BIOGRAPHY JOHN L. TEZAK, JR. F-106, F-111, F-16 TECH REP
1938
First airplane ride, Gunnison, CO county fair. Flew with Grandmother Kochevar, her first flight as well, in a Ford Tri-Motor.
1952
Flight from Denver to San Angelo on a C-45. Flew with a Cadet in a T-6 Texan.
1952
ROTC summer camp, Spokane, WA. Cadet of the week; flew in a RB-36. Flew to Eglin AFB, FL for Air Power Demonstration, flew in C-46 and C-47.
1955
Received commission to 2nd Lt. and went to San Antonio, TX. August 18, first flight in T-34 at Marana, AZ. August 23, first solo flight. October 6, last Air Force flight in T-28, 50.4 hours. October, attended avionics training at Lowry AFB, CO.
1956
Duluth, MN, 343rd Fighter Group, 11 FIS, Armament Officer with F-89, F-102 aircraft.
1958 March 2, Honorably discharged from U.S. Air Force. 1958
March 18, Hired by Convair, General Dynamics in San Diego, CA. Three month school and training on F-106 aircraft. Continued training on F-106 at Edwards AFB, CA Joint Test Force and on Pratt and Whitney engine test.
1959
F-106 activations: July ’59, Geiger Field, Spokane, WA; August ’59, Castle AFB, Merced, CA; September ’60, Selfridge AFB, Mt. Clemens, MI. June ’62, returned to San Diego, CA.
1962
July ’62, Tyndall AFB, FL, long-term assignment. August ’62, first F-106 to go supersonic on the deck. October 14, Cuban Missile Crisis. November 22, 1963, President Kennedy assassinated. 1964, my first flight in an F-106, went Mach 2. 1965: Attended William Tell, replaced fuel pump on Bob Hoover’s P-51 Mustang, advised and assisted during fuel cell repair on YF-12.
1966
August ‘66, transferred to 14th Air Division, Montgomery, AL.
1967
November, transferred to Fort Worth Division of General Dynamics. Trained on F-111 aircraft.
1968
F-111 training at Nellis AFB, NV. 1968 – 1977, assigned to Cannon AFB, NM as tech rep for F-111A/D/E aircraft.
1977
Returned to Fort Worth, TX. F-16 Management, 1977 – 1995.
1993
General Dynamics Fort Worth purchased by Lockheed.
1995
Retired from Lockheed.