Thomas L. Darner

Colonel Thomas Lyman “Torch” Darner, USAF (Ret) (M) took his last flight on 19 July 2024. He was 71 years old.

Tom’s father was a career Air Force bomber pilot who flew twenty-five WWII B-17 mission with the 398th Bomb Group. Tom followed in his father’s aviation legacy. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and then Michigan State University where he graduated in 1976 with a Master of Science Degree in Metallurgy. Tom then traveled to Columbus AFB, MS where he completed Undergraduate Pilot Training and received his coveted USAF Pilot wings in 1977. He operationally flew T-33 and F- 106s for Air Defense Command at Griffiss AFB, NY. It was during this time that he acquired his call sign, “Torch,” successfully performing a harrowing engine out landing from 15,000 feet in an F-106B, with the Brigadier General commander of the 21st NORAD Region and the 21st Air Division on-board, no less.

From July 1983 to June 1984, he attended the world’s premier Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, CA where he graduated as a member of Class 83B. He was then assigned to the Test Operations Squadron at Edwards AFB. As an A-10 test pilot, he flew in the GAU-8, 30mm round Nitramine low-residue propellant replacement program, where his efforts were instrumental in convincing leadership to NOT buy the round. Additionally, he accomplished A-10 Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) testing, where he helped develop a mission sensitive algorithm using radar altimeter inputs to compute and announce safe aircraft ground recovery altitudes. This GPWS testing was one of the first of its kind accomplished on any USAF operational fighter/attack platform. As A-10 testing wound down, Tom was soon “promoted” to the F-16 Combined Test Force. His test efforts included F-16 LANTIRN Pod performance and turbulence testing, F-16C/D engine bay loads testing, and F-16 C/D PW-F100-220 propulsion testing. He was also assigned as project test pilot for the Israeli “Peace Marble III” program. In Tom’s words, the most memorable and treasured highlight of his aviation career was delivering a brand-new production Peach Marble III jet to Israel. He left the [then] General Dynamics plant at Fort Worth, TX, flew eight hours to the Azores with four wingmen and a tanker, and continued across the Med to Israeli airspace where the flight was intercepted by Israeli F-16 escorts who provided navigation and protection all the way to a 450-knot initial to landing.

In 1987, Tom attended the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, VA and then served a one- year tour on the CJ-5 staff of the Combined Forces Command, Seoul, South Korea. In 1989, he was selected as program director and project test pilot for the F-117 Combined Test Force where he worked tirelessly on a variety of national importance classified test programs. Tom’s work was instrumental in maturing the capabilities essential to the “black jet’s” operational unveiling.

Tom then attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1995 and completed his 26-year Air Force career in Washington, DC with assignments at the National Reconnaissance Office and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. He retired from Active Duty on 30 September 2001.

Following military retirement, he was a Senior Principal Engineer at The MITRE Corporation and was involved in myriad military R&D programs.

But Tom’s greatest accomplishments were not in his professional career, but in the fierce dedication he provided to his wife, Patty, and their five children in their often-challenging collective life journey. He always knew what was most important. As Patty recounted after his passing, “Tom was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia with Parkinsons in December 2020. All dementias are miserable, but for those familiar with Lewy Body, it normally brings a horrific death. Our prayers were answered when Tom passed peacefully from Life to Life. I cherish the closeness I shared with Tom throughout this difficult journey. Being at Tom's side during his last few hours was sweetly sacred. In the face of this dreadful disease, Tom was completely serene. Per John 14:6, each one of us is invited to have peace that goes beyond all understanding. Our free will is respected, so choose wisely!”

Perry Lamy and Kevin Burns  |  July 2024

 

 

From Kevin Burns:

I wanted to pass on that my wife and I received word from Patty Darner late last night (19 July 2024) that our classmate, Tom, CS-23 I think, died yesterday in Pompano Beach, Florida, where they currently live. My wife and I knew Tom and Patty pretty well due to our shared test pilot assignments, including that of TPS Class 83B.  

Tom had been experiencing a progressively debilitating series of medical challenges over the past 10 years or so. I have no additional details about services for him.

Please keep Patty and her family in your thoughts and prayers.  Patty’s mailing address is 1101 South Riverside Drive, #102, Pompano Beach, Florida, 33062. 

 

 

 
 

Photographs and Memories
 
   
   
   

This is a video of Tom and me. It wasn't easy to assist Tom from bed this past week. As I lifted, I would tell him to hug me like he used to do during High School dances when the nuns would try to separate us a bit during the slow tunes. Tom giggled and held me tight. Once upright, Tom danced with me to strengthen his legs for movement while we sang, "I Want To Hold Your Hand". So, this video holds a special place in my heart.

– Patty Gifune Darner
 

A Photo Tribute By Perry Lamy

C/4C Don Thomas, Joe Stein, & Tom Darner at Base Ops waiting to load on C-141 for airlift back to Pete Field and USAFA. Eighth Squadron sponsor trip to Norton AFB. The Airlift Wing was our USAFA sponsor and they flew us to Southern California for the weekend during the Fall 1971. We attended a Dining In, visited Disneyland, and received a tour of the Wing. (1971)
 

Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, Class 83B class prank for the senior TPS Class 83A while they were on their field trip. It was a tradition that the junior class would “decorate” the senior’s classroom while they were away on their field trip. We elected to fill their room with crushed newspapers. It took a lot more than we thought! Class 83B had four ’75 Best Alive classmates: Tom Darner, Kevin Burns, Dan McCorry, and Perry Lamy. (1983)
 

The O’Club in mid-December 1983 during Christmas time. The formal was the graduation dinner and ball for Test Pilot School Class 83A (our senior class). The junior class sat together at the back of the room and tried to stay behaved through the evening. All the guys and their wives were dressed in their best. Our class, 83B, was halfway through the curriculum and ready to assume the designation as Seniors. Despite the grueling course, it was a night off from the studying and flight preparation to enjoy an evening at the O’Club.
 

Visit to Eglin AFB by Test Pilot School Class 83B in Spring 1984. Our trip was two weeks long and included a visit to Rio de Jannero and the Brazilian Air Force Flight Test Center along with stops at Wright-Pat, Pawtuxet River (Navy Flight Test Center), McDonnell-Douglas, and other defense contractors. Shown in this photo is the USAFA Class of 75 members of Class 83B and three of the four Eglin based test pilots from the Class of 75. (L to R: Perry Lamy, Kevin Burns, Tom Darner, Dan McCorry, Brian Duffy (MIA), Mike McClendon, Steve Pitotti, and Steve Keith).
 

Another tradition at the Test Pilot School was celebrating 100 days left to go in the course and another reason for a party. The class had a margarita party at one of the homes in base housing. In those days, all TPS students lived on the same street in base housing, Sharon Drive. At the end of the street was a sign which listed the “days till graduation”. The house next to the sign had responsibility for the numbers. The party culminated at midnight with the posting of the number “99”. Some of the class wanted to dress in Togas, so here is Tom Darner’s version of his toga. Tom looks pretty happy and I suspect this was well into the evening. (1984)
 

Visit to Camp Boniface, DMZ, South Korea. Tom Darner and Perry Lamy were joint staff officers on the Combined Forces Command Headquarters’ staff stationed at Yongsan Army Base in Seoul, Korea. Tom was a plans officer with the J-5 and Perry was an air operations officer with the J-3. Periodically, there were trips to the DMZ which was less than 20 miles north of Seoul for new staff officers and Tom and Perry took the occasion to make the tour. Both Tom and Perry had just completed Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia which required graduates to serve an assignment in a joint job. (1988)
 

Darner Family Christmas 1989. Tom, Patty, and children. I suspect this was at their home in Las Vegas as Tom was assigned to the F-117 Combined Test Force as a project test pilot. (This tour followed his short tour in Seoul, Korea, 1988-1989).
 

Arlington National Cemetery