Lowery Inductee Narrative

On July 2, 1945, a bright yellow Piper J-3 Cub ascended from the sod runway at the Auburn-Opelika Airport and flew over the campus of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, the predecessor of Auburn University.Alone at the controls for the first time, sixteen-year-old John Lowery had reached the first milestone in an aviation career that would eventually span more than fifty years and 13,500 hours in the air.

Born in 1929, John Lowery grew up near the Plains of Auburn, Alabama. As a young man, Lowery developed two great passions that would define his life, aviation and the United States military. In pursuing his ambitions, Lowery would refuse to sacrifice one career at the expense of the other. In a decision that typifies John Lowery’s approach to life, he elected to combine these passions and pursue the dream of becoming a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force.

Already a pilot, Lowery enrolled at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute to earn a degree in economics. While a student at the institute, Lowery joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps, the oldest major source of commissioned officers for the United States Air Force. During his Junior and Senior year, Lowery earned a university letter as a
member of the ROTC Rifle Team.

Following graduation, John Lowery took the first step to becoming a military aviator when he entered pilot training in the United States Air Force at Bryan Air Force Base, Texas. After completing training as a fighter pilot at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, Lowery volunteered for combat duty in Korea. Assigned to the 334^th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Kimpo Air Base, Lowery completed forty-five combat missions flying the F-86 SabreJet, the first operational fighter aircraft capable of supersonic flight. In June 1953, flying his F-86 SabreJet against Soviet-built MIG-15 fighter aircraft, he received the first of nine air medals he would earn for combat action. He would later be awarded the first of two Distinguished Flying Crosses for a mission that resulted in the destruction of a MIG-15.
Returning to the United States after his tour of duty in Korea, John Lowery became an Instructor Pilot in the F-86 at Nellis Air Force Base. He would return to Europe as Chief of Flight Test for the 36^th Tactical Fighter Wing where he was selected to be a member of the “Skyblazers”, the first supersonic military aerial demonstration team in Europe. Members of the Skyblazers quickly developed a reputation for precision aerial formations and spectacular low-level maneuvers in their North American F-100 Super Sabre aircraft. Performing ten to fifteen aerial demonstrations each season, the Skyblazers served with distinction throughout Europe and North Africa, performing before an estimate twenty million spectators during the team’s thirteen-year history.

While stationed in Germany, Lowery would transition from the F-86 and F-100 Sabre series fighters to the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Affectionately known as the “Thud” by its pilots, the F-105 was the largest single-seat, single-engine fighter-bomber aircraft ever constructed. he aircraft had a higher gross takeoff weight than a fully loaded Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress of the Second World War. As the Maintenance Quality Control Officer for the 4^th Tactical Fighter Wing, Lowery earned an Air Force Safety Award when he successfully landed an F-105 after experiencing a flight control failure during a test flight.

In 1965, John Lowery again volunteered for combat duty, this time in Southeast Asia. In August of that year, Lowery flew the first of 120 combat missions in the F-105D from Thailand into North Vietnam and Laos. These missions were dangerous and the casualty rate was high. At the peak of the air war, the chances of a Thud pilot surviving 100 missions over North Vietnam were less than seventy-five percent. Before his tour of duty ended, Lowery earned eight air medals and a Second Distinguished Flying Cross.

During the remainder of his military career, Lowery served as Commander of the 67^th Tactical Fighter Squadron, flying the McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom. The “Wild Weasels” of the 67^th Tactical Fighter Squadron were assigned the task of seeking and destroying Soviet surface to air missiles. Before retiring from military service, Lowery would be awarded Command Pilot Wings from the Philippine Air Force and the Air Force of the Republic of China during tours of duty in both countries.

In December 1974, after twenty-three years of service to his country, John Lowery climbed out of the cockpit as an active duty military pilot for the last time. Although military aviation would remain an important part of his life, the time had come to devote his many talents and expertise to other areas of the aviation industry. Lowery initially joined Flight Safety International as a pilot and flight instructor. Ironically, Lowery again found himself in the cockpit of a Sabre jet. Instead of the F-86 fighter, Lowery began teaching general aviation corporate pilots to safely operate twin-turbojet Sabreliner corporate aircraft.

Following his tenure with Flight Safety, Lowery formed Executive Jet Training Associates, a firm specializing in teaching general aviation flight crews to safely operate Sabreliner turbojet and Beechcraft King Air turboprop aircraft. Because of his extensive experience relating to aviation training and safety, Lowery was appointed by the Federal Aviation Administration to be a Designated Pilot Examiner and Aviation Safety Counselor. During his twenty-four year career as a general aviation instructor and evaluator, John Lowery earned an Airline Transport Pilot certificate with seven type ratings for jet and propeller-driven transport aircraft. As a flight instructor, he was certificated to teach instrument flying in both single and multiengine aircraft.

During his aviation career, John Lowery has made numerous contributions as a military and civilian pilot and flight instructor. But his contributions to flight training and aviation safety extend far beyond the cockpit. Perhaps his most enduring legacy can be found in his tenure as an aviation lecturer and writer. As an adjunct Assistance Professor of Aeronautical Science for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Lowery enlightened the minds of aviation students in graduate level academic courses relating to aircraft accident investigation and corporate aviation management.

In addition to his many contributions as a flight instructor, pilot examiner, teacher, and aviation business owner, Lowery has authored five books relating to aviation safety and history. Two of his books, Anatomy of a Spin and Professional Pilot continue to be used as a primary text in aviation safety and professional pilot academic courses. In 1978, in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of corporate aviation, John Lowery was selected Professional Pilot of the Year by the editors of Professional Pilot Magazine. Five years later, his book Professional Pilot was selected by the Aviation Space Writer’s Association as the Best Technical Book of the Year. Lowery’s aviation safety video “The 17 Most Popular Ways to Fall Out of the Sky…and How to Avoid Them” was mandated as required recurrent training for the Civil Air Patrol, the Federal Aviation Administration, and aero clubs of the United States Air Force. Production of the video earned the Laurel Award, presented by Aviation Week magazine, for “Setting a new standard in aviation safety training tools.”

The writing talent of John Lowery has not been limited to aviation safety and training. He has also published articles on aviation history in numerous periodicals and journals, including Air Force Magazine and Flight Journal. His resume of articles includes The Saga of the Lady Be Good and The F-86 in Korea. Lowery has also appeared in aviation documentaries on the History Channel as an expert on the role of the F-86 SabreJet in Korea.

Aviators like John Lowery may retire from an aviation occupation, but they never retire from flying. At age sixty-one, Lowery continued to fly various types of aircraft, including a North American P-51 Mustang owned by a close friend. There were also bush flying trips to Alaska and Canada. Although these trips involved two of his favorite pastimes, hunting and fishing, Lowery admits the best part was the opportunity to fly a De Havilland Beaver on floats.

Sixty-two years have passed since John Lowery first ascended above the plains of Auburn in his bright yellow Piper Cub. From this humble beginning, the remarkable aviation career of John Lowery has been built upon an unwavering devotion to his country and to his fellow pilots. Former President George H. Bush once stated, “… any definition of a successful life must include serving others.” For John Lowery, decorated military aviator, nationally recognized aviation instructor, author and historian, serving others is a way of life.