Last Flight Flown

Last Flight Flown

By LT Dale "Hannibal" Lescher, USN U.S. Navy Test Pilot School

On August 26th of this year, Admiral Bill Lescher, the Navy’s Vice Chief, first four-star helicopter pilot, and longest serving naval aviator and helicopter pilot, flew the traditional Last Flight Flown (LFF) at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS). With USNTPS being the setting of much of his, and others, formative learning on how to develop and employ the full capability of aircraft for mission success, this LFF at USNTPS provided a fantastic opportunity to share his experience with our current test pilots under instruction, instructors, staff and maintenance team… the present and future of Naval Aviation. As Admiral Lescher and I briefed and manned up the school’s UH-60L Blackhawk, I sensed that the flight also provided a fantastic opportunity for me to reflect on the path to my passion for flying, and how this event so clearly symbolized the past informing the present, as I flew with my dad.

The Past

My father’s operational experience spanned decades of flying the H-2 and H-60 off of destroyers and frigates; supporting MH-53E’s flying mine countermeasures missions as Executive Officer of the Mine Countermeasure Command and Control ship USS Inchon, and flying each of the rotary wing aircraft in the Marine Expeditionary Unit Air Combat Element, as well as the HSC detachment aircraft while commanding Expeditionary Strike Group Five in Bahrain. During his three years of developmental test work at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), his experience ranged from identifying the hard limits that defined destroyer day and night recovery envelopes in the winter seas off of Vancouver to launching the first guided missiles from a Navy helicopter.

The adventure, challenges, and team spirit that he experienced shined brightly for me. Seeing my parents come home from work every day in flight suits, along with countless viewings of Top Gun, left a strong impression of what the “coolest job in the world” was. (My mother, a Naval Flight Officer, served 20 years in the TACAMO community). From a young age, my brother, Billy and I saw the appeal of the Naval Aviation community first-hand. As I grew older, mostly oblivious to the finer details of my dad’s job outside of whatever his rank was at the time and that most days he still wore a flight suit, I nurtured and developed my own passion for aviation. It was no surprise to anyone that I wanted to attend the Naval Academy and begin my own journey of naval service as an aviator.

Having the full support of my father while we served concurrently was an added bonus. Our conversations about what makes up a strong character became more nuanced as I gained my own leadership skills, flying experiences, and grew as an officer. For my junior officer friends and me, my dad set the example for staying true to oneself and pursuing jobs in the Navy that one feels strongly called to do.

The Present and Future

My USNTPS classmates of Class 162, like my father’s in USNTPS Class 91, continuously inspire me with their work ethic and their vast range of operational experience and platforms flown. We all share the drive to explore the uncertain and look forward to the day we can contribute to our communities’ futures through testing.

As for my dad’s LFF, anyone who knows my dad knows he chose to beat up the pattern. We had a great flight and enjoyed the brief convergence of our shared time in the Navy.

My dad’s time in the Navy left a remarkable impression on his many co-workers and friends. For my brother and me, it was a roadmap for how one puts their whole heart into whatever they do in life, be it in the military or as a civilian. I have seen first-hand all that the Navy means to people and how to leave the organization better for the next generation, as my dad has been able to do.

I look forward to continuing my own journey in the Navy, as the helicopter community advances the work done by those before us. Thanks, Dad. We have the controls!