Saturday, July 11, 2026

Name this pilot

 


7 comments:

  1. He looks like a Jim, so I shall call him.....Jim. Ok, his parents erred in choosing Kneel, and everyone went along with it, but I stand resolutely with Jim.

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  2. Neil Armstrong.

    azlibertarian

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    Replies
    1. Google AI tells me....

      "Neil Armstrong's most famous X-15 incident occurred on April 20, 1962, during his sixth flight in the hypersonic rocket plane. While descending from a record altitude of 207,500 feet, he inadvertently held the nose up too long, causing the aircraft to "bounce" off the atmosphere like a skipping stone.

      The miscalculation sent Armstrong and his aircraft rocketing back up to 140,000 feet, causing him to overshoot. Traveling at Mach 3 and out of power, he glided past his intended landing spot at Edwards Air Force Base and wound up over the suburbs of Los Angeles. In the ultra-thin, high-altitude atmosphere, the X-15's aerodynamic controls were initially unresponsive.

      Fortunately, as the aircraft descended into denser air, Armstrong regained control, executed a sweeping 180-degree turn over the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and successfully glided back to a safe landing on the south lake bed at Edwards. The flight lasted 12 minutes and 28 seconds, setting the program records for the longest duration and greatest distance of any X-15 flight..."

      azlibertarian

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  3. I met him twice. Stayed at his house when he was away. His sailboat was all electric which he mostly designed himself. The first thing said to a guest coming aboard was, Don't touch anything.

    In later years he traveled to consult to many countries. His brain was in high demand. Unassuming, fairly humble about it. Kinda a recluse, all business. One cool cat. That he died in a motorcyle accident was no surprise. Many thought it only a matter of when.

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