Where Are They Now?Please feel free to post contact information here if you are looking for long lost friends or trying to find out what has happened to colleagues. Obituaries and condolences can be posted here too.
I have the unique pleasure of meeting shaking hands and my picture taken with Neil Armstrong
He arrived at Manchester in a 5 Ship Eaton Corp Learjet aircraft in the mid seventies at Northern Exec on the southside I remenmber the day to this day
5 Lear 35 s arrriving one behind each other from Luton all came to south side and departed some 3 later to Prestwick (I Think) they came to Manchester with the 10 eaton Board members who could only travel in twos Hence 5 Learjets to visit the Eaton Facility at Bolton which had recently openend
Regretfully I cant find the Pics as at the time we were asked to keep it Low Profile
The private service for Mr. Armstrong was held today at Camargo Club in the Cincinnati suburb of Indian Hill. Many of Armstrong's NASA colleagues were present.
A quartet of F/A-18s from NAS Oceana (VA) flew the Missing Man formation in tribute to the former Naval Aviator.
So, the first human to set foot on another heavenly body is dead. How do you top the singular point in history to be that person? How does one become more honoured and respected? Mr Armstrong topped that with ease. He conducted his life with dignity and humility from that moment on. He was firstly one of the finest to have taken on the space missions, not just Apollo, but after that, his conduct made him twice the hero he already was.
I never realised the Bedstead had an ejection seat - but makes sense really
Just for the record the vehicle Neil Armstrong ejected from wasn't the "Bedstead" that was used in the early days of VTOL work in the UK. NASA built a couple of VTOL platforms for research and astronaut training, the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) and the Lunar Landing Training vehicle (LLTV)..they were somewhat unforgiving and Armstrong wasn't the only ejectee.
A 1964 photo shows the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV), affectionately dubbed the "flying bedstead" in flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA used the LLRV to simulate the Apollo lunar landings. Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong had a close call in one of these machines in 1968, ejecting safely just seconds before a crash.
I watched most of the TV coverage of the Remembrance Service for Neil Arrmstrong held at Washington National Cathedral. The tributes were very moving but to me none more powerful (and in particular the last sentence) than those given by Eugene Cernan :
"Neil, wherever you are up there, almost half a century later, you have now shown once again the pathway to the stars. It's now for you a new beginning, but for us, I will promise you it is not the end. And as you soar through the heavens beyond where even eagles dare to go, you can finally put out your hand and touch the face of God"
