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Biographical Information
DUGAN, DANIEL C.
Research Pilot/Aero Engineer, NASA
(Updated FEB 2008)
Graduate United States Military Academy (BS), Graduate Virginia Tech (MS), Graduate US Naval Test Pilot School. US Army Aviation Test Activity, Edwards AFB, 1965-1968. Performance and HQ testing of YUH-1C, ACH-47 Guns-A-Go-Go, YCH-47B Army Preliminary Evaluation and various weapons systems testing. Service in Vietnam 1968-1969 as direct support unit Commander, on the First Aviation Brigade staff, and as a helicopter pilot [BSM(2), AM(2), ACM]. Research pilot at NASA Ames Research Center 1970-1990 and tested the XV-5B Lift Fan, YOV-10A Rotating Cylinder Flap Research Aircraft, and was Project Pilot for the XV-15 Tiltrotor Research Aircraft for 14 years. Also Project Pilot on the UH-1H V/STOLAND aircraft which had the first digital flight control system in a helo. Other developmental flying included XV-15 aeroelastic and dynamic stability tests and new techniques (frequency domain investigation) for dynamics testing. Participated in the development of a 2 and 3 axis sidestick controller in the XV-15 (the only sidestick to date in a tiltrotor) and flew it as Project Pilot in 1985. Two NASA Achievement Awards for XV-15 development. Flew the XV-15 at the Paris Airshow, 1981. He was assigned to the V-22 Multiservice Test Team (later ITT) at Pax River from 1990, 1995 as the Deputy Project Manager for NASA to participate in the development of the Osprey. Current positions are Deputy Director of the National Rotorcraft Technology Center and the Associate Project Manager for Flight Dynamics and Control, NASA Subsonic Rotary Wing Program. Maintains flight status at NASA Ames and holds Airline Transport Pilot ratings for Airplanes and Rotorcraft. Over 8000 hours logged to include 2052 hrs jet time. He has authored 38 technical papers, reports, and articles, the most recent presented at the Society of Experimental Test Pilots' Symposium, Anaheim, CA, September, 2006.
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TAPS Check List
1. Birthplace and date - Manila, Philippine Islands, October 28, 1931
2. Parents names - Dorothy Sloan Carlisle, Augustine Davis Dugan (Class of 1924)
3. No. of siblings - 1 Sister Beth Elaine (deceased 1998)
4. High school graduated from - Austin HS, El Paso, TX #6 in Class
5. High school sports - Basketball (Yokohama High School - Japan)
6. Other High school activities - Football Team Manager
7. Non-school activities - Boy Scouts
8. Civilian College and/or Military Academy Prep School - Sullivan School, Washington, D.C.
9. Civilian College sports - None
10. Prior military service, branch and rank - Texas National Guard, 36th Division
11. Type of appointment to USMA - National Guard
12. USMA Roommates - Bob Hinrichs, Bob Strati, Carl Leaver, Roland Nordlie
13. Close friends at USMA - Art Muller, Bob Hinrichs
14. Wife info, including how you met and place of marriage - Bernadette O'Sullivan. Met on airplane headed for El Paso, TX, married at Presidio of San Francisco, June 1993, by Judge Robert M. Hinrichs
15. Children info - Jenifer, Daniel, Suzanne, Jessica
16. Suggested and/or preferred author for TAPS article - ?
17. Others who can fill in gaps about you - ?
18. Classmates with whom you served - Norm Blahuta, Don Poorman, Bob Hinrichs (Germany), Skip Macdonald, Jim Bergen (Germany)
19. Major military assignments, if not listed in Register - N/A
20. Second career info - NASA Research Pilot at Ames Research Center
Dan Dugan
25 April 2011
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How I met Bernadette
I met Bernadette in an unusual way. Back in 1987, on Veteran's Day, I set off from San Jose to fly to El Paso to take care of some of my deceased parent's affairs. Bernadette got on a flight in Oakland and headed for El Paso. We both got on the same plane in Phoenix, but it turned out that she had noticed me in the Terminal because my shoes were shined and I had the neat 'gig' line that we got in the habit of doing at West Point - shirt edge lined up with edge of belt buckle and fly line. I didn't notice her in the airport, though. We ended up on the same row with a seat separating us - she was at the window and I in my usual aisle seat. Later when the Flight Attendant was taking orders for beverages and passing out the peanuts, I heard her order. I then asked what accent she had and, naturally, it turned out to be a tad Irish. She was an attractive redhead so I struck up a conversation - in keeping with West Point traditions and those of E-1. I found that she had immigrated as a young girl and was in New York City for some years. She happened to mention that she had worked for an advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson, and had a very nice boss there. He was a West Pointer! Just as part of the conversation, I asked his name. It was Walter Landers! Class of 1955! So that was a real talking point and we got along famously. I asked her to lunch at the El Paso airport - she had to rent a car and drive to Las Cruces to visit an ailing friend who used to be well placed at NBC in New York. After lunch, I suggested that I escort her to a short cut to Las Cruces - The Trans-Mountain Highway which avoided the drive through El Paso the long way around the foot of the Franklin Mountains. I got her on the way to Las Cruces with a tentative date set up on her return to El Paso for her flight. Not wanting to wait for those days to pass, I drove up to Las Cruces one evening to take her to dinner and dancing. When she came back to El Paso, it was another dinner and dancing night at the Marriott near the airport.
After our return to the Bay Area, I used to drive up to Walnut Creek to see her on a Saturday. We'd walk her dog in a park and go to lunch. That went on for quite a while and the rest is history. I used to go up to Walnut Creek a lot in 1988 and 89. I was detailed from NASA to the Marines and Navy on the MV-22 Program in January, 1990, so off I went to Lexington Park, MD (Patuxent River - the Naval Air Test Center) for the better part of six years. I only saw her on the average about every 6 weeks, but we decided to get married in June, 1993. The marriage was at the Chapel of the Presidio of San Francisco presided over by the Honorable Robert M. Hinrichs - Judge of the Superior Court, Monterey County.
So, Classmates. There you have it - a chance meeting on an airplane somewhere over Arizona/New Mexico and now, as second time arounders, we are about to celebrate 18 years of marriage and an acquaintance of 23 1/2 years.
DDD
25 May 2011
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West Point in the 1950's
It's different these days from what it was back in the fifties. In those 'olden times,' we remained in the same Company for all four years unless you moved to Brigade, Regimental, or Battalion staff positions First Class year. You really got to know your company mates well and those within your Regiment, but not a lot of interaction between the two regiments except on Summer trips and details, sports, and such.
We were all sized in each company from Runts to Flankers. It made for really precision marching in parades see attached NYC parade. We came down from Buckner and marched as a Class in the American Legion parade. There was more emphasis in drill and parades in those days. I have been to West Point many times since graduation and I must say that I'm disappointed in the performance of the Corps on the parade ground. It's to be expected, I guess, with all of the different sizes, strides, and such. They stopped the sizing because, some say, to rid the Corps of the Flanker and Runt complexes runts were feisty and combative while flankers developed a superiority complex from their lofty heights. I don't buy that. I suspect it was really in preparation for the introduction of female Cadets and they didn't want too many of the shorter females lumped in the runt companies. On the parade ground, all was symmetrical the Flankers on each end of the Corps, sloping down through the normal sized Cadets to the Runts in the middle.
When you entered as a New Cadet in July, you didn't get any leave until after Graduation Week the following June 11 months straight. And, until you were a Cow, no weekends away then you got two (2). Of course, there were sports teams away weekends, and activity clubs had trips. As a First Classman, you got 12 weekends as I recall. Weekends, of course, were after parade and inspection on Saturdays and ended at 6:00 PM on Sundays a little more than 24 hours.
All First Classmen were Sergeants and carried a rifle unless they were a Staff member (Battalion or Regimental), Company Commander, Platoon Leader, First Sergeant, or Supply Sergeant. Then you wore a plume and carried a saber . There were also Cow Corporals who carried the company guidons on parade. We marched in Company Mass until they filmed 'The Long Gray Line' there in 1954 starring Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara. Some had to learn the Squad/Platoon drill for the movie and our Supe liked it so much that he decided that the Corps would revert to the old style which we did.
Academically, there were not many electives as you have today. We got to opt for a particular language (no guarantee that you would get it). There were some advanced math classes available as I recall. It was always tough, though (as today) balancing classes, drill, sports, study time, leisure?. Tattoo was at 10:30 PM with Taps and lights out at 11:00 PM unless you had special permission for later study. We all had a card on the old fireplace mantels in Central Area which we marked for our absences from the room a thread and sliding marker for various categories of absences.
Let's see, in round numbers we entered as a Class of about 670 and graduated 470 about a 30% attrition.
Dan Dugan
Company E-1
Class of 1955
June 2011
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Dan Dugan Update
Subject: Re: Daniel Dugan
Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018
From: Jessica Dugan "drdugan@aol.com"
To: Jack Campbell "coljack@austin.rr.com"
Hi Jack,
I am Dan Dugan's youngest daughter. Thanks for asking after him. He is living in Campbell near San Jose with his girlfriend, Betty Jean. He separated from Bernadette (his 2nd wife) a few years ago. Recently he has been struggling with a bad bout of depression and he had to retire from NASA in January. If you tried to reach him via email or FB, he really isn't up to socializing much. We're all hoping and praying that he gets better soon. I'm sure there's part of him that would love to hear from a classmate- he has such great memories of you all. His home number (at Betty Jean's house) is ?(408) 246-1454?.
Her address is:
1241 Runnymede Drive
San Jose, CA 95117
I hope all is well with you and your family. Thanks again for thinking of my father.
Best regards,
Jessica Dugan
6 August 2018
drdugan@aol.com
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Dan Dugan Update
Bernadette, Dan's wife, forwarded me the 55 JUL CheckUP letter.
I am Dan's youngest daughter and am keeping up on paperwork for him. I will see him
later this month and will give him the CheckUP letter . He's not communicating a lot with
his old friends ,unfortunately, but has managed to stay healthy through Covid. I think he
gets sad when he thinks about how many friends he has lost. Once he lost Bob Hinrichs,
he seemed to withdraw from the USMA community.
I just wanted to touch base and let you know he is still kicking around at 91 years old.
Best wishes,
Jessica Dugan
drdugan@aol.com
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