Welcome to USAA’s Fly-In Theater: Kicking Off with X-15 (1961)!
Grab your popcorn aviators and settle in for a high-flying blast from the past! We’re thrilled to launch USAA’s Fly-In Theater, a new blog and YouTube series where we dust off classic aviation DocuDramas and serve them up with a side of history and fun. Think of it as a drive-in theater, but for pilots, aviation enthusiasts and anyone who dreams of soaring above the clouds. Every week, we’ll post a vintage aviation flick on our YouTube channel and pair it with a blog that dives into the movie’s thrills, spills, and real-world roots.
Our first feature? The 1961 gem X-15 by Essex Productions, a DocuDrama that rockets you to the edge of space with the bold test pilots of the X-15 program. Buckle up—here’s why this film and its story are a perfect kickoff for our Fly-In Theater!
X-15: The Movie That Took Hollywood to the Stratosphere
Released in 1961, X-15 is a cinematic love letter to the rocket-powered beast that pushed the boundaries of flight. Directed by Richard Donner (yes, before he gave us Superman and Lethal Weapon), this film blends gritty drama with real-deal test pilot vibes. It stars Charles Bronson as Lt. Col. Lee Brandon, a steely-eyed flyer and David McLean as Matt Powell, alongside Mary Tyler Moore in an early role as a pilot’s supportive wife. Narrated by none other than Jimmy Stewart (a WWII pilot himself), the movie captures the tension, danger and sheer guts of flying an experimental craft to the fringes of space.
The plot follows the X-15 program’s early days at Edwards Air Force Base, where pilots like Brandon and Powell risk it all to test a plane that’s more missile than aircraft. Expect sweaty palms as the film shows nerve-wracking launches from B-52 motherships, blistering Mach 6 speeds, and nail-biting re-entries. While Hollywood jazzes up the personal drama (cue romantic subplots and barroom banter), the flight sequences—shot with real X-15 footage—steal the show. It’s a time capsule of 1960s optimism, when the sky wasn’t the limit, but just the starting line.
Check out X-15 on our YouTube Channel and see why it’s a must-watch for anyone who loves aviation’s wild side!
The Real X-15: Wings That Kissed the Stars
While X-15 delivers Hollywood thrills, the real X-15 program was even more jaw-dropping. As Michelle Evans details in her book The X-15 Rocket Plane: Flying the First Wings into Space [audiobook link-affiliate], the X-15 wasn’t just a plane—it was a pioneer. Built by North American Aviation, this hypersonic rocket plane flew from 1959 to 1968, hitting altitudes above 350,000 feet (66 miles) and speeds topping Mach 6.7. That’s 4,520 mph, folks—fast enough to make your head spin!
Evans’ book paints a vivid picture of the program’s challenges and triumphs. The X-15 was dropped from a B-52 at 45,000 feet, ignited its XLR99-RM-1 Rocket Motor and screamed upward, often crossing the Kármán line, the 50-mile-high boundary of space. Pilots like Neil Armstrong (yep, that Armstrong), Joe Walker and Scott Crossfield became astronauts before the term was mainstream, earning their wings in a craft with no margin for error. Evans notes that the X-15’s data on aerodynamics, heat shielding and high-altitude flight paved the way for the Space Shuttle and modern spacecraft. Fun fact: the X-15’s black paint wasn’t just for looks—it protected against 1,200°F re-entry heat! The movie captures the program’s high stakes but glosses over some gritty details. Evans recounts how pilots faced life-or-death risks, like when Crossfield’s X-15 caught fire mid-flight or when Michael Adams died in a 1967 crash. Yet, the program’s 199 flights yielded breakthroughs that still shape aerospace today. The X-15 movie may dramatize the pilots’ swagger, but the real heroes were just as bold.
The X-15’s design was a marvel of mid-20th-century engineering, stretching 50 feet long with a 22-foot wingspan and standing 12 feet tall—a sleek, bullet-shaped machine built to withstand extreme forces that no other aircraft had faced. Evans draws from over 70 personal interviews with the program’s insiders, from pilots and engineers to mechanics and family members, bringing to life the human element behind the hardware. Take Joe Engle, for instance, one of the elite dozen pilots who strapped into the X-15; he not only flew 16 missions but later commanded Space Shuttle missions, crediting the rocket plane’s unforgiving cockpit as the ultimate training ground. Or Milt Thompson, whose early interviews with Evans reveal the raw adrenaline of those high-stakes flights, where split-second decisions meant the difference between glory and disaster.
At the heart of the X-15’s power was its groundbreaking XLR99 rocket engine, developed by Reaction Motors in Denville, New Jersey—a throttleable beast that could produce up to 57,000 pounds of thrust using liquid oxygen and anhydrous ammonia. This innovation allowed pilots to control their ascent like never before, a far cry from earlier rockets’ all-or-nothing burns. Evans delves into the engine’s turbulent development, marked by explosions during ground tests and the relentless push to make it reliable for human flight. Triumphs shone through, like the program’s record-setting Mach 6.70 flight by pilot William “Pete” Knight in 1967, which still holds as the fastest winged flight ever.
Evans also highlights lesser-known legacies, such as the comprehensive flight logs she compiled—the most accurate ever assembled—which catalog every nuance of those 199 sorties. Eight pilots soared high enough to qualify for astronaut wings, though only five received them during the program’s run, underscoring the X-15’s role as a bridge between aviation and spaceflight. Through stories of camaraderie in the hangars at Edwards Air Force Base and the quiet determination of ground crews, the book reveals how this experimental endeavor not only gathered data on re-entry physics and materials science but also inspired generations, with Evans herself presenting its history across five continents, even in remote Antarctica. It’s a testament to how the X-15 didn’t just kiss the stars—it helped humanity grasp them.
Why X-15 Still Soars
So, why watch a 60-year-old flick about a rocket plane? For one, X-15 is a time machine to an era when aviation was rewriting what’s possible. It’s got heart-pounding action, a killer cast and a dose of nostalgia that hits just right. Plus, it’s a salute to the test pilots who flew into the unknown so we could reach the stars. Pair it with Evans’ book for the full scoop and you’ll see why the X-15 isn’t just history—it’s inspiration.
At US Aviation Agency, we’re all about fueling your passion for flight, whether you’re navigating FAA requirements or exploring aviation’s rich history. Our Fly-In Theater series is here to spark that same awe for aviation’s past while you chase its future. So, fire up X-15 on our YouTube channel, leave a comment with your thoughts and tell us: would you have the guts to strap into an X-15?
Join USAA’s Fly-In Theater Next Week!
Loved The X-15 Rocket Plane: Flying the First Wings into Space ? Stay tuned for the next installment of USAA’s Fly-In Theater, where we’ll roll out another classic aviation DocuDrama. Got a favorite aviation movie you want USAA to feature? Drop it in the comments or hit us up on our website. Until then, keep your eyes on the skies and your heart in the clouds!
Happy flying, from all of us at US Aviation Agency!
Reaction Motors, Denville, New Jersey
Reaction Motors, Inc. (RMI) was a pioneering American company based in Denville, New Jersey, known for developing liquid-fueled rocket engines that powered significant milestones in aviation and space exploration. Founded on December 18, 1941, by four members of the American Rocket Society—James Wyld, John Shesta, H. Franklin Pierce, and Lovell Lawrence Jr.—RMI was the first U.S. company dedicated to liquid-propellant rocketry, spurred by wartime needs post-Pearl Harbor.
Key Achievements
- Bell X-1 and the Sound Barrier: RMI’s XLR-11 rocket engine, producing 6,000 lbf of thrust, powered the Bell X-1, flown by Chuck Yeager, to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947—the first manned supersonic flight. This engine also powered later aircraft like the X-1A, X-1E, and Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket.
- X-15 Program: RMI, as the Reaction Motors Division (RMD) of Thiokol after a 1958 merger, developed the XLR-99 engine for the X-15, a rocket-powered aircraft that set speed (Mach 6.7, 4,520 mph) and altitude (354,200 feet) records between 1959 and 1968. The X-15 was air-launched from a B-52, with the engine providing 57,000 lbf of thrust for 80–120 seconds.
- Viking Rocket: A 20,000 lbf RMI engine powered the Viking research rocket, the first large U.S. liquid-fueled high-altitude rocket.
- Other Contributions: RMI engines powered missiles like the Navy’s Bullpup A & B and vernier engines for NASA’s Surveyor lunar landers, enabling soft landings. They also developed a rocket belt (jet pack) in 1964 using compressed hydrogen peroxide, though it saw no military adoption.
History and Operations in Denville, NJ
- Early Days: RMI began in a rented store in Pompton Lakes, NJ, using a bicycle shop as a front for secret experiments. By 1943, they moved to a former speakeasy in Pompton Plains for more space. Their first naval contract in 1942 funded jet-assisted takeoff (JATO) motors, though solid-propellant JATOs from Aerojet were preferred during WWII.
- Denville Facility: In 1954, RMI broke ground at 90-100 Ford Road in Denville, NJ for a new facility, operational by 1955. This site supported expanded production and testing, including for the X-15’s XLR-99. By 1956, RMI also used facilities in Rockaway, Dover, and Lake Denmark, totaling 300,000 square feet. The Naval Air Rocket Test Station at Lake Denmark, near Picatinny Arsenal, was key for static testing.
- Thiokol Merger and Closure: In 1958, RMI was acquired by Thiokol Chemical Corporation, becoming the Reaction Motors Division (RMD). RMD struggled to compete with larger California rocket companies like Rocketdyne, limited by New Jersey’s dense population and testing restrictions. Thiokol closed RMD in 1972 as the space race waned and government contracts dwindled, ending a 31-year legacy.
Innovations
- Regenerative Cooling: In 1938, before incorporation, RMI’s founders, led by James Wyld, developed the world’s first workable regenerative cooling rocket engine, tested in Pompton Lakes. This technology, which circulates fuel to cool the engine, made liquid-fueled rockets practical and influenced all future designs.
- Test Facilities: RMD’s Denville test stand on Snake Hill Road, built with six million pounds of concrete, could handle up to one million pounds of thrust. It tested the XLR-99 and was one of the East Coast’s largest test stands until its planned demolition.
Incidents and Legacy
- 1957 Explosion: On September 17, 1957, a rocket engine explosion at Lake Denmark killed one worker, Herbert Bell and injured six others during a routine test, highlighting the dangers of rocket development.
- Community Impact: RMI’s work fostered a tight-knit workforce, with employees bonding over their role in the space race. Reunions, like one in 2010 at Zeris Inn in Mountain Lakes, NJ, saw over 150 former workers celebrate their contributions.
- Recognition: The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) placed markers in 2005 at Denville, NJ sites to honor RMI’s achievements. A historical marker in Pompton Plains commemorates the XLR-11’s role. Artifacts like the XLR-99 are displayed at the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame in Teterboro.
Challenges
RMI faced issues like rising costs, engineering hurdles (e.g., XLR-30/XLR-99 fuel injector problems) and competition from larger firms. A 1962 lawsuit (Berg v. Reaction Motors Div.) addressed property damage from testing, reflecting tensions with the local community. By 1969, RMD reported a $1.5 million loss, signaling the beginning of the end for Reaction Motors.
NASA | X-15 Hypersonic Rocket Plane
Imagine hurtling through the atmosphere at over 4,500 miles per hour, pushing the boundaries of human ingenuity to the very edge of space— that's the electrifying world of the X-15 hypersonic rocket plane, unveiled in a star-studded rollout ceremony 65 years ago attended by Vice President Richard Nixon himself. This pioneering aircraft, a collaboration between NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and Navy, shattered records across 199 daring missions, soaring to altitudes beyond 350,000 feet and speeds exceeding Mach 6, with legendary pilots like Neil Armstrong—who later walked on the Moon—honing their skills in its unforgiving cockpit. From groundbreaking innovations in heat-resistant materials to invaluable data that paved the way for the Space Shuttle, the X-15's story is a pulse-pounding tale of triumph, tragedy, and trailblazing exploration that forever changed aviation and spaceflight.
Summary of X-15 pilots' accomplishments
Explore more at the NASA link below where you will find John Uri's article detailing the X-15's story with historic photos from the NASA library.
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Audiobook by Audible on Amazon, The X-15 Rocket Plane: Flying the First Wings Into Space by Michelle Evans The First Astronauts
Looking forward to the next Classic Aviation Flix!