Robert Chamberlain, 63, a record-setting B-1B test pilot, died July 4 in an airplane crash near Tehachapi, Calif., after a July 4th air show. The Denver Post reported Monday that Chamberlain and a copilot where killed when their L-29 Delfin crashed in a field after they had participated in a formation flight with two other aircraft as part of an Independence Day celebration. According to the Post, Chamberlain spent more than 20 years in the Air Force, where he was a B-1B production test pilot and, along with his crew, set four speed-with-payload records and numerous additional B-1B marks. After his Air Force career, Chamberlain went to work for United Airlines, where he instructed other pilots. He lived as a retiree in Morrison, Colo., outside of Denver.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
