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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Robert D. Fielding

George "Bucky" Buccowich emigrated from Slovenia with his parents at the turn of the last century, and his father became an iron miner in Ely, Minnesota. Bucky's first job was in the mine, but he soon became disaffected with the miner's lot. His older brother Peter ("Buck") had made the escape from the mine two years earlier, and in 1930 Buck invited young Bucky to join him at Stearman Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas.

At Stearman he learned the aircraft and engine mechanic's trade. He built wood and fabric biplanes until, in 1935, Buck heeded the call of better opportunities in Southern California. Bucky followed soon after and was hired in production at Lockheed Aircraft Company's Vega Division in Burbank, California in 1936. He continued on at Vega, and in the pre-World War II years, contributed to the development of the Lockheed Hudson and the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

He was acquainted with Howard Hughes, who insisted that Bucky check out his Lodestar aircraft prior to delivery. During the war years, he assisted in the production of Boeing B-17 Plying Fortresses at the Vega plant.

With the absorption of the Vega Division into Lockheed in 1945, Bucky moved to the Engineering Experimental Flight Test Department, and was soon employed as a flight engineer on the following Lockheed aircraft: Constellation commercial airliner, P-2V Neptune naval patrol bomber, P-3 Orion naval patrol bomber and its commercial airliner version Electra, and S-3 Viking naval supply aircraft. He was the Production Manager for the L-1011 commercial jetliner program.

Bucky was most proud of the major role he played in the record-setting endurance flight of the specially modified P2V "Truculent Turtle." Through the years he went on loan from time to time to the Lockheed Advanced Development Project Department ("Skunk Works") where his flight engineer skills were greatly appreciated. Bucky advanced to Foreman and then to Superintendent of the Engineering Flight Test Department, the position he held at the time of his retirement in 1972.

Bucky died nine years later, in 1981, but not before he played a lot of golf. His beloved wife and companion, Garnet (nee Hill) preceded him in death in 1970. His significant contributions to aviation were achieved without the benefits of a college degree, however, he completed many courses in engineering and management in night school. He worked with men who were more than fellow employees, they became personal friends. Ben Rich, who followed Kelly Johnson as director of the Skunk Works, Hal Hibbard and Chuck Yeager were friends of his.