Better late than never

[kallend 2,162]

1960s X-15 Pilots Honored as Astronauts:

Three pioneering pilots of NASA's experimental X-15 rocket plane were officially conferred with civilian astronaut status Wednesday during a special ceremony held at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, California. Retired NASA pilot Bill Dana, along with family members representing deceased pilots John B. McKay and Joseph A Walker, received their long overdue civilian astronaut wings acknowledging their flights above 254,000 feet altitude, or 50 miles.

Dana's first of two flights into space took him 58.13 miles above the Mojave Desert on November 1, 1966. McKay reached 295,600 feet or 55.98 miles on September 28, 1965. Walker's third X-15 flight on August 22, 1963, claimed an unofficial altitude record of 354,200 feet, or 67.08 miles, also the highest flight recorded by the aircraft.

That record stood for nearly 40 years, until October 4, 2004, when Scaled Composites' Brian Binnie piloted SpaceShipOne to 367,442 feet or 69.6 miles altitude to capture the $10 million Ansari X Prize.

The three NASA pilots never received appropriate recognition because only the military had astronaut wings to confer on their pilots at that time.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[lawrocket 3]

In Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff" he reflected the story about Joe Walker being awarded honorary "Asstronaut" wings for his feat.

interesting irony, too - "Bill Dana" was also the name of a comedian who was best known for his impression of Latino astronaut "Jose Jimenez."

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[katiebear21 0]

I clicked on this thread #1 - because it was you, John, #2 - because that's what I always say to my boss!

Seriously, cool.

Katie
Get your PMS glass necklace here

[kallend 2,162]

Quote

I clicked on this thread #1 - because it was you, John, ].

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.