Col. Rayvon Burleson
Colonel Rayvon Burleson (USAF, retired) of Smyrna, Del., and Nags Head died at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia July 14, 2003. Born in Albemarle in 1920, he graduated from Albemarle High School and enlisted in the U. S. Army in October 1941. While in the Army, he attended Davidson College. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944 and received his pilot wings in 1945. During his 30year military career, he served as a transport, bomber; helicopter and test pilot. Col. Burleson's initial flying duty consisted of coastal bomber patrol in the Pacific Northwest at the end of World War II. When the National Security Act of 1947 created the United States Air Force, he transitioned to its ranks and joined the Strategic Air Command. After the retirement of the B36, he transferred to the Military Air Transport Service, flying various aircraft. Col. Burleson was a part of the Air Force transition to the C-133 Globemaster and helped to activate two squadrons at Dover Air Force Base. He served as one of the C- 133s turboprop test pilots, becoming the fifth aircraft commander to be checked out in the aircraft and also flew weather tests in the aircraft at Wright-Patterson AFB. For the C-133 program, he served as pilot, flight commander, chief pilot and squadron commander He also served as Chief of Aircrew Standardization from I960-1968.
Col. Burleson served two tours in Vietnam as the Director of Rescue and Commander, 3rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group. He was responsible for the recovery of all aircrews shot down by hostile action. In 1969, he returned to Dover AFB, where he retired in 1970. After retirement, he worked as a corporate pilot for Indoor Tennis International before joining the Foundation for Airbourne Relief. This job consisted of flying food and medical supplies to remote, famine-stricken areas of Bangladesh. In 1973 he returned to Delaware where he served as Chief Pilot for Diamond Aviation in Cheswold. The following year he became the first Delaware State Aeronautics Administrator, a position he held from 1974-1990. During his 16-year career, he was responsible for updating civil airports throughout the state and oversaw the building of the Civil Air Terminal at Dover AFB. After his retirement in 1990, his love of flying continued as he could be seen flying his various civil aircraft all over the state.
His wife, Sibyl Lowder Burleson, preceded him in death in 1984. He was one of nine children of Lee and Bess Burleson and is survived by a brother, Ernest L. Burleson of Concord, and two sisters, Louise Caseman of Atlanta, Ga., and Maxine Tucker of Albemarle. Also surviving are two daughters, Elizabeth B. Morris of Bowers Beach and Lucinda B. Novotny of Smyrna and Nags Head; two grandchildren, Lt.j.g. Robert Burleson Novotny and Jane Lowder Novotny. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to: the C-133 Fund, AMC Museum Foundation, Box 02050, Dover AFB, DE 19902 or The Scholarship Fund of the John Porter Chapter of Tuskegee Airman, Inc., c/o Mrs. Nettye Evans, 138 Turner Drive, Dover, DE 19904. A memorial service for Col. Burleson will be held at Summit Airport at 4;30 p.m. Oct ll, as part of "Summit Aviation's Celebration of Flight 1903-2003" where his T6 Texan warbird, one of two remaining Tuskegee Airmen advance trainers, will be on display.
Colonel Rayvon Burleson (USAF, retired) of Smyrna, Del., and Nags Head died at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia July 14, 2003. Born in Albemarle in 1920, he graduated from Albemarle High School and enlisted in the U. S. Army in October 1941. While in the Army, he attended Davidson College. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944 and received his pilot wings in 1945. During his 30year military career, he served as a transport, bomber; helicopter and test pilot. Col. Burleson's initial flying duty consisted of coastal bomber patrol in the Pacific Northwest at the end of World War II. When the National Security Act of 1947 created the United States Air Force, he transitioned to its ranks and joined the Strategic Air Command. After the retirement of the B36, he transferred to the Military Air Transport Service, flying various aircraft. Col. Burleson was a part of the Air Force transition to the C-133 Globemaster and helped to activate two squadrons at Dover Air Force Base. He served as one of the C- 133s turboprop test pilots, becoming the fifth aircraft commander to be checked out in the aircraft and also flew weather tests in the aircraft at Wright-Patterson AFB. For the C-133 program, he served as pilot, flight commander, chief pilot and squadron commander He also served as Chief of Aircrew Standardization from I960-1968.
Col. Burleson served two tours in Vietnam as the Director of Rescue and Commander, 3rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group. He was responsible for the recovery of all aircrews shot down by hostile action. In 1969, he returned to Dover AFB, where he retired in 1970. After retirement, he worked as a corporate pilot for Indoor Tennis International before joining the Foundation for Airbourne Relief. This job consisted of flying food and medical supplies to remote, famine-stricken areas of Bangladesh. In 1973 he returned to Delaware where he served as Chief Pilot for Diamond Aviation in Cheswold. The following year he became the first Delaware State Aeronautics Administrator, a position he held from 1974-1990. During his 16-year career, he was responsible for updating civil airports throughout the state and oversaw the building of the Civil Air Terminal at Dover AFB. After his retirement in 1990, his love of flying continued as he could be seen flying his various civil aircraft all over the state.
His wife, Sibyl Lowder Burleson, preceded him in death in 1984. He was one of nine children of Lee and Bess Burleson and is survived by a brother, Ernest L. Burleson of Concord, and two sisters, Louise Caseman of Atlanta, Ga., and Maxine Tucker of Albemarle. Also surviving are two daughters, Elizabeth B. Morris of Bowers Beach and Lucinda B. Novotny of Smyrna and Nags Head; two grandchildren, Lt.j.g. Robert Burleson Novotny and Jane Lowder Novotny. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to: the C-133 Fund, AMC Museum Foundation, Box 02050, Dover AFB, DE 19902 or The Scholarship Fund of the John Porter Chapter of Tuskegee Airman, Inc., c/o Mrs. Nettye Evans, 138 Turner Drive, Dover, DE 19904. A memorial service for Col. Burleson will be held at Summit Airport at 4;30 p.m. Oct ll, as part of "Summit Aviation's Celebration of Flight 1903-2003" where his T6 Texan warbird, one of two remaining Tuskegee Airmen advance trainers, will be on display.
Col. Rayvon Burleson
Colonel Rayvon Burleson (USAF, retired) of Smyrna, Del., and Nags Head died at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia July 14, 2003. Born in Albemarle in 1920, he graduated from Albemarle High School and enlisted in the U. S. Army in October 1941. While in the Army, he attended Davidson College. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944 and received his pilot wings in 1945. During his 30year military career, he served as a transport, bomber; helicopter and test pilot. Col. Burleson's initial flying duty consisted of coastal bomber patrol in the Pacific Northwest at the end of World War II. When the National Security Act of 1947 created the United States Air Force, he transitioned to its ranks and joined the Strategic Air Command. After the retirement of the B36, he transferred to the Military Air Transport Service, flying various aircraft. Col. Burleson was a part of the Air Force transition to the C-133 Globemaster and helped to activate two squadrons at Dover Air Force Base. He served as one of the C- 133s turboprop test pilots, becoming the fifth aircraft commander to be checked out in the aircraft and also flew weather tests in the aircraft at Wright-Patterson AFB. For the C-133 program, he served as pilot, flight commander, chief pilot and squadron commander He also served as Chief of Aircrew Standardization from I960-1968.
Col. Burleson served two tours in Vietnam as the Director of Rescue and Commander, 3rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group. He was responsible for the recovery of all aircrews shot down by hostile action. In 1969, he returned to Dover AFB, where he retired in 1970. After retirement, he worked as a corporate pilot for Indoor Tennis International before joining the Foundation for Airbourne Relief. This job consisted of flying food and medical supplies to remote, famine-stricken areas of Bangladesh. In 1973 he returned to Delaware where he served as Chief Pilot for Diamond Aviation in Cheswold. The following year he became the first Delaware State Aeronautics Administrator, a position he held from 1974-1990. During his 16-year career, he was responsible for updating civil airports throughout the state and oversaw the building of the Civil Air Terminal at Dover AFB. After his retirement in 1990, his love of flying continued as he could be seen flying his various civil aircraft all over the state.
His wife, Sibyl Lowder Burleson, preceded him in death in 1984. He was one of nine children of Lee and Bess Burleson and is survived by a brother, Ernest L. Burleson of Concord, and two sisters, Louise Caseman of Atlanta, Ga., and Maxine Tucker of Albemarle. Also surviving are two daughters, Elizabeth B. Morris of Bowers Beach and Lucinda B. Novotny of Smyrna and Nags Head; two grandchildren, Lt.j.g. Robert Burleson Novotny and Jane Lowder Novotny. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to: the C-133 Fund, AMC Museum Foundation, Box 02050, Dover AFB, DE 19902 or The Scholarship Fund of the John Porter Chapter of Tuskegee Airman, Inc., c/o Mrs. Nettye Evans, 138 Turner Drive, Dover, DE 19904. A memorial service for Col. Burleson will be held at Summit Airport at 4;30 p.m. Oct ll, as part of "Summit Aviation's Celebration of Flight 1903-2003" where his T6 Texan warbird, one of two remaining Tuskegee Airmen advance trainers, will be on display.
Colonel Rayvon Burleson (USAF, retired) of Smyrna, Del., and Nags Head died at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia July 14, 2003. Born in Albemarle in 1920, he graduated from Albemarle High School and enlisted in the U. S. Army in October 1941. While in the Army, he attended Davidson College. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944 and received his pilot wings in 1945. During his 30year military career, he served as a transport, bomber; helicopter and test pilot. Col. Burleson's initial flying duty consisted of coastal bomber patrol in the Pacific Northwest at the end of World War II. When the National Security Act of 1947 created the United States Air Force, he transitioned to its ranks and joined the Strategic Air Command. After the retirement of the B36, he transferred to the Military Air Transport Service, flying various aircraft. Col. Burleson was a part of the Air Force transition to the C-133 Globemaster and helped to activate two squadrons at Dover Air Force Base. He served as one of the C- 133s turboprop test pilots, becoming the fifth aircraft commander to be checked out in the aircraft and also flew weather tests in the aircraft at Wright-Patterson AFB. For the C-133 program, he served as pilot, flight commander, chief pilot and squadron commander He also served as Chief of Aircrew Standardization from I960-1968.
Col. Burleson served two tours in Vietnam as the Director of Rescue and Commander, 3rd Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group. He was responsible for the recovery of all aircrews shot down by hostile action. In 1969, he returned to Dover AFB, where he retired in 1970. After retirement, he worked as a corporate pilot for Indoor Tennis International before joining the Foundation for Airbourne Relief. This job consisted of flying food and medical supplies to remote, famine-stricken areas of Bangladesh. In 1973 he returned to Delaware where he served as Chief Pilot for Diamond Aviation in Cheswold. The following year he became the first Delaware State Aeronautics Administrator, a position he held from 1974-1990. During his 16-year career, he was responsible for updating civil airports throughout the state and oversaw the building of the Civil Air Terminal at Dover AFB. After his retirement in 1990, his love of flying continued as he could be seen flying his various civil aircraft all over the state.
His wife, Sibyl Lowder Burleson, preceded him in death in 1984. He was one of nine children of Lee and Bess Burleson and is survived by a brother, Ernest L. Burleson of Concord, and two sisters, Louise Caseman of Atlanta, Ga., and Maxine Tucker of Albemarle. Also surviving are two daughters, Elizabeth B. Morris of Bowers Beach and Lucinda B. Novotny of Smyrna and Nags Head; two grandchildren, Lt.j.g. Robert Burleson Novotny and Jane Lowder Novotny. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to: the C-133 Fund, AMC Museum Foundation, Box 02050, Dover AFB, DE 19902 or The Scholarship Fund of the John Porter Chapter of Tuskegee Airman, Inc., c/o Mrs. Nettye Evans, 138 Turner Drive, Dover, DE 19904. A memorial service for Col. Burleson will be held at Summit Airport at 4;30 p.m. Oct ll, as part of "Summit Aviation's Celebration of Flight 1903-2003" where his T6 Texan warbird, one of two remaining Tuskegee Airmen advance trainers, will be on display.
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