Episode 16 -- Ed Fendell

Jerry Bostick wasn't able to join Rick for this week's episode of the podcast, so we're going into the archives for a look back at Rick's first interview with Ed Fendell for the book, Go, Flight: The Unsung Heroes of Mission Control. It didn't take long for Rick to figure out that Ed is certainly one of a kind.

SHOW NOTES:

*Ed freely admits that he wasn't interested in school and was basically floundering through life until he joined the United States Air Force, where an aptitude test showed his true level of intelligence.

*Mission simulations were tough, but the post-sim debriefs could be even tougher. And then came the post-flight parties!

*Ed tells the story of his "fake" heart attack ... and his undying respect for Chris Kraft.

*Let's just say that Mr. Fendell was not a fan of the Assistant Flight Director's job.

*Ed and Gene Kranz shared, shall we say, a unique relationship.

*Apollo 11 was certain to land, isn't that right, Ed?

*Mission control wasn't exactly the healthiest place to work once upon a time, especially during the Apollo 13 crisis.

*Ed breaks it to a new lady friend that he's got to go to work.

*Ed became Captain Video with a controllable camera that Chris Kraft demanded during a now-infamous meeting.

*What did working in the historic third-floor MOCR mean to Ed Fendell?

NOTE: We'll be taking a break for the Christmas and New Year's holidays, and will return with the next episode Wednesday, January 10.

Episode 15 -- Jerry Bostick

Rick is joined by Jerry Bostick, whose legendary NASA career spanned literally from the Mercury to Space Shuttle eras. Best known as the chief of the Flight Dynamics Branch – otherwise known as The Trench – Jerry played a crucial role in the research and writing phases of the book Go, Flight, and he also stars in the documentary film Mission Control.

 SHOW NOTES:

*Jerry gives an update on the broken hip he suffered recently. He’s progressing very nicely, thank you very much.

*He says he’s being a good patient … but asking the doctors a lot of questions.

*In a great moment, Jerry lets his daughter Kristi know just how much he appreciates the help she’s been during his recovery.

*Given the results of an aptitude test he took in school, Jerry could've joined his father in the funeral home business or become an engineer. The story gets laughs in virtually every single public showing of the Mission Control film.

*A couple once stopped Jerry and asked for directions, and as he watched them drive off, the young man couldn't help but marvel at their beautiful car and wonder where they might be going.

*Jerry's own path was headed for Washington DC, and stints as a page and doorman in the US House of Representatives.

*There's a photo of a young Jerry with Richard Nixon in the Mission Control film. Here's the story behind that amazing shot.

*How about a new contest ... how many times during an episode will Rick begin a question with the word "Now ...?" And that's just the times he doesn't edit out.

*A chance meeting with Chris Kraft changes the course of Jerry's career ... and life.

*Jerry begins work in the brand-new world of mission control, and relies on a strong work ethic and sense of honesty in order to survive early in his career.

*The people who made mistakes during simulations and then tried to talk their way out of it were the ones who didn't last very long. Chris Kraft saw to that.

*Chris Kraft's motto? To err is human ... but it's against my policy.

*Along with Kraft, Jerry also considers Glynn Lunney an early mentor.

*When Mercury Retro controller Carl Huss had a non-life-threatening heart attack, Jerry stepped into the void. It was another moment that changed his career.

*Alan Shepard might've been the Icy Commander to some ... and maybe even Jerry, if the truth be known ... but he didn't let it show during an infamous incident leading up to the flight of Gemini 3. it leads to what Jerry calls a "rocky relationship" between the two NASA legends, until they patched things up during training for the flight of Apollo 14.

*During Gemini, Jerry becomes a FIDO ... essentially the quarterback of the Flight Dynamics Branch. The move required him to switched divisions, from Mission Planning to Flight Control, not to mention an on-the-spot decision by Kraft.

*The Trench ... they were a proud bunch.

*Jerry was one of the three people first called to Chris Kraft's office to be informed of the momentous plans for Apollo 8. Over a single weekend, he shook off his initial incredulity to figure out that it could be done from a flight dynamics standpoint.

*Jerry calls the Christmas Eve Genesis reading one of the most emotional experiences of his life, and from the tone of his voice, it's clear that he's not exaggerating.

NOTE: Jerry will return in the next episode to discuss Apollo 11 ... Apollo 13 ... the other Apollo 13 ... and more! 

Episode 14 -- Bill Moon

From the Jim Crow-era Mississippi Delta to the EECOM console in the MOCR, Bill Moon brings his amazing story to this episode of the podcast.

SHOW NOTES:

*Bill's dad immigrated from China to California, where he picked fruit and worked as a cook in the mines before settling in Mississippi.

*At just 10 years old, Bill was working long hours in his family's store. He also helped out at a neighboring shop, where he was paid the princely sum of $5 a day. At such a young age, he was entrusted to take deposits of thousands of dollars to the bank.

*Bill did learn to work the system, and traded box tops from his family's store for bicycles, BB guns and roller skates!

*Although he grew up in the darkest days of the late 1950s Jim Crow era in Mississippi, Bill says he never experienced any overt racism.

*Bill's acceptance continues at Mississippi State, where he is a charter member of the school's Acacia social fraternity.

*After going to work for McDonnell Aircraft out of college, Bill goes to Houston to visit his brother and submits another application to NASA. This time, he accepts the offer he receives.

*The tracking ship Bill is on stays out at sea so long following the Gemini 8 crisis that it runs out of food, and the crew is forced to throw fishing lines over the side. The ship then overshoots its port by a couple of hours.

*The evolution of Bill's career takes him back to Houston, where he first works in the Staff Support Room before training "side saddle" to EECOM Sy Liebergot during the flight of Apollo 14.

*Bill gets his chance to shine as lead EECOM during the final two lunar landings, Apollos 16 and 17. Yet while Bill might have been the lead EECOM, it was John Aaron who worked the launches. Wonder why?!?

*Where Bill learned from John Aaron and Sy Liebergot, he was able to return the favor and serve as a mentor to others later on in his career, including none other than Go, Flight co-author Milt Heflin.

*As Bill transitioned into management, he did miss operations in the front room.

*Although Bill was the first minority to work in the MOCR, it's not something upon which he dwelt or took advantage of.

*Bill says he's not a very humble guy, when in fact, he is.

*Bill discusses his work as president of the Apollo Flight Operations Association.

Episode 13 -- Mark Craig

Mark Craig, director of the extraordinary documentary film The Last Man on the Moon, joins us for a great conversation about his career and the legendary Gene Cernan.

*This is our first truly international episode, as Mark joins us from his home in England!

*A British kid who loved James Bond films? Who would've ever guessed?

*He drew all the time as a child, and once he graduated from art college, he eventually specialized in motion graphics for BBC 4. That turned into directing small live-action pieces, and he was on his way.

*Born in 1959, he got caught up in the space program like so many other children of the time.

*One night, his father took him into the garden, pointed at the moon and told him that two men were walking on its surface. Little did Mark know that he would meet several moonwalkers, and get to know one particularly well.

*Mark discusses his interest in Formula 1 racing, and how documentaries on drivers Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Jim Clark helped pave the way for Last Man on the Moon with Mark Stewart Productions.

*Mark isn't quite up to speed on NASCAR ... yet.

*The first contact between Mark Craig and Mark Stewart was a literally a cold call, Craig contacting Stewart and introducing himself, basically looking for a job. What's the worst that Stewart could've said? No?

*Before Mark had finished Gene Cernan's book, he'd emailed the publisher to get in touch with the former astronaut in an attempt to get the ball rolling on a documentary. They met for the first time in London just a couple of months later, in the summer of 2007.

*It was that December, when Mark met some of Gene's friends and family in Washington DC, that he began to understand who the former astronaut was later in life.

*Gene's ex-wife Barbara, daughter Tracy and longtime friend Fred Baldwin add amazing life and perspective to the film, and that's just the way Mark wanted it.

*Suggestion Number One for working with Gene Cernan? Be on time!

*Mark had NEVER met a moonwalker as the elevator doors slid open at the appointed meeting time with Gene ... and there stood Gene AND Alan Bean!

*Gene Cernan and sound engineer Crispin Larratt, a match made in Heaven ... or not!

*The amount of time Mark spent with Gene ... and the memories Gene shared ... allowed the director to get to know his subject quite well, and better than many of his other projects.

*David Fairhead edits Last Man on the Moon before going on to direct Mission Control, and he and Mark experience some tough give-and-take moments in determining the film's final cut.

*Mark's toughest cut from the film ...

*Mark's reactions to the first public viewings of Last Man on the Moon were more of a professional sort, rather than emotional.

NOTE: Thanksgiving is next week in the United States, so there will be no new episode of Go, Flight: The Podcast, but we shall return the week after!

Episode 12 -- John Aaron

Legend is a word that gets tossed around pretty freely sometimes, but even that doesn't seem to do justice to this week's guest. John Aaron is widely considered to be one of mission control's most capable flight controllers ever, and for good reason. You probably know about SCE to Aux and the power-up procedures on Apollo 13, but there's so much more to this wonderful person. In this week's very special program, Patreon supporters took care of submitting each and every question for John!

SHOW NOTES:

*John Aaron ALWAYS felt the need to learn, even after he was a NASA veteran. Simulations, after all, kept him and many others humble. He considered it his job to come up with answers when trouble struck.

*The SCE to Aux story, in John's own words.

*It takes a question from fellow NASA legend Chris Kraft at John's retirement party for the momentous events of the Apollo 12 launch to really sink in.

*Do we go to the moon or Mars next?

*What would John consider to be his proudest moments at NASA? Here's a hint ... strangely enough, NONE of them involve being the star of Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo!

*How did John figure out what took priority when coming up with Apollo 13's power-up procedures?

*Jack Swigert gets it right, even in the worst of conditions.

*John Aaron's favorite job at NASA? EECOM. Any surprise there?

*If Apollo 9 had experienced an explosion on one of its oxygen tanks, would it have been in more trouble than Apollo 13 due to its sometimes spotty communications? Maybe ... maybe not.

*If Gerry Griffin was "this close" to calling an abort during the launch of Apollo 12, did such a thing ever enter into John's thinking? Noooooooooooooooooo.

*After Rick gets thrown under the bus by HIS fitness coach, John talks about some of the mentors he's had over the years at NASA.

*As hard as it is to believe, John was in awe of his surroundings when he first joined NASA and nearly left the agency. His parents ... and his wife ... convinced him to stay put. He credits them with changing the course of his life.

*John calls wife Cheryl his career and moral compass.

*John discusses teamwork and collaboration with his good friend Jim Kelly, and others within the control team.

*The pros and cons of pinto beans versus Boston baked beans, John Aaron and Arnie Aldrich style.

*Here's an idea. How about Patreon supporters start paying by the number of times I start a question or comment with the word "Now"? Trust me, for every one that makes it into the podcast, five get edited out. I'd be RICH!

*John Aaron goes through his problem-solving methodology in general, and has some comments on the first few moments of the Apollo 13 crisis in particular that you DO NOT want to miss.

*We said goodbye to Dick Gordon ...

*Be sure and stick around until the very end for a special treat.

Episode 11 -- Les Hanks

In this episode, host Rick Houston sits down for a chat with longtime friend Les Hanks, who served for many years as a quality control inspector, technician and industrial engineering and safety engineer on the Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After an absence of a few years, Les is back at KSC and working on the Space Launch System program.

SHOW NOTES:

*Rick and Les first met when Rick accompanied Busch Series driver Ashton Lewis on a tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility. Ashton got to go in the Shuttle and visit the flight deck. Rick got to stick his head in the hatch and see the Waste Containment System ... the potty.

Ashton Lewis, about to head into the Space Shuttle. Photo by a very disappointed Rick Houston!

*After serving as an F-16 crew chief in the United States Air Force, Les planned to go to work for one of the major airlines. An on-the-spot offer to work on the Shuttle, however, changed the course of his career.

*Les describes the exquisite attention to detail Shuttle technicians gave to their work, and how it all paid off on launch day.

*Although he might have been assigned to a particular Orbiter Processing Facility, Les' work in all reality was spread across each facility and all of the vehicles in the Shuttle fleet.

*The astronauts who flew on board the machines Les and his co-workers labored on made it a point to thank the Shuttle workforce for their expertise. After all, it was their lives on the line if something went wrong.

*Les remembers where he was and what he was doing February 1, 2003 -- the day Columbia went down.

*After the tragedy, Les copes with the emotions of the accident and the uncertainties of the program itself while serving on the reconstruction team at the Cape.

*Forced into a decision to leave the Shuttle workforce by the looming end of the program, Les takes a job with Siemens Wind Power. He describes the melancholy feeling of leaving KSC for the last time, and stopping to take a picture of the Vehicle Assembly Building in his rear-view mirror.

*After working with aircraft in the Air Force and, of course, the Space Shuttle for so long, the new job turned out to be quite an adjustment for Les.

*Les' story does not end there, however. Earlier this year, he returned to work at Kennedy Space Center on the Space Launch System program and once again sees the VAB through the windshield of his car ... instead of the rear-view mirror.

*Les gives his take on the relationship between NASA and companies like Space X.

*The rebirth of the Space Coast ...

Episode 10 -- Jerry Ross

For this very special episode, members of the awesome Facebook group Space Hipsters submitted their questions for astronaut Jerry Ross.

Jerry co-owns the record for most spaceflights in human history, with seven to his credit. Officially, Jerry recorded an incredible 58 hours, 18 minutes of spacewalking time over the course of nine EVAs ... that are on the record.

More importantly, however, Jerry is a good and decent a person. He's become a good friend over the years, and I'm quite thankful that he agreed to sit down for this interview.

SHOW NOTES:

*Jerry and his wife Karen missed damage to their home during Hurricane Harvey, but many of their neighbors weren't so fortunate.

*A veteran of several mission trips with his church, Jerry pitched in to help with recovery from Harvey before going on an extended trip in Europe.

*The outpouring of assistance in Texas and Florida in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma reminded Jerry of the help NASA received following the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia.

*Jerry remembers the very tentative start between the American and Russian space programs, and how both parties put aside their differences.

*Jerry talks about why he entered the astronaut program as a mission specialist and not as a pilot.

*Although he hasn't made use of it in quite some time, Jerry does hold a private pilot's license. Time and money kept him from flying privately during his time as an astronaut.

*Jerry discusses Tinker Toys in Space -- the EASE/ACCESS experiment -- on STS-61B. It's a precursor to construction methods on the International Space Station.

*At one point, STS-61B was slated to fly in the ill-fated Challenger slot.

*The flight is also Jerry's first, and as he exited the airlock to begin his first spacewalk, he forced himself not to let out a yell of excitement.

*Jerry grew up with the space race between the United States and Soviet Union, and he kept extensive scrapbooks along the way. That led him to learn about Purdue University in his homestate of Indiana, and in the fourth grade, he decided that he was going to attend the school and become an engineer. The goal of becoming an astronaut evolved over time. 

*Which spacewalk was his most fulfilling? EVERY spacewalk was fulfilling!

*When you go outside at night and see the International Space Station pass by overhead, just remember … Jerry Ross was a part of its very first assembly mission.

*Jerry gives some advice to Ham radio operators hoping to get in touch with the ISS.

*Jerry discusses his time in the air force, and the work he did as an engineer in flight tests of everything from the T-33 to B-1 bomber.

*Houston’s mission control team was always in charge during Jerry’s classified Department of Defense STS-27 flight. There were, however, a team of air force flight controllers being trained for launches that were scheduled to take place out of Vandenburg.

*For years, rumors have persisted that Jerry did an EVA during the flight of STS-27 to repair the military satellite that had been deployed, yet the information remains classified. He filed a Freedom of Information Act request when working on his book, which was denied.

*During the launch of STS-27, Atlantis sustained damage to more than 700 tiles ... and the crew knew about at least some of it. Hear Jerry give his harrowing account of his return to Earth ... and what might have been.

 

Episode 9 -- John Llewellyn, Part 3

SHOW NOTES:

*Although Glynn Lunney is still conducting the interview, he is on the phone with John and his voice is not heard in this episode.

*Because of John's experience in Korea, he finds college life much different than other students.

*John talks about his early NACA career and working with the legendary Max Faget, and after that, it's on to the Space Task Group.

*Working at the remote sites during Mercury was a blast and a half for John. He says working at far-flung places around the world was, for the most part "like winning the lottery."

*John has a run-in with Chris Kraft ... and survives!

*John gives his no-holds-barred take on Scott Carpenter's Mercury flight.

*John's family arrives about 15-20 minutes into the conversation, and there's some background conversation and noise throughout most of the rest of the interview.

*John becomes a clock expert.

*Mission rules become an important part of NASA's early successes.

*Cliff Charlesworth NEVER got tired ... he just got hungry.

*John doesn't mince words when it comes to the Apollo 11 landing.

*John remembers the time message tubes littered the area behind and next to his Retro console. To him, they looked like 105-millimeter howitzer shells. Some say this is how the Trench got its nickname.

*John reminds Glynn of the time he asked for the crew of Apollo 7 to be set down in the middle of a hurricane!

NEXT EPISODE: YOUR questions with seven-time Space Shuttle astronaut Jerry Ross! E-mail your questions to goflightpodcast@yahoo.com or on Twitter @goflightpodcas! The deadline is 10 p.m. Eastern, Sunday, October 22.

Episode 8 -- John Llewellyn, Part 2

SHOW NOTES:

*There's somebody in the background cleaning up what sounds like dishes. I've tried to clean up as much of the noise as possible, but some still remains.

*John discusses the Marines' retreat from the Chosin Reservoir.

*It was wise not to ask John what he thinks of then-U.S. Representative and fellow Korean War veteran veteran Charlie Rangel from New York ... because he'd tell you.

*Even pooping and peeing could have brutal consequences under the conditions in which Llewellyn was forced to fight.

*You may never hear a better explanation of bravery and patriotism than John Llewellyn's.

*John was on a championship football team in Korea. What did his winning team receive?

*Hear John's terrifying account of a bunker encounter with an enemy soldier.

*John received the Bronze Star, and was nominated for the Silver for an encounter in which he took command during battle after other leaders had been either killed or wounded.

*After receiving wounds to his knees, John rehabilitates in Japan.

*He became an occupational military policeman in Japan and ... well ... apparently took advantage of various brothels.

*John explains how he became interested in judo.

*John returns to Korea for a second tour of duty, and relates the story of a tragic story during combat that seriously wounds a fellow Marine in a very sensitive area.

*His experience at the Chosin Reservoir leaves him with serious frostbite, and consequences that last the rest of his life.

*John remembers his most harrowing battle ... and it was not the Chosin Reservoir.

*John is wounded again, and finally returns to the United States.

*Glynn apparently conducts a portion of the interview over the phone, where only John's voice is heard.

*Afterward, John gives his thought on everything from American soldiers who defected to China; Obama; going to what sounds very much like SEAL training; entering college first at William & Mary, then moving to Randolph-Macon and finally back to William & Mary.

NEXT EPISODE:

The third and final installment of this amazing interview with John Llewellyn.

Episode 7 -- John Llewellyn, Part 1

We are very proud to be able to bring you a very special interview over the next three episodes.

Listen in on an extraordinary conversation between legendary Flight Director Glynn Lunney and former Retro Officer John Llewellyn, whose overall story is so much more than his service with NASA. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, John fought in some of the Korean War's most savage battles and carried those memories with him for the rest of his life.

SHOW NOTES:

*John talks about his grandmother living through the siege of Richmond during the Civil War.

*He first met Chris Kraft, not at NASA, but in their native Virginia playing baseball.

*Although he had an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, John was in the marine reserves and got called up to active duty during the Korean War.

*At one point, the conversation between Glynn and John is interrupted by John's wife, Sandy, who asks Glynn to get John to tell the "cattle boat" story. He does, and it leads to a moment that is not politically correct, and in NSFW language. If you want to skip forward when you get to that point, please do so.

*John was right behind Platoon Commander Baldomero Lopez in an iconic photo taken on Red Beach during the invasion of Inchon. Lopez is shown near the top of a ladder going over a seawall, and died moments later.

*In almost painfully vivid detail, John discusses the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir.

NEXT WEEK:

Part 2 of this incredible conversation.

Episode 6 -- David Hilmers

David Hilmers flew four Space Shuttle flights, including the very first one after the Challenger accident, but it's what he's done since leaving NASA that might very well be his crowning achievement. Now a physician, David has made countless trips overseas for disaster relief and medical research. His work in North Korea is perhaps most intriguing, given the current political climate between that nation and the United States.

Do NOT miss this episode!

SHOW NOTES:

*David's incredible story of racing Hurricane Harvey back home to Houston from North Korea, and the flooding he encountered when he got there.

*What sparked David's passion for international medicine?

*Another good question ... what keeps David going?

*Not even David can remember all the places he's served overseas!

*Hear how David deals with the risk factor.

*North Korea ... from David's perspective as a physician.

*Want to know how YOU can help? David has some suggestions.

NEXT EPISODE:

Jerry Bostick joins us as co-host, as we present the first of three episodes featuring Glynn Lunney's landmark interview with mission control legend John Llewellyn.

Episode 5 -- Alan Bean, Part 4

SHOW NOTES:

*Hear Alan discuss the influence Pete Conrad had on his career before NASA.

*Alan settles into test pilot school at Pax River.

*Did being a hotshot pilot mean that Alan was coming out of his shell as an introvert?

*Alan describes his relationship with Apollo 12 crewmates Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon.

*Want to offer Alan a bunch of money to hang out for a couple of days? Hear whether or not he's likely to accept.

*Alan's first wife, Sue, was an extrovert ... and Bean was not.

*Alan decides to apply to become an astronaut.

*What did Alan think the ink blot looked like during the psychological test? Go ahead. Ask him.

*And then there was the story he told about a picture the doctor showed him ...

*Alan's work on an ejection-seat project helps propel him into the astronaut office.

NEXT EPISODE:

The incredible story of four-time Space Shuttle astronaut Dr. David Hilmers, who was in North Korea as Hurricane Harvey bore down on his home in Houston.

Episode 4 -- Alan Bean, Part 3

SHOW NOTES:

*While his naval air reserve unit is activated during the Korean War, Alan is able to stay put and eventually go to college.

*Alan begins flight training after graduating from the University of Texas.

*Perfectionism again raises its head when Alan wants to be better than his flight instructors.

*Alan discusses the dangers inherent to flight training, and how he rationalized it in his own mind.

*After flight training, Alan joins his first squadron, VA-44.

*Proud that he's never had a wave around on a carrier landing, New Guy Bean is forced to go around again his very next time out!

*He thinks about applying to test pilot school ...

NEXT EPISODE: The conclusion of this amazing series of conversations with Apollo 12 moonwalker Alan Bean!

Episode 3 -- Alan Bean, Part 2

SPECIAL NOTE: In this episode, Apollo 12 moonwalker Alan Bean shares an opinion on the dropping of the atomic bomb during World War II that may or may not be controversial, and in NSFW language. It begins at the 5:55 mark and ends approximately 10 seconds later. You've been warned ...

 OTHER SHOW NOTES:

*Alan discusses his father's time in the Army during World War II, and moving for a short time to Michigan following the war.

*For a short time, Alan goes to school in Michigan. He remembers swimming, getting stuck in printing class and a crush on a girl he never expressed.

*We make the connection between the girl he liked and the comic strip Peanuts!

*Back in Texas, Alan joins the naval reserves and eventually gets into the University of Texas.

*Alan talks about Neil Armstrong's personality, and his own chances of making it at a school like the United States Naval Academy.

*Prior to his junior year at the University of Texas, Alan recalls finally making a turnaround in school.

*He talks more about his introversion.

*In college, Alan competed as both a wrestler and gymnast at basically the club level.

*Hear the story of Alan Bean, Frat Boy!

NEXT EPISODE: The third of a four-part interview with Alan!

Episode 2 -- Alan Bean, Part 1

Alan Bean is one of my favorite interviews of all time, and not just because he and buddy Pete Conrad once had themselves a grand ol' time in the Ocean of Storms.

Alan is friendly and inquisitive. Several times after we finished talking "on the record," he would question me about various topics. I will say this. I'm not sure what NASA was thinking when it sent a moon to the moon who had never seen The Andy Griffith Show.

The horror.

This is the first of a four-part interview with Alan, during which you'll get to know Alan, the person, rather than, Alan, the astronaut. Enjoy.

SHOW NOTES:

*Alan was "famous" from birth!

*He discusses he "extreme" introversion very candidly.

*Hear Alan tell the story of his mother waking him up and driving him to an exam to join the naval reserves. He sees that moment as changing the course of his life.

*Although he dreamed of first being a pilot and then a naval aviator, he didn't get serious about school until his junior year at the University of Texas.

*Alan discusses his family dynamic -- his own jealousy of his younger sister, and the family's reaction to positive life events.

*What did schoolmates make fun of him for?

*How did ping-pong game and a floor tile play into Alan's relationship with his father?

*Alan discusses his perfectionism.

*Finally, Alan talks about his love for art and how he made his first steps toward becoming an artist.

NEXT EPISODE:

Part two of the conversation with Alan Bean!

Episode 1 -- Milt Heflin

There was nowhere to start for the very first episode of Go, Flight: The Podcast other than where it all began for me, and that's Milt Heflin.

Before I met Milt, I was just a writer who interviewed people from the outside looking in. Milt was a true NASA insider, but not once did he treat me with anything other than the utmost respect. I couldn't exactly say when we actually became friends, but it was an honor when he agreed to serve as co-author of Go, Flight! The Unsung Heroes of Mission Control.

For me, Milt is Unsung Hero Number One. So, please, enjoy this very first episode of what I know is going to be one heck of a ride for all of us!


SHOW NOTES:

In this episode ... 

*Milt describes his entry into NASA's Landing and Recovery Division.

*After the end of the Apollo program, Milt makes the transition to Space Shuttle flight controller.

*He discusses the influence of several Apollo-era mission control veterans, including Don Puddy, Jack Knight, Rod Loe, Bill Moon, Ed Fendell and Randy Stone.

*The move to Flight Director was not exactly a smooth one for Milt, but he made it with the help of another Apollo veteran, Tommy Holloway.

*The pride in Milt's voice comes through loud and clear as he talks about STS-61, the first Hubble servicing mission and his most well-known assignment as lead Flight Director.

*And talk about pressure ... Milt outlines his responsibilities as co-author of Go, Flight! The Unsung Heroes of Mission Control.

NEXT EPISODE:

The first of a four-part interview with Apollo 12 moonwalker Alan Bean!