Neil Armstrong was a consummate badass but he looked like a dorky accountant.
My favorite story of his is the time he crashed the LLTV. The “flying bedstead” they called it, a goofy looking powered lift thing that was a jet engine set in a gimble, meant to simulate how the LM would handle on final approach to the moon. Neil was practicing in this thing, and something went wrong. It was nearly sideways when he ejected. Mere seconds later the strange aircraft slams into the ground in a firey crash as Neil’s parachute comes wafting down.
He went back to the office to do paperwork. Another astronaut comes in to ask him about it, “Heard you crashed the LLTV.” Neil casually says “yeah.” He had bitten his tongue pretty bad during the ejection but it was otherwise another day at the office.
Neil Armstrong was a consummate badass but he looked like a dorky accountant.
My favorite story of his is the time he crashed the LLTV. The “flying bedstead” they called it, a goofy looking powered lift thing that was a jet engine set in a gimble, meant to simulate how the LM would handle on final approach to the moon. Neil was practicing in this thing, and something went wrong. It was nearly sideways when he ejected. Mere seconds later the strange aircraft slams into the ground in a firey crash as Neil’s parachute comes wafting down.
He went back to the office to do paperwork. Another astronaut comes in to ask him about it, “Heard you crashed the LLTV.” Neil casually says “yeah.” He had bitten his tongue pretty bad during the ejection but it was otherwise another day at the office.
LLTV, for those unaware:
That’s an amazing story. That’s exactly the flavor of badass nerd that we need.
I’ve met a bunch of Special Forces guys. Half of them looked like dorky wiry accountants.