Kurt Olney - YO-3A Historian resume
Professional Summary
Dedicated aviation professional and historian with over 50 years of experience with the Lockheed YO-3A Quiet Star, the first production stealth aircraft. Served as a crew chief during the Vietnam War, maintaining YO-3A (serial 69-18007) for critical reconnaissance missions. Co-Founded the Quiet Aircraft Association to preserve the aircraft’s legacy, serving as webmaster and lead historian. Spearheaded efforts to locate, restore, and archive YO-3A materials, collaborating with museums and aviation communities to share its story with the public.
Professional Experience
Crew Chief, Lockheed YO-3A Quiet Star, U.S. Army
Fort Ord, CA, and Long Thanh North, Vietnam | April 1970 – May 1971
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Completed specialized training as a Reciprocating Engine Repairman (68C20) at Fort Eustis, VA, in April 1970.
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Underwent eight weeks of intensive training at Fort Ord, CA, on YO-3A maintenance, focusing on the planes unique maintenace demands and its stealth capability.
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Deployed to Vietnam in June 1970 with nine YO-3A aircraft, assigned as crew chief for YO-3A (serial 69-18007) at Long Thanh North, 73rd Reconnaissance Aviation Company (RAC).
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Maintained aircraft in challenging conditions, ensuring mission readiness for silent night reconnaissance missions, including flights as low as 200 feet.
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Supported detachment operations with the 220th RAC at Phu Bai for six months before returning to Long Thanh North.
Webmaster/Historian, Quiet Aircraft AssociationVista, CA | 2004 – Present
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Co-founded the Quiet Aircraft Association with Lockheed avionics engineer Dale Ross Stiff to preserve the history of the YO-3A and its prototype, the Q-Star.
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Developed and maintained yo-3a.com, digitizing and sharing photographs, documents, and stories about the aircraft’s development and combat operations.
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Organized annual reunions starting in 2004, connecting Lockheed engineers, Army personnel, and aviation enthusiasts to document the YO-3A’s legacy.
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Led efforts to locate and archive YO-3A-related materials, ensuring accessibility for researchers and the public while continuing to gather new documents.
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Collaborated with museums to promote the YO-3A’s historical significance as the first production stealth aircraft with advanced night vision capabilities.
Volunteer and Restoration Consultant, YO-3A Aircraft Preservation Various Locations | 1998 – Present
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Rediscovered YO-3A (serial 69-18007) at the Western Museum of Flight in 1998, verifying personal connection through logbook records and engaging with museum staff.
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Contributed to the restoration of YO-3A (serial 69-18007) with the Commemorative Air Force, 3rd Pursuit Squadron, in Cable, CA, in 2000, providing historical documentation and technical insights.
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Supported restoration efforts for YO-3A aircraft at multiple institutions:
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Serial 69-18005 at the Boeing Museum of Flight.
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Serial 69-18006 at the Pima Air & Space Museum.
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Serial 69-18010, facilitating its transfer from NASA to the Vietnam Helicopter Museum for public flight demonstrations.
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Advised on acoustic stealth demonstrations to educate the public about the YO-3A’s role in aviation history.
Education and Training
Reciprocating Engine Repairman (68C20)
U.S. Army, Fort Eustis, VA | Completed April 1970
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Specialized training in aircraft engine maintenance and repair.
YO-3A Maintenance Training Fort Ord, CA | April 1970 – June 1970
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Eight-week program focused on the maintenance of the Lockheed YO-3A, emphasizing acoustic stealth and night vision systems.
Key Achievements
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Co-Established the Quiet Aircraft Association, creating a lasting platform for YO-3A history preservation.
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Successfully digitized and archived extensive YO-3A documentation, making it accessible via yo-3a.com.
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Played a pivotal role in restoring multiple YO-3A aircraft, ensuring their preservation in major aviation museums.
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Organized reunions to connect YO-3A stakeholders, fostering collaboration between military and civilian contributors.
Kurt Olney's YO-YO (YO-3A) Blog
Grok AI said I needed to do this to help with the credibility of this YO-3A Historical Website. Sounded fun, so here it is.

Restore a YO-3A to Flight
As of 7/1/2025, three YO-3As could be made flyable: 69-18003 (Osborne Miami, Fla) 69-18007 (Western Museum of Flight, Torrance, Ca) and 69-18010 (Vietnam Helicopter Museum, Concord, Ca.) This is an overview of the current condition of those airplanes
FLY ME!
YO-3A 69-18010 Concord California
Vietnam Helicopters Museum, Concord California acquired 18010 in flying condition. In addition to the airplane they have an extensive inventroy of parts acquired from the Seattle Museum of flight after their 69-18005 restoration. The plane, in addition to all of its manuals, full set of engineer drawings, also got an FAA experimental rating for the airplnae. VHM is looking for an individual or group that will take the airplane on loan with all the parts, hanger the airplane and finish maintenance to fly it in airshows and for the public. Contact, Mike Haus, Equipco, Concord California. 1-888-234-5678
In 2006, Nasa crewchiefs, Monty Hodges and Randy Hobbs did an engine rebuild on the NASA Airplane (formerly 69-18010) At the time we were in the process of restoring YO-3A 69-18007--on loan to the 3rd Pursuit squadron, Upton California.) Monty and Randy carefully documented their rebuild. The following PDF has those images.