Bob Gilliland was ‘Papa Bear’ pilot for top-secret Blackbird
Bob Gilliland flew into aviation history in 1964 as the test pilot for the top-secret SR-71 Blackbird. He died Thursday at his home in California at age 93.
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Bob GillilandJane Roberts
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
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