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Thread: A little number I built to fly around the neighborhood.

  1. #11
    pa20's Avatar
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    Default Re: A little number I built to fly around the neighborhood.

    Chuck...
    THANK YOU for telling that story! I have read every book I could find about Apollo XI, including Failure is Not An Option (Kranz) and Carrying the Fire (Collins). Even now, as I read your story my pulse quickened and respiration increased as the LEM descended to the lunar surface. I can't remember what my bride told me to do this morning, but I know what a "1202" alarm is!
    Years ago while on a layover in some far away land, I found the Mission Report on Apollo XIII online. Over the next week, I spent countless hours pouring over it, and regaling my fellow crewmembers with what I had learned!
    I hope that I have the pleasure to meet you someday and if we do, the finest steak dinner and libations are on me. All I ask is that you answer questions and share details of the Apollo program. Oh, and we will certainly talk a little about Pacers!
    Thank you again!
    Last edited by pa20; 02-10-2016 at 09:55 PM.
    Mark Ohlau
    PA-20 N7744K 2023 Donation Paid

  2. #12
    CGruby's Avatar
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    Default Re: A little number I built to fly around the neighborhood.

    Mark, I'm glad you enjoyed the "speech" and I'll certainly take you up on your offer. If you ever find yourself on this side of the world, please stop in. I'll be more than happy to share my NASA experience's with you. Oh by the way, when Kranz wrote his book, "Failure is Not An Option", he had many of us flight controllers come to his house, sit down in front of a TV camera and he would ask each of us to express our views on different subjects. These were quite the sessions, in that I heard things from other flight controllers that I had never heard before. If you look in Chapter 8, page 170, of his book, you'll find me and some of the things we did during Gemini 8, the flight that almost caused us to lose Neil Armstrong and Dave Scott.

    Cheers,

    Chuck Gruby

  3. #13
    CamTom12's Avatar
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    Default Re: A little number I built to fly around the neighborhood.

    I also really enjoyed reading your speech and the story of your spezio. Thanks for sharing!

    Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

  4. #14
    PeterL's Avatar
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    Default Re: A little number I built to fly around the neighborhood.

    Quote Originally Posted by pa20 View Post
    I hope that I have the pleasure to meet you someday and if we do, the finest steak dinner and libations are on me. All I ask is that you answer questions and share details of the Apollo program. Oh, and we will certainly talk a little about Pacers!
    Thank you again!
    Chuck, I'm in with Mark, call this a self invite with the notion helping with the libations.........I was only 12 years old at that special time and remember those days of the Space program. Of course the only resources available were TV and papers.

    Let's make this meeting happen.

    Peter Lubig

  5. #15

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    Default Re: A little number I built to fly around the neighborhood.

    Enjoyed the space program story. As a young fella' glued to the little black and white TV during the Mercury program I was smitten with the whole space deal. Tried not to miss anything from then till the last shuttle flight. I've seen the yellow Spezio in person, it's a nice one. A friend of my dads was building one in the '70's. I remember the fuselage being narrow, super strong and kind of dominated by the center section for the folding wing feature.

  6. #16
    CGruby's Avatar
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    Default Re: A little number I built to fly around the neighborhood.

    Thanks everyone. I'm certainly glad you all enjoyed the writeups. As for stories, I've got a million of them. We'll ceratinly have to make this meeting happen.

    Chuck Gruby

  7. #17
    Administrator Steve Pierce's Avatar
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    Default Re: A little number I built to fly around the neighborhood.

    Sad to report I got an email from Chuck's brother letting me know of Chuck's passing last month. Sorry I never got to meet him in person.

  8. #18
    sierrasplitter's Avatar
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    Default Re: A little number I built to fly around the neighborhood.

    Wow! Cant wait to get home tonight to read this whole thread. I grew up in Pasadena Texas, not far from The NASA Complex in Clear Lake. I remember seeing some of the Apollo Astronauts riding down Highway 6 in their red, white and blue corvettes. I remember the trainer jets flying over my elementary school during the day.
    Had a neighbor that work at NASA on the space suits. His wife wore a glass bubble helmet with locking collar to a Halloween party in the neighborhood.
    I really looked up to guys like Chuck.
    Great Time to be a Kid

  9. #19
    6PapaWhiskey's Avatar
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    Default Re: A little number I built to fly around the neighborhood.


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