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John Manke John Manke

Photo Number: ECN-16340
Photo Date: Oct. 1981

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Description: On October 1, 1981, John A. Manke was named to head the Directorate of Flight Operations, Ames Research Center, which resulted from the consolidation of NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, California, and Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. He also served as site manager of the NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility. Prior to this assignment, he served as Director of the Flight Operations and Support Directorate at Dryden.

Manke attended the University of South Dakota before joining the U.S. Navy in 1951. He graduated from Marquette University at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1956 with a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. While at school he was selected for the NROTC program and after graduating in 1956 entered flight training and served as a fighter pilot with the U.S. Marine Corps. John left the service in 1960, and prior to joining NASA, worked for Honeywell Corporation as a test engineer.

John joined Dryden in 1962 as a research engineer and later became a research pilot, testing advanced craft such as the wingless lifting bodies, forerunners of the Space Shuttle. He was project pilot on the X-24B and also flew the M-2, HL-10 and the X-24A lifting bodies. Manke retired on April 27, 1984.

John is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He has been honored with two NASA Medals of Outstanding Leadership, two NASA Medals for Exceptional Service and was selected for the Aerospace Walk of Honor in 1997.


Keywords: Dryden Center Directors; John A. Manke; M-2; HL-10; X-24A; X-24B; Experimental Test Pilots; U.S. Marines; U.S. Navy; University of South Dakota; Marquette University at Milwaukee; Honeywell Corporation; NASA; Ames Research Center; Dryden Flight Research Center


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