NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Dryden Fight Research Center director Kevin Petersen found the HiMAT remotely piloted research aircraft sitting in his parking space when he arrived at work on April 1, 2009 – (NASA photo / Tony Landis) Retiring NASA Dryden Fight Research Center director Kevin Petersen got an April Fool's Day surprise when he arrived at work on April 1, 2009 – the HiMAT remotely piloted research aircraft sitting in his parking space in front of Dryden's main building.

The sub-scale aircraft had been in storage at NASA Ames Research Center since the Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology project, on which Petersen had been a research engineer, ended in 1983. Under leadership of Dryden's maintenance chief Tom Grindle, the HiMAT aircraft was brought back to Dryden, cleaned up and positioned in his parking space without Petersen's knowledge. The HiMAT aircraft will eventually be placed on permanent display at Dryden. (NASA photo / Tony Landis)

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› Petersen's retirement announcement

Alan Brown
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center