"In 1967, Bob was appointed Chief Test Pilot for Grumman.  Several years later on December 21, 1970,  along with fellow Grumman Test Pilot Bill Miller, he performed the first flight of the F-14A Tomcat.  He holds the distinction, along with Bill Miller, as the first crew to eject from an F-14 on December 30, just a little over a week from its first flight.  Bob was named Director of Flight Test in 1974.  He was also the project pilot for the Gulfstream III, performing its first flight in December 1979."