US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

48 years ago today...

The   Eagle   has   landed.

Fantastic NASA Image
~ Believe everything they tell you ~

I remember watching the landing on TV back when I was13.

I later read about the (extended) landing being done under manual control by Neil Armstrong - with very close to no fuel left.

Hey wait a minute,...
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I came home early that day from checking out a possible R/C glider coastal soaring site, to watch the landing. My dad who had always told me as I was growing up, that i would probably live to see men land on the moon but that he surely wouldn't live long enough. He was alive and well as he watched the landing that day.

It's just too damn bad that we dropped the ball after the last moon landing.

My son Matt just sent me a photo of him shaking hands with Neil Armstrong and a couple of other lunar astronauts at McDonnell Douglass Aircraft. As some of you know, Matt started hang gliding before I did and was USHPA #8. He attended the Otto meet at Dockweiler last May & had some good flights on the Condor.

Frank

Frank Colver wrote:It's just too damn bad that we dropped the ball after the last moon landing.

I couldn't agree more.

I don't remember the moment that I heard about the landing, but I have a vivid memory of watching the first moon walk. It was "late" at night for me (a young kid in the Eastern time zone), and I was so excited that I ran upstairs to tell my parents (who were already in bed) about it. It was amazing for me ... but not so much for them. I guess the "flying gene" can skip a generation.

Frank wrote:My son Matt just sent me a photo of him shaking hands with Neil Armstrong and a couple of other lunar astronauts at McDonnell Douglass Aircraft. As some of you know, Matt started hang gliding before I did and was USHPA #8. He attended the Otto meet at Dockweiler last May & had some good flights on the Condor.

It was great to meet Matt at the Otto meet. He hasn't forgotten how to fly.

Please post the picture if you don't mind. Thanks!

Here's what Matt sent me (text & photo) about his visit with Neil Armstrong
FC

Dad; I came across this photo of me actually shaking Neil Armstrong's hand. I bet you never thought one of your kids would meet and talk with Neil Armstrong.
He was very reclusive.
I've also talked with Buzz Aldrin and Pete Conrad. I worked with Buzz's son Andrew when he was with ULA.
I used to see Pete almost every day in the hall. What a shame about Pete. He got killed going 15 MPH on a Harley.

The other guys on the left of the photo Harry Stonecipher who was the McDonnell Douglas President at the time and eventually became the CEO at Boeing. On the right of the photo is John McDonnell CEO of McDonell Douglas.

Frank Colver wrote:Here's what Matt sent me (text & photo) about his visit with Neil Armstrong
FC

Dad; I came across this photo of me actually shaking Neil Armstrong's hand.

I think I shook Matt's hand at the recent Otto meet - which would mean that I've shaken the hand that shook hands with Neil Armstrong!!

That possibility never crossed my mind when I started this topic. See what you can learn by posting to the U.S. Hawks?  

I shook Matt's hand so his hand was specially prepared for shaking Neil's hand.

JoeF wrote:I shook Matt's hand so his hand was specially prepared for shaking Neil's hand.

By the way, I just read that the 2028 Olympics are coming to Los Angeles. I can picture a former Olympian bearing the torch along a short stretch of beach ... in a hang glider!!