Archie G. Lane, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy (Ret.) passed away on February 6th, 2026 at the age of 95.

Archie was a Naval Aviator, fighter pilot, test pilot, commercial pilot and private pilot. Married for 68 years to Roberta Lane before her passing in 2020, he is survived by his three children, Diana Kilgore of Mission Viejo, California; David Lane, and Steven Lane with his wife Nancy of Washington, Utah.

Archie achieved his dream, from when he was a small child, of becoming a pilot of the highest excellence. He graduated with an aeronautical engineering degree from Northrop Engineering School in Southern California and spent his career flying and developing many different aircraft. While in the Navy, he was deployed in the first F-4 Phantom Squadron on an aircraft carrier. He was also one of a handful chosen to fly over the nuclear bomb tests in the New Mexico desert. During his career at North American Rockwell in Columbus, Ohio, he became the head of Flight Test Operations and was one of the two, primary test pilots on the OV-10 Bronco, airplane development. Archie also conducted spin tests on the A-5 Vigilante, the largest jet ever flown off an aircraft carrier, among many other projects.

For the past 25 years he enjoyed flying his dream airplane, a 1943 Beechcraft Stagger wing, D17S. Archie and his wife Roberta enjoyed traveling with the airplane for many years following his retirement from Rockwell International in El Segundo, California. Archie worked for Rockwell and raised the family in Columbus Ohio. In 1982, they both moved back to Southern California to live near family.

He was ready to pass and be reunited with his wife and his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

He will be interred at Riverside National Cemetery with military honors.