Farewell – Col. Jesse P. "Jake" Jacobs Jr., US AF (ret.)

Short Flights – We just received the sad news that another one of our dear aviation test pilot friends has passed away. Col. Jesse P. "Jake" Jacobs Jr., USAF (ret.) lived in Las Cruses, NM and was 93.

Jesse decided to become a test pilot and military officer soon after his first dollar ride in an open cockpit airplane in 1935.  Since he was only 12 years old at the time, he had to wait a while.  World War II presented the means, even though he almost went to war with the Field Artillery as a Private First Class with a 6th Class Specialist rating.  He became a pilot and 2nd Lieutenant, U.S. Army at Stockton Field, CA in 1944.  He asked for, and received B-17s. 

Jesse flew combat over Europe from England with the 861st and 862nd squadrons of the 493rd Bomb Group.  Jacobs flew the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber over Europe during World War II and flew 121 combat missions in the Korean War.

After returning to the States in 1951, he spent a short tour in the Air Defense Command prior to departing for the Empire Test Pilot School in February 1953.  He graduated from ETPS Course No. 12 where he flew about 20 types of British aircraft. 

He was then assigned to bomber test at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, where he flew as a test pilot in the B-47, B-50 and B-52 (including the XB-52 with J-75 and J-57 engines in a 6-engine configuration), B-57, B-26 and B-17. A year later he was promoted to Major to attend the Command and Staff College, graduating in 1960.

He was assigned to the Air Force Missile Development Center, Holloman AFB, NM in July 1960.  After being promoted to Lt. Colonel he spent two years as Test Director in the Interceptor Improvement Program. He flew the F-101B in this program and in air to air missile development programs.

Jesse transferred to the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA in July, 1964 and became Test Director, Tri-Service V/STOL XC-142A Test Force. The goal was to develop a practical intra-theater transport capable of delivering cargo to forward combat positions. Sounds like the mission of the V-22, doesn't it? The Vought-HillerRyan or, as it was later known, Ling-TemcoVought (LTV) designed and manufactured the XC-142A.

I remember Jesse explaining the XC-142A test program to my husband Al. "The wing would tilt up to 98-degrees, more than straight up," said Jacobs. "It had four T64- GE-1 turboprops and a maximum speed of over 400 mph."

The engines were mounted in nacelles on the wings, and were all cross-linked together. Each drove a giant four-bladed Hamilton-Standard fiberglass propeller, the tips of each practically overlapping each other. The four engines also drove a fifth propeller, an eight-foot three-bladed tail rotor through an interconnected gear and shaft train.

The wing tilt mechanism consisted of two screw-jack actuators driven by a centrally located hydraulic motor. The boxy airplane had a fuselage length of 58-feet, 1-inch and a wingspan of 67-feet, 6-inches.

According to historical records, the four-engine V/ STOL transport was somewhat ahead of its time and never reached its full potential.

The only remaining XC-142, (#2) currently is on display at the Air Force Museum at WrightPatterson Air Force Base at Dayton, Ohio.

In August 1967, he was assigned as Test Director, C-5A Test Force.  After a 30 year Air Force career, he retired in 1973 and became the Manager of Boeing's field office in Lancaster, CA, representing Boeing at Edwards AFB and the Naval Weapons Centerat China Lake, CA.  During his military career Jesse logged some 10,000 hours of flying time at the controls of 100 different aircraft.

His military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Distinguish Flying Cross, Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with Eleven Oak Leaf Clusters and Airman's Medal, ATM, Japan Occupation Medal, and the Korean Campaign Medal.

Jesse was predeceased by his wife Pat and is survived by their four children; Sara, Jesse, Pat and Tom; 7 grandchildren and 2 greatgrandchildren.

Always sad for us on Earth to hear when one of our flying friends reaches out to touch the Face of God, but we are comforted to know we will see him again in Eternity.

See you on our next flight....