Game of Drones

Rich Martindell received his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officers Training (AFROTC) program at the University of Arizona. After pilot training, he flew the F-4E on 232 combat missions in North and South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. He then moved to Spangdahlem, Germany, to sit fifteen-minute nuclear alert in the F-4D during the Cold War. Following a tour as an exercise planner on the Red Flag Staff at Nellis AFB, Nevada, he transitioned to the F-15A as a flight instructor at Luke AFB, Arizona. Rich then returned to Germany to sit five-minute air defense alert in the F-15C at Bitburg Air Base before the collapse of the Soviet Union and the reunification of Germany. He then moved to Deccimomannu Air Base, Italy, as the deputy commander of American flight operations, along with counterparts from Germany, Great Britain, and Italy. After retiring from the Air Force, Rich worked as the chief test pilot and test director for the F-15E flight simulator program for Hughes Aircraft, Raytheon Corporation, and L-3 Communications back at Luke AFB, Arizona. After moving to San Diego, he found an opportunity to work for General Atomics flying the MQ-9.