More than a decade ago, Lt. Cmdr. Lynn ‘Skip’ Carter, U.S.N. Ret., donated his Navy flight suit to the Aviation Museum of N.H. Since then, it’s been displayed on a mannequin guarding the entrance to the museum’s Slusser Aviation Learning Center, still sporting the original “Carter” name patch.
During tours, museum volunteers often use the flight suit to bring their own flying exploits to life. Over the years, thousands of visitors have passed (and sometimes been slightly spooked by) the mannequin exhibiting Carter’s uniform.
This month offers a chance to meet the man who wore the uniform, as Carter will speak about his 24-year military career on Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m. at the Aviation Museum. The presentation, part of the museum’s ‘Exploring Aviation’ series, is open to the public; tickets are $10 per person, Aviation Museum members admitted free.
Carter, a Bedford resident, is a retired U.S. Navy pilot, aeronautical engineer, and commercial airline captain. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968, Carter entered Navy flight training and went on to fly the F-8 Crusader and F-4 Phantom, serving in combat during the Vietnam War and later deploying to the Mediterranean with the Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-102.
He is also a graduate of the Naval Fighter Weapons School—known today as “Top Gun.”
Carter will present a summary of what naval flight training was like and how he came to fly jet fighters, taking the audience through carrier operations during a cycle of takeoffs, airborne experiences, and returning to land aboard the ship.
Throughout his military service, Carter took on a wide range of assignments, from flying combat and VIP missions across the Mediterranean to earning a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
He also taught aerodynamics, managed weapons programs at the Pentagon, and served as part of a composite squadron supporting U.S. operations in Beirut. His final Navy tour brought him back to Monterey, Calif., as an instructor before retiring from active duty.
After a brief foray into the private sector, Carter returned to aviation as a 747 pilot for Atlas Air, flying routes across the globe.
But it was his time stationed in Sicily—where he and his family explored the ruins of ancient Greece and Rome—that sparked the idea to write, which evolved into an entirely new career chapter as an author of historical fiction.
His 500-page debut novel, “Perilous Privilege,” published in 2024, is set far away from the jet age, in third century Rome.
Carter brings his decades of military experience and global perspective to life through his writing, exploring themes of leadership, loyalty, betrayal, and resilience. He lives in Bedford, N.H., with his wife, Pam, and is the proud father of three daughters and one son.
The presentation, part of the museum’s ‘Exploring Aviation’ lecture series, is open to the public. Admission is $10 per person; Aviation Museum members admitted free. Join us at the Aviation Museum of N.H. on Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m., 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry.
For more information, call (603) 669-4877 or email ldearborn@nhahs.org.