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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Norman was born in 1932 in St. Louis, MO of parents Werner H. and Helen Rosalie Moentmann. He had two siblings: sister Judith Lee born 1934 and brother Gerald Frederick born 1940.
Young Norman's family lived in Webster Groves, MO for a few years before moving to Louisville, KY where he attended the local schools. The family moved again to Long Island, NY where Norman graduated from Port Washington High School in 1950. Norman attended the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), graduating in 1956 with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering and a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force (USAF).
Norman completed USAF pilot training in 1958 and served as a B-47 Stratojet bomber pilot in the Strategic Ait Command (SAC) at Hunter AFB, Savannah, GA until 1962. He later flew many different types of aircraft as a weapons development test pilot at Eglin AFB, FL until 1968. Norman also had several civilian engineering jobs: He worked as a design engineer in jet engine development for Pratt and Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford, CT and as a design engineer of power woodworking tools for DeWalt, Inc. in Lancaster, PA.
After leaving the Air Force in 1968, he attended the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) at Edwards AFB, CA as a civilian sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He graduated in 1969 and was therefore employed as an Engineering Test Pilot in certification flight testing of many different types of civilian aircraft until he retired from the FAA in 1988. Norman was a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots during this time.
In addition to his military (USAF) Senior Pilot rating, Norman held a civilian (FAA) Airline Transport Pilot Certificate with Airplane Multiengine Land Type Ratings in the Boeing 727, Convair 240/340/440, Lockhead LT-33, Lockhead L-1011, Lear Jet, North American B-25, and Rockwell NA-265 Sabreliner; Airplane Single Engine Land and Sea, Glider, and Turbojet Flight Engineer.
Norman married Ruth Mary in 1954 in the Methodist Church across the street from her parent's home in Frackville, Pa. They adopted daughter Sherrie Lee in 1959 and Ruth gave birth to sons: Norman Glenn in 1961 and Kruger Douglas in 1965. Their children were the delight of their lives. Ruth worked while Norman studied at Penn State - and was his faithful, willing, and able wife and steadfast partner for the fifty-seven years they were married.
Ruth passed away in 2011 and the family misses her dearly. Son Norman Glenn married Jennifer Anne in 1985 and they have two children - Melissa Anne and Steven Andrew.
Norman is very appreciative of this opportunity to have his family name inscribed on the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Wall of Honor, and to provide this profile of his aviation career.
Sincerely,
Norman W. Moentmann