{{Short description|American test pilot (1921–2022)}} {{Infobox military person |name= Kenneth Oscar Chilstrom |birth_date= {{birth date|1921|4|20}} |birth_place= [[Zumbrota, Minnesota]], U.S. |death_date= {{death date and age|2022|12|3|1921|4|20}} |death_place= [[Fort Belvoir, Virginia]], U.S. |burial_place= [[Arlington National Cemetery]] |image= USAF Colonel Ken Chilstrom 1961.jpg |caption= Chilstrom in 1961 |nickname=K.O. |allegiance=[[United States of America]] |branch= [[File:Seal of the US Air Force.svg|25px]] [[United States Air Force]] |service_years= 1939&ndash;1964 (25 years) |rank=[[File:US-O6 insignia.svg|25px]] [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] |current position= |commands= Chief of Fighter Test, 1946&ndash;48 <br/> [[U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School|USAF Test Pilot School]], 1949&ndash;50 <br/> F-108 Program Manager, 1958&ndash;59 |battles=[[World War II]] <br/> [[Cold War]] |awards= [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] <br/> [[Air Medal]] |relations= |other_work= Aerospace Industry <br/> Author }}

'''Kenneth Oscar Chilstrom''' (April 20, 1921 – December 3, 2022) was a [[United States Air Force]] officer, combat veteran, [[test pilot]], and author. He was the first USAF pilot to fly the [[XP-86 Sabre]], chief of fighter test at [[Wright Field]], commandant of the [[U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School]], and program manager for the [[XF-108 Rapier]]. Chilstrom was a pilot in the first jet air race and delivered the first air mail by jet. He flew over eighty combat missions in the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign of World War II]] and tested over twenty foreign models of German and Japanese fighters and bombers to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

==Early life== Chilstrom was born on April 20, 1921, in [[Zumbrota, Minnesota|Zumbrota]]&mdash;a small town in the southeast part of Minnesota.{{sfnp|Hatch|Winter|1993|p=94}} He developed an interest in aviation at an early age and began building model airplanes while still in grade school in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from high school in 1939, Chilstrom went to a military recruiting office to sign up for pilot training.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=328}} Since he did not have the two years of college needed to enter the air cadet training program, Chilstrom enlisted in the [[United States Army Air Corps]] to train as an aircraft mechanic.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=329}}

==Military career== Chilstrom completed the aircraft mechanics school at [[Chanute Air Force Base|Chanute Field]] in Rantoul, Illinois, and eventually became an instructor.<ref name=P47_Pilots>{{cite web |title = Kenneth O. Chilstrom |url = http://www.p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots.cfm?c=incP47BiographyHome.cfm&vm=BIO&pilotid=88&p=Kenneth%20O.%20Chilstrom |work = P-47 Thunderbolt Pilots Association |publisher = Logic Mountain LLC |location = Yulee, Florida |access-date = December 31, 2009 |archive-date = July 15, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110715031720/http://www.p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots.cfm?c=incP47BiographyHome.cfm&vm=BIO&pilotid=88&p=Kenneth%20O.%20Chilstrom |url-status = dead }}</ref> Still yearning to fly, he attended night school to earn the needed college credits. But the Army Air Corps now faced a shortage of pilots, and Chilstrom was accepted into the pilot training program anyway.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=329}} In October 1942, he earned his wings and a [[second lieutenant]]'s [[Commission (document)|commission]] when he graduated with class 42I at Lake Charles, Louisiana.<ref name=P47_Pilots/> Chilstrom was assigned to the [[58th Fighter Group]] at [[Bolling Field]] whose mission was to guard the nation's capital in Washington, D.C.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=329}}

===Combat in World War II=== In February 1943, the 58th Fighter Group received new [[Curtiss P-40]] Warhawks and took them to [[North Africa]] aboard the ''[[USS Ranger (CV-4)|USS Ranger]]''. Chilstrom and his fellow aviators arrived at an airfield near [[Casablanca]] shortly after the Allied defeat at [[Battle of the Kasserine Pass|Kasserine Pass]].{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=329}} The 58th Fighter Group was forced to turn over their P-40s to a combat-experienced unit that lost their aircraft when German troops overran their airfield.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=330}} Chilstrom transferred to the [[27th Special Operations Group|27th Fighter Bomber Group]] and flew eighty missions in the [[North American A-36]] over [[Sicily]] and [[Italy]].<ref name=P47_Pilots/> At the end of his tour in November 1943, he returned home to the United States.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=330}}

===Flight test=== Chilstrom strongly desired a position in flight test at [[Dayton, Ohio]]'s [[Wright Field]]&mdash;the dream job of many fighter pilots.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=329}} Although no flight test positions were open at the time, he was able to secure a position as maintenance officer for Major Chris Petrie, Chief of Fighter Test. Flight test at Wright Field expanded rapidly and provided Chilstrom with the opportunity to realize his dream.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=331}} He tested a number of [[P-47 Thunderbolt]] variants including the XP-47E with a pressurized cockpit and the XP-47J&mdash;one of the fastest piston engine fighters ever built.<ref name=P47_Pilots/> [[File:Capturedfw190 red.jpg|right|thumb|Captured Fw 190]] During his seven years in flight test, Chilstrom flew 147 different aircraft including X, Y, and production models from the United States, Germany, and Japan.{{sfnp|Hatch|Winter|1993|p=94}} Many German and Japanese aircraft captured during World War II were sent to Wright Field, and Chilstrom had the opportunity to fly and evaluate over twenty different models including the [[Focke-Wulf Fw 190]], the [[Messerschmitt Me 262]], the [[A6M Zero]], and the [[Kawasaki Ki-45]] Nick.<ref name=P47_Pilots/> He flew the Fw 190 extensively and during his tenth flight on February 24, 1945, a malfunctioning trim switch nearly killed him.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=335}} Chilstrom was landing at Wright Field when the elevator trim switch malfunctioned causing the nose to pitch up while the Fw 190 was dangerously close to the ground. After regaining control and climbing to a safe altitude, he identified the problem and determined the trim could also be driven to a full nose-down position. With full nose-down trim, Chilstrom had just enough control to successfully land the aircraft.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=336}} Other Fw 190 pilots were not as fortunate as electrical problems in the trim switch caused{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=339}} or were suspected to have caused a number of crashes.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=343}}

Chilstrom flew the United States' first twin [[jet engine]]d [[fighter aircraft]]—the [[Bell P-59 Airacomet]]. In February 1945, while delivering a P-59 to [[Langley Field]], he experienced an engine failure during take off that resulted in a [[runway excursion]]. Unable to stop or take off, Chilstrom crashed into a stand of trees just past the end of the runway. Although the P-59 was destroyed, Chilstrom survived one of the first major jet accidents in a U.S. military aircraft with only minor injuries.{{sfnp|Sears|2018}}

[[File:XP-86 Sabre Over Mojave Desert 1947.jpg|left|thumb|XP-86 in flight over the Mojave Desert in 1947]] Chilstrom graduated in the first group, class 45, of the recently formed Flight Performance School (now known as the [[United States Air Force Test Pilot School]]) with his friend and roommate [[Glen Edwards (pilot)|Glen Edwards]], who would later become the namesake of [[Edwards Air Force Base]].{{sfnp|Ford|1998|p=89}} Chilstrom was highly regarded by his superiors{{sfnp|Hutchison|2009|p=58}} and in September 1946 succeeded [[Gabby Gabreski]] as chief of the Fighter Test section. He was in charge of a very select group of pilots including [[Richard Bong]], [[John T. Godfrey]], [[Bob Hoover]], [[Don Gentile]], [[Steve Pisanos]], and [[Chuck Yeager]].{{sfnp|Pisanos|2008|pp=278&ndash;80}} In 1947, Lieutenant Colonel [[Fred Ascani]], deputy of the Flight Test Division, recommended Chilstrom fly the [[Bell X-1]] on the historic mission to break the [[sound barrier]],{{sfnp|Yeager|Janos|1986|p=127}}{{sfnp|Hutchison|2009|p=72}} but division commander Colonel [[Al Boyd]] wanted Chilstrom as project officer for the [[F-86 Sabre|XP-86 Sabre]].{{sfnp|Blackburn|1999a|pp=173&ndash;75}} Chilstrom was the first Air Force officer to test the XP-86,{{sfnp|Hatch|Winter|1993|p=94}} and by December 1947 had completed the XP-86 Phase II performance, stability and control tests pushing the aircraft to {{convert|45000|ft|m}} and Mach number 0.9.{{sfnp|Blackburn|1999a|p=171}}

Between 1949 and 1950, Chilstrom was assigned as the commandant of the USAF Test Pilot School and commanded the last classes held at Wright Field.<ref name=TPS50_p62>{{cite book |title = USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond |page = 62}}</ref> Following classes, 51A and later, were held at Edwards Air Force Base in California.<ref name=TPS50_p70>{{cite book |title = USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond |page = 70}}</ref> In the summer of 1949 he took his wife to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]] and at [[Warner Bros.]] Studios he was the technical advisor on the movie [[Chain Lightning (1950 film)|''Chain Lightning'']] starring [[Humphrey Bogart]], [[Raymond Massey]], and [[Eleanor Parker]].<ref name=TCM>{{cite web |title = Filmography for Maj. Ken Chilstrom |url = https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/0%7C93312/Maj.-Ken-Chilstrom#overview |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230413212531/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/0%7C93312/Maj.-Ken-Chilstrom#overview |url-status = dead |archive-date = April 13, 2023 |publisher = Turner Classic Movies |location = Atlanta, Georgia |access-date = April 13, 2023}}</ref> In 1950, Chilstrom was selected for a test pilot exchange tour with the [[United Kingdom]]'s [[Royal Air Force]].<ref name=P47_Pilots/> While at [[Farnborough Airfield]] and [[MoD Boscombe Down|Boscombe Down]], he flew twenty five different British aircraft in two months.<ref name=P47_Pilots/>

===Aircraft development=== [[File:F-108-8x.png|right|thumb|Artist's impression of two F-108s attached to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska]] In 1950, Chilstrom reluctantly left flight test to work as the Fighter Requirements officer at headquarters, [[Pacific Air Forces|Far East Air Forces]]. He was then assigned to research and development at [[The Pentagon|Air Force Headquarters]] on the [[F-100 Super Sabre]], [[F-105 Thunderchief]], and [[North American F-107]] programs. In 1958, Chilstrom was promoted to Colonel and returned to Wright Field as the program manager for the [[XF-108 Rapier|F-108 Rapier]], a long-range, high-speed [[interceptor aircraft]].{{sfnp|Hatch|Winter|1993|p=94}} After the F-108 was cancelled on September 23, 1959,<ref name=F108>{{cite web |title = Fact Sheets: North American F-108A Rapier |url = http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2319 |publisher = National Museum of the United States Air Force |location = Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio |access-date = January 9, 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716074321/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2319 |archive-date = July 16, 2011 }}</ref> he supported the [[Lockheed YF-12]] program. Chilstrom's last assignment was chief of program surveys at the headquarters of [[Air Force Systems Command]] at [[Andrews Air Force Base]], Maryland.{{sfnp|Hatch|Winter|1993|p=94}} He retired from the Air Force in January 1964 after 25 years of service<ref name=P47_Pilots/> and worked in the aircraft industry for a number of companies including [[General Electric]], [[Boeing Rotorcraft Systems|Boeing-Vertol]], [[Science Applications International Corporation]], and [[Pratt & Whitney]].<ref name=P47_Pilots/>

==Aviation firsts== In addition to being the first USAF pilot to test the XP-86, Chilstrom was involved in a number of aviation "firsts" including:

===First jet air mail=== To demonstrate the capabilities of the Army Air Corps, Chilstrom and fellow pilot Captain Robert Baird carried out the first transport of air mail by jet aircraft on June 22, 1946.{{sfnp|Glines|1980|pp=157&ndash;58}} Carrying a collection of mail that included a letter for [[Wright brothers|Orville Wright]], Chilstrom flew a [[P-80 Shooting Star]] from [[Schenectady County Airport]] in Schenectady, New York, to Dayton, Ohio.{{sfnp|Kane|1950|p=17}} After stopping at Wright Field, he flew on to Chicago, Illinois, to complete the air mail delivery.{{sfnp|Hutchison|2009|p=74}}

===First jet air race=== Chilstrom participated in the first "closed course" jet air race at the 1946 Cleveland [[National Air Races]] in Ohio.<ref name=airrace>{{cite web |last = Meixner |first = Bill |date = December 28, 2009 |title = 1946 National Air Races |url = http://www.airrace.com/1946NAR.html |publisher = Society of Air Racing Historians |location = Berea, Ohio |access-date = January 10, 2010 }}</ref> In this race, three [[P-80 Shooting Star]]s from Wright Field competed against three P-80s from the [[1st Operations Group|1st Fighter Group]] at [[March Joint Air Reserve Base|March Field]], California. Chilstrom was forced out of the race due to mechanical problems when his aircraft's aileron boost failed.{{sfnp|Chilstrom|Leary|1993|p=253}} The [[Thompson trophy]] (Jet Division) was won by Major Gustav E. Lundquist of Wright Field, and Major [[Robin Olds]] of March Field took second place.<ref name=airrace/>

=== First USAF/USN pilot exchange program === In 1948, Chilstrom requested assignment in the first USAF exchange tour with the [[United States Navy]]. He trained at [[Naval Air Station Pensacola]] and checked out in the [[T-6 Texan|SNJ]] with six carrier landings on the [[USS Wright (CVL-49)|USS ''Wright'']]. Chilstrom was then assigned to [[Carrier Air Wing Seven|Carrier Air Group Seven]] based at [[Naval Air Station Quonset Point]], [[Rhode Island]]. After eighty Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) touchdowns on shore, he completed fifty carrier landings in the [[F8F Bearcat]] aboard the [[USS Leyte (CV-32)|USS ''Leyte'']].<ref name=P47_Pilots/><ref>{{cite journal |last=Beres |first=Tony |date= Spring 2022 |title= USAF Joins the Navy |url= https://store.tailhook.net/PDF/Sp22_Hook_4Web.pdf |journal= The Hook, Journal of Carrier Aviation |volume= 50 |issue= 1 |pages=33–35 |access-date= March 5, 2023}}</ref>

==Later years== [[File:Ken Chilstrom and Tom Horton 2014.jpg|left|thumb|WWII aviators Ken Chilstrom and [[Thomas W. Horton (pilot)|Tom Horton]] at an [[Old Bold Pilots Association|OBPA]] luncheon in 2014]] In 1991, Chilstrom and fellow pilot Penn Leary documented the experiences of the "Wright Stuff" pilots and engineers in a book entitled, ''Test flying at Old Wright Field''.{{sfnp|Chilstrom|Leary|1993}} A second edition was published in 1993 that included photographs and additional stories. Ruth, his wife of 57 years, died in May 2006 and is buried in [[Arlington National Cemetery]]. At the time of her death, Chilstrom has two sons, a daughter, and six grandchildren.<ref name=Post>{{cite news | title = Funeral Notices: Mary Ruth Chilstrom | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PBPB&p_theme=pbpb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_hidethis=no&p_field_label-0=Author&p_field_label-1=title&p_bool_label-1=AND&s_dispstring=Mary%20Chilstrom%20AND%20date(05/20/2006%20to%2005/22/2006)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=05/20/2006%20to%2005/22/2006)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(Mary%20Chilstrom)&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no | format = fee required | work = The Palm Beach Post | publisher = Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc | location = West Palm Beach, Florida | date = May 21, 2006 | page = 12C | access-date = January 10, 2010 | archive-date = October 21, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121021114625/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PBPB&p_theme=pbpb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_hidethis=no&p_field_label-0=Author&p_field_label-1=title&p_bool_label-1=AND&s_dispstring=Mary%20Chilstrom%20AND%20date(05/20/2006%20to%2005/22/2006)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=05/20/2006%20to%2005/22/2006)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(Mary%20Chilstrom)&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no | url-status = dead }}</ref>

In 2016, Chilstrom traveled to [[Wright-Patterson AFB]] to attend the grand opening of a new building at the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]].<ref name=grand_opening>{{cite web |date = May 26, 2016 |title = Fourth Building Grand Opening Celebration |url = https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Expansion/Grand-Opening/ |publisher = National Museum of the United States Air Force |location = Dayton, Ohio |access-date = July 1, 2016}}</ref> The Albert Boyd and Fred Ascani Research and Development Gallery contains a collection of flight test aircraft flown by test pilots such as Chilstrom to help advance the state aerospace technology.<ref name=RD_Gallery>{{cite web |date = May 26, 2016 |title = Research & Development Gallery |url = https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/R-and-D-Gallery/ |publisher = National Museum of the United States Air Force |location = Dayton, Ohio |access-date = July 1, 2016}}</ref>

Chilstrom died in [[Fort Belvoir, Virginia]], on December 3, 2022, at the age of 101.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kenneth Oscar Chilstrom |url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/alexandria-va/kenneth-chilstrom-11044335 |website=Dignity Memorial |access-date=6 December 2022}}</ref> He was interred with his wife at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 66, Grave 272 on March 15, 2023.<ref name=ANCofficial>{{cite web |url= https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/index.html#/search-all/results/1/CglDaGlsc3Ryb20-/ |title=Burial Detail: Chilstrom, Kenneth Oscar |work= ANC Explorer |publisher=Arlington National Cemetery |id=(Official website) |access-date= March 15, 2023}}</ref>

==Honors== During his combat tour in World War II, Chilstrom earned the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]], and the [[Air Medal]] with eight [[oak leaf cluster]]s.{{sfnp|Samuel|2004|p=330}} In 2008, he was recognized in [[Air Force Magazine]] as a famous flyer of the F-86 Sabre.{{sfnp|Boyne|2008|p=88}}

==Notes== {{Reflist|20em}}

==References== *{{cite book |last=Blackburn |first=Al |title= Aces Wild: The Race for Mach 1 |publisher=Scholarly Resources Inc |location=Wilmington, Delaware |year=1999a |isbn=0-8420-2732-7}} *{{cite journal | last = Boyne | first = Walter J. | author-link = Walter J. Boyne | date = November 2008 | title = Air Power Classics | journal = Air Force Magazine | volume = 91 | issue = 11 | page = 88 | publisher = Air Force Association | location = Arlington, Virginia | url = http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine%20Documents/2008/November%202008/1108classics.pdf | access-date = March 23, 2018 }} *{{cite book |title=Test flying at Old Wright Field |last1=Chilstrom |first1=Ken |last2=Leary |first2=Penn |year=1993 |publisher=Westchester House |location=Omaha, Nebraska |edition=2nd |isbn= 0-9617917-2-1}} *{{cite book |title=Glen Edwards: the diary of a bomber pilot |last=Ford |first=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Ford |year=1998 |edition=Illustrated |publisher=Smithsonian Books |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=1-56098-571-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/glenedwardsdiary00ford_0 }} *{{cite book |title=The Saga of the Air Mail |last=Glines |first=Carroll V. |year=1980 |edition=Illustrated |publisher=Ayer Publishing |location=Manchester, New Hampshire |isbn= 0-405-12213-6}} *{{cite book |title=P-51 Mustang |last=Hatch |first=Gardner N. |last2=Winter |first2=Frank H. |year=1993 |edition=2nd |publisher=Turner Publishing Company |location=Nashville, Tennessee |isbn=1-57806-649-2}} *{{cite book |last= Hutchison |first= Sheryl L. |title=Mentor Inbound: The Authorized Biography of Fred J. Ascani, Major General, USAF Retired: Holder of the 1951 World Speed Record |year=2009 |publisher=AuthorHouse |location=Bloomington, Indiana |isbn= 978-1-4389-9973-9}} *{{cite book |last=Kane |first= Joseph Nathan |author-link=Joseph Nathan Kane |title = Famous First Facts: A Record Of First Happenings, Discoveries And Inventions In The United States |url = https://archive.org/details/famousfirstfacts008805mbp |format=[[PDF]] |publisher = The H. W. Wilson Company |location =Bronx, New York |year= 1950 |access-date = January 2, 2010}} *{{cite book |last=Pisanos |first=Steve N. |author-link=Steve Pisanos |title=The Flying Greek |year=2008 |publisher=Potomac Books Inc |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn= 978-1-59797-078-5}} *{{cite book |title=American Raiders: The Race to Capture the Luftwaffe's Secrets |last=Samuel |first=Wolfgang W. E. |author-link=Wolfgang W.E. Samuel |year=2004 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |location=Jackson, Mississippi |isbn= 1-57806-649-2}} *{{cite web |first=David |last=Sears |title=The First Jet Pilots |url= https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/jump-to-jets-180969506/ |work=Air & Space Magazine |date=August 2018 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=May 16, 2019 }} *{{cite book |title= USAF Test Pilot School 50 Years and Beyond |publisher=Privately Published |year=1994 }} *{{cite book |title=Yeager: An Autobiography |last1=Yeager |first1=Chuck |author-link=Chuck Yeager |last2=Janos |first2=Leo |year=1986 |publisher= Bantam |location=New York, New York |isbn= 0-553-25674-2}}

==External links== *{{cite web |first = Al |last = Blackburn |title = Mach Match: Did an XP-86 beat Yeager to the punch? |url = http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/mach.html?c=y&page=5 |work = Air & Space Magazine |date = January 1, 1999b |publisher = Smithsonian Institution |location = Washington, D.C. |access-date = January 10, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101201205225/http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/mach.html?c=y&page=5 |archive-date = December 1, 2010 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }} *{{cite web |first = Neil |last = Corbett |title = Col Kenneth O. 'KO' Chilstrom |url = https://thetartanterror.blogspot.com/2005/09/col-kenneth-o-ko-chilstrom-1921.html |work = Test & Research Pilots, Flight Test Engineers |access-date = December 30, 2009 }} *{{cite web |title=First Air Mail Flight in the U.S. |url=http://mosseytest.com/200/filemag/FlyingHigh.pdf |work=Schenectady County Flying High: Memorable Moments in Aviation |publisher=Mossey Group |location=Schenectady, New York |access-date=January 10, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} *{{cite web |first = Derek |last = Horne |title = Combat & Test Pilots: Ken Chilstrom |url = http://members.lycos.co.uk/derekhorne/testpilots.html |work = Combat & Test Pilots |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070816035813/http://members.lycos.co.uk/derekhorne/testpilots.html |archive-date = August 16, 2007 |access-date = May 16, 2019 }} *{{cite web |last = juslooking101 |date = October 16, 2011 |title = Colonel Ken Chilstrom Hangar Talk |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L01gNSW2vYQ |publisher = YouTube |access-date = July 1, 2016 }} *{{cite web |date = November 12, 2007 |title = Timeless Voices - Kenneth Chilstrom |url = https://www.eaa.org/Videos/Timeless-Voices/Fighter-Pilot/1305003447 |work = Timeless Voices - Fighter Pilot |publisher = [[Experimental Aircraft Association]] |location = Oshkosh, Wisconsin |access-date = July 26, 2019 }}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chilstrom, Kenneth O.}} [[Category:1921 births]] [[Category:2022 deaths]] [[Category:American aviation writers]] [[Category:American men centenarians]] [[Category:American test pilots]] [[Category:Aviators from Minnesota]] [[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]] [[Category:Military personnel from Minnesota]] [[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]] [[Category:Recipients of the Air Medal]] [[Category:U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School alumni]] [[Category:United States Air Force officers]] [[Category:United States Army Air Forces officers]] [[Category:United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II]] [[Category:People from Zumbrota, Minnesota]] [[Category:Writers from Minnesota]]