Levity is the lubricant of a crisis. We resort to jokes, pranks and good natured kidding to relieve tension, stress and boredom.
Each test pilot I know considers him, or herself, now that there are women, to be the very best. It’s very demeaning to step down the ladder once in a while.
We spent a lot of time in simulators. We were going to do it right.
Dad went to Canada to learn how to fly with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He took me on my first airplane ride, where I could have a hand on the stick.
Another real problem was over putting our helmets on for re-entry, because we all had severe head colds. They couldn’t come up there and make us. Houston, you have a problem!
I remember seeing war hero Jimmy Doolittle fly a Gee Bee racer there. He was my childhood hero. Many years later, I was lucky enough to go hunting with him.
I had always wanted to go to the Navy. As a young kid, I was intrigued by a Naval Officer with the beautiful brown shoes and sharp gold wings.
When a test pilot comes off a flight, there is typically another pilot who is going to take it up, and he believes in the debriefing. You don’t keep something to yourself.
Apollo was a big, unwieldy vehicle. I had a problem with the flight controllers over that. It would try to fare its way like an airplane.
He who commands an Apollo flight will not command a second one.
Kids today don’t want to get married. Too many of their friends have been married and divorced already. They just don’t believe in it.
I don’t think the space station will ever do anything for exploration. Putting people up there for a year or more is the only way you will get anywhere near the exploration concept.
A little levity is appropriate in a dangerous trade.
I don’t go along with going to Moon first to build a launch pad to go to Mars. We should go to Mars from Earth orbit. We have already been to the Moon; we’ve already practiced.
I was told having a website would help me. I have yet to figure out why my life story needs to be on the web.
I’ve always thought space station is a great name. It should be like a gas station where we go for service and supplies before heading further out.
John Glenn craved the publicity. I think even John would admit that. When he went into politics, that became pretty obvious! He knew how to do public relations.
Some of the wives didn’t keep up with the program. It started breaking apart during the Apollo days.
I left Earth three times and found no other place to go. Please take care of Spaceship Earth.
I played English football – soccer – instead of American football, because we couldn’t afford the equipment.