Philip Oestricher, 84, passed away Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, in Fort Worth. Memorial service: 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 6150 Pershing Ave., Fort Worth 76107. Philip was born Sept. 26, 1931, in Orlando, Fla. He graduated from the University of Florida with B. Eng. (Aeronautical) (1952) and M. Eng. (1953) degrees. Commissioned in the Marine Corps (1954), he completed Basic Officer's School and received pilot training (1955). Designated a naval aviator, he was named the Outstanding Fighter Syllabus Graduate (1956) and flew F9F-8 Cougar and F4D1 Skyray fighters. He retired from active duty following a tour aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, later retiring from reserve duty as lieutenant colonel in command of Marine All Weather Fighter Squadron 112 (1973). He joined Convair/Fort Worth as an aerodynamics engineer on the B-58, NX-2 and RB-57F projects, changing the exterior configuration of the RB-57F. He served as a design safety engineer in the F-111. After transferring to the General Dynamics Flight Department, he graduated from the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School as the Outstanding Student of Class 44 (1966). He flew engineering test flights in the F-111 and became YF-16 project test pilot. He piloted the first YF-16 flight in 1974 and continued experimental and production test flying of YF/F-16 aircraft. He served as Director of Flight Test for 11 years and worked in advanced design on new aircraft concepts. After a last flight in the F-16, he retired in July 1992. A fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, he received the Ivan C. Kincheloe Award for Outstanding Professional Accomplishments in Flight Testing (1978-1979). Phil's hobbies include aviation/military history, model airplanes, motorcycling and music. Survivors: His wife of 63 years, Patricia Ratti Oestricher; daughter, Linda and husband, Brooke Furlet; son, Richard and wife, Kathryn Buelow Oestricher; daughter, Laura; son, John Oestricher and wife, Lisa Ross; granddaughter, Elizabeth Furlet; grandsons, Richard and Joshua Oestricher; great-grandson, Lucas Riley; and siblings, Camille Flankey, Miriam Wagner and Raymond Oestricher.

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Published by Star-Telegram on Jan. 10, 2016.

Memories and Condolences
for Philip Oestricher

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15 Entries

Robert Wetherall

January 4, 2025

On this the 10th anniversary year of his passing, all of us from the General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin family will always treasure our friendship with Phil; his great (and dry!) sense of humor, his professional integrity, and his technical excellence. What he did for all of us; for our careers, our country and our freedoms, can never be paid back. May God bless Phil Oestricher, and be with you , his family, at this very difficult milestone.
Robert Wetherall, F-16XL Association

February 12, 2016

MEMORIES OF PHIL

(Written by his sister Camille and read at his Memorial Service Jan. 30, 2016, Holy Family Catholic Church, Ft. Worth, TX)

First, our thanks go out to all of you who came here today to celebrate Phil's life. Phil was the first of 4 children of our wonderful parents, Albert and Henriette Oestricher, who came to Orlando from the mid-West in 1928. I am Camille Flankey, the second one, and we have 2 younger siblings--Ray, who lives in Pensacola, FL, and Miriam, who resides in Altamonte Springs near Orlando. We were all born at home in the 1930s, and although times were tough then, we didn't realize it, so never felt deprived.

We were very happy and healthy, growing up on a quiet street, with an oversize yard in pre-electronic, pre-theme park Orlando. We had no TV, cell phones or computers--just radios, phonograph, bicycles, bamboo fishing poles, chickens to feed, and our imaginations. We played marbles and board games, especially Monopoly, and enjoyed softball games and badminton in the yard.

We had swing sets that seemed to grow with us and teeter-totters (see-saws) that our Dad made from pipes, chain and lumber. It was a favorite neighborhood gathering place. You seldom find see-saws anymore on playgrounds--probably someone decided they were too dangerous! Following the ice delivery truck to grab slivers of ice to suck on when the truck stopped was a regular occurrence, especially in the hot summers.

Our Dad was a Chiropractor with his office occupying 2 rooms of the house and the front porch which served as the "waiting room." It was our Mom's responsibility to keep us 4 children quiet so as not to disturb the patients. To this day, I don't know how she managed to do that. We must have been escorted to the door to play outside when the noise level reached a certain point.

Phil's interest in airplanes and flying was evident at an early age. When not in school or doing homework, he was rarely seen without one, and always had a model project underway. I spent many an hour winding rubber-band models to triple and quadruple knots, getting them ready to launch. He also taught me how to build them, and I still remember 2 of them especially--a yellow French Moraine Saulner and a silver P something Thunderbolt, both control line models. Whenever a plane flew over the house (which was frequent, as Orlando had 2 military air bases in the '40s and '50s, as well as Sanford Naval Air Station), Phil could identify it immediately by the shape and sound.

Phil was happiest when he had an airplane in one hand and a peanut butter sandwich in the other, but no jelly, please.

So many people just dream of what they want to do, but I am happy that he was able to actually live his dream to be an aviator. When he was in the Marines, especially on sea maneuvers, I said endless prayers that he would come home safely. It wasn't a lack of faith in his abilities, but I did know things happen, and landing on a carrier in rough seas in the middle of the ocean wasn't something I wanted to dwell on.

Phil took me on my first flight ever which was over Orlando--I don't remember the year-- but it was in his Aeronca Champ, a tandem
2-seater, taking off from a grass strip air-field in west Orange County. I was scared out of my wits but he didn't know it.

He was a great brother--kind, generous and considerate, and loved sharing his experiences with us. In recent years he would phone us almost every week if we hadn't talked to him that week. There was usually no news to report--he just wanted to check on our well-being and make sure everything was OK. I do miss those calls.

On December 18, 2015, Phil received his second set of golden wings and flew away to Heaven. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, but love leaves memories no one can steal.

My brother Ray and sister Miriam, who were unable to be here today, join me, together with our families, in extending our deepest condolences to Pat, Linda, Rick, Lauri and John and their families.

Phil's spirit will always be with us, and I look forward to the day we will see him again. In the meantime, rest in peace, dear Phil.

Your loving sister,
Camille

Jan. 23, 2016

Robert Wetherall

February 5, 2016

To the Oestricher family:

All of us from the General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin family are very saddened by the passing of Phil Oestricher. He was a wonderful friend and a tremendous test pilot, making great contributions to many General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin programs. We will always treasure our friendship with Phil; his great (and dry!) sense of humor, his professional integrity, and his technical excellence. The Oestricher family has certainly been blessed having such a wonderful man in your lives! May God Bless you, and be with you, in this very difficult time.

On a personal note, I wanted you to know that Phil was responsible for a seminal moment in the history of aviation, and in the careers of an entire generation of aviation professionals. Phil literally saved the F-16 program during the Lightweight Fighter Competition when he successfully recovered the YF-16 prototype from a potentially devastating incident during that aircraft's testing. It's not often when a single incident can have such an impact on history, but this one truly did. Phil was at the controls of the YF-16 when a planned high speed taxi test did not go as planned, instead resulting in a situation that could have easily destroyed the aircraft and possibly killed Phil. Though the story has oft been told, I wanted to say that Phil's incredible calm and professional handling of the situation, where he chose to take off in order to get the aircraft out of that dangerous situation, rather than eject from the aircraft, worked to save the aircraft and the program. The YF-16 was a very advanced aircraft, so it was not surprising that a primary cause of the incident was an advanced feature of particular interest (and concern!) to the Air Force; its fly-by-wire flight control system, where the pilot controlled the vehicle through a computer that was linked to the control surfaces, rather than by the usual direct mechanical links. The Air Force was very leery of this new technology since it took the pilot out of direct contact with the aircraft control surfaces. If the aircraft had crashed because of this feature, and especially if the pilot were injured or killed, there is every reason to believe the Air Force would have cancelled the program, or awarded it to a competitor. As it turned out, General Dynamics made a minor adjustment to the control system, finished flight testing and won the program, affording an entire generation of engineers the opportunity for a rewarding career, including me. Of course, our nation also benefited by having the tremendous F-16 there to defend the free world, with over 4,500 built to date (and still going!) serving 26 nations. I will never be able to thank Phil enough for his grace under pressure, particularly during this one incident; an incident that he never liked to talk about because it was just part of my job. Those kind of people have a certain special something' that the rest of us mere mortals can only muse about. Some authors have called it The Right Stuff, a term that Phil apparently hated. But this stuff' really exists, and Phil proved it time and again. His actions bring to my mind another notable aviation experience where someone kept their cool under incredible pressure to great effect; when Neil Armstrong was trying to land the Apollo 11 Lunar Module on the moon. With the entire world watching, and a $20 billion dollar program riding on his shoulders, Neil struggled to find a suitable landing spot because the planned spot was filled with boulders. He calmly chose to ignore the computer's warnings, took over, and found a place to land with just over 15 seconds of fuel remaining. This was certainly a seminal moment in history, where the actions of a single individual have proven to be so very important to all of us. The actions of Phil Oestricher on January 20, 1974 while flying the YF-16 prototype were no less significant in the history of this nation's freedom, and in the hopes and aspirations of an entire generation of aerospace professionals and supporters.

May God Bless Phil Oestricher! Our entire nation will miss him.

Robert Wetherall, F-16XL Association

RC Flying

Jeff Kwarsick

January 31, 2016

RC Flying with Friends

Jeff Kwarsick

January 31, 2016

Phil at a promotion party for one of his flight test engineer's - early 80's.

Jeff Kwarsick

January 31, 2016

Phil at an engineer's promotion party - early 80's

Jeff Kwarsick

January 31, 2016

For those who would like to see some of the family and friends who attended Phil's memorial service, paste this link in your browser (ensuring there are no spaces):

https://picasaweb.google.com/110984819659357107578/PhilOestricherSMemorialService?authuser=0&feat=directlink

January 29, 2016

Phil Oestricher was an extraordinary test pilot, a mentor to many, and a good friend who could always be counted on for assistance, support, and a good joke. He was a classic product of the golden age of American aviation. I recall our association with great fondness, and am most saddened to hear of his passing.

Dick Hallion
Shalimar, FL

Marilyn Gabler

January 26, 2016

My husband and I knew Phil when we worked at General Dynamics and I knew his wife, Pat from The Greater Fort Worth Herb Society.

Phil was a true professional and respected by everyone who knew him. May his memory be eternal.

Don Westerheide

January 13, 2016

Phil was the consummate pilot and engineer. A true professional and gentleman. As Directer of F-16 Model Improvements I replied on his extensive knowledge and keen insights. May he rest in peace.

Sarah Garrett

January 12, 2016

My deep condolences and prayers for all of the family. He was a great and knowledgable man whom I admired very much. He was also a great boss! Mr. Oestricher gave me a position in Flight Test at General Dynamics that no other woman held at the time. Under his Direction there was no "glass ceiling". My life was changed significantly because of his faith in my ability to do the job. I will always be thankful for his confidence in me and his kindness. Another one of my heroes.
...I salute you, Phil. Semper Fi and I know you are currently guarding those "streets of gold" with my husband......

Mary Helen Franko

January 11, 2016

Linda, So sorry to hear of the loss of your Father. May you and your family find the peace that passes all understanding.
Mary Helen Franko

Karen Haggard

January 10, 2016

Dear Linda and family, my heartfelt condolences go out to you all. Although, I never had the honor to meet Mr. Oestricher, as I read about his life, I see a man who was rich with a loving family and a man who added much to our world through his contributions in aviation.
I know how difficult it is to lose someone so dear to your hearts, but I hope the memory of him and his life will bring you all some comfort and peace. God bless you all.

January 10, 2016

Pat and Kids, Our Prayers and Condolences are with you all. One of my greatest Blessings was having Phil as a friend. There is no way I can list all the kind things Phil has done for my Family and many others in this note! My Friday mornings will never the same. Of all the fond memories I have of Phil none comes close to the day we shared with Flight " 0 " of the YF- 16. God Bless you all and know what a honor it was to call Phil friend........ Jimmy Hix and Family

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