the Dryden Aircraft Operations Division, serving in a management position with some limited research and support flying.

When Mallick joined NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in 1963, it was at the peak of flight testing, including rocket powered aircraft, and all of the latest developments from that era. Mallick was initially assigned to the Lockheed JetStar Prop-Fan, which flew numerous test programs for over twenty years, as well as Laminar Flow Wing programs. One of JetStar's major programs was developing the Microwave ILS used for the Space Shuttle's landings and recoveries.

During the mid-1960s Mallick was the chief project pilot on NASA's Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV). The LLRV helped develop the piloting procedures that were used during the final portions of the lunar landings.

Once a month, Mallick drove to the Jacksonville Navy base, and blew the “cobwebs of study” out of his head by flying the F9F-6 Cougar aircraft as part of his duties in the Navy Reserve. When Mallick showed up at class one day with an almost new Buick, his professor accused him of being a professional student, who could not afford to leave school. Mallick proved this professor wrong when he graduated with honors, in June 1957, from the University of Florida. Immediately afterwards, Mallick was lucky enough to obtain a flying position with what was then called NACA (now NASA), at Langley, Virginia.

Mallick first joined NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1957, at the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory (later redesignated Langley Research Center), Hampton, VA, as a research pilot. When Mallick joined the pilot program at Langley in June 1957, it turned into the busiest summer of his career. He was checked out in multiple types of aircraft as soon as he joined NACA, since the NACA office had a lot of different programs in the works, but was short on pilots.

During the 1957-1963 timeframe, Mallick's assignments changed to involve more of a helicopter/ VSTOL type operation. In addition, NASA Langley had been assigned the duties of flying the headquarters administrator's airplane, a Convair 240. For Mallick, it meant a lot of commercial airline-type flying, with significant time away from home. In 1962, Mallick spent more than thirty percent of his time away from home and family, which prompted him to transfer to NASA Edwards in 1963, when such an opportunity came up. Mallick took that opportunity mainly because his family now had two additional members – sons Donald Karl Mallick and David Glenn Mallick.

Mallick was a successful Navy pilot and enjoyed the challenges of his naval aviation career, but it was not conducive to his married life, with extended separations of sea cruises. When Mallick's four-year Navy commitment was up in September 1954, both he and his wife decided it's best for him to leave the active duty part of the service, but remain in the active Navy Reserve, so he could continue flying. At this time, Mallick re-enrolled in school and joined the Aeronautical Engineering Department at the University of Florida.

Mallick entered Naval Flight Training in September 1950 and graduated as an Ensign and a Naval Fighter Pilot in March 1952.

Mallick graduated from Neville Twp. High School, PA in 1948. He enrolled at Penn State College in the field of Mechanical Engineering. After two years of college, the Korean War interrupted his college education. Mallick had always had a desire to follow on his brother's footsteps and become a pilot. The Korean War provided an opportunity for Mallick to enter flight training. The mandatory WWII draft was still in effect and provided an excellent excuse for Mallick to leave college and follow his desire to become a pilot. Mallick's parents were not pleased with his decision, but his's brother supported him in this endeavor, so Mallick proceeded with attempting to join the United States Air Force.

Donald L. Mallick (born October 4, 1930) is an American former pilot at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center from 1963 to 1981. He later became the deputy chief for the Dryden Aircraft Operations Division.

Donald L. Mallick was born on October 4th, 1930 in Sewickley, PA, in a small town near Pittsburgh. He was the second and youngest son of Robert S. Mallick Sr. and Louise Wesche Mallick, both of whom were of German descent.

Louise was born in Germany in 1903, and migrated to the United States in 1907. Robert Sr. was born in Beaver County, PA, with his family history going back to the late 1700, when the family arrived from Germany.