posted 12-08-2012 07:00 PM               

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Originally posted by cljohnston108:
But it ended up being such a great day, because I found myself answering questions for all the fascinated-yet-bewildered folks who'd come up to me on account of my t-shirt with the big honkin' NASA logo on it.

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Like the above quote, people ask me questions all the time when I'm at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. I once 'lead' an informal tour of the space suits at the visitor center in Houston once a group realized I knew what they were all for and could answer basic questions (much to the eye-rolling of my long-suffering wife). They just started following me around and asking questions. I had on my Apollo 40th anniversary shirt at the time.

At this rate, I'm seriously considering volunteering to conduct tours of the shuttle FFT for the museum of flight, and only the two days a month commitment is keeping me from leaping at the chance (I live almost 100 miles away from Seattle and have a lot that does NOT lend to much time off). My wife said, "You might as well do it officially, you always know more than most of the people who're supposed to know those things anyway..."

Coming out of a restaurant in Seattle a couple of months ago, I was again wearing my shuttle windbreaker when a group walking in stopped dead in their tracks. As we walked by, I heard behind me, "Holy [bleep], that guy's an astronaut!" I just kept walking as it gets a little tiresome when people don't believe me. I mean, you see a guy walking around in an NFL jersey, you don't assume he's a pro football player, right? Why does a middle-aged man in a NASA jacket suddenly become an astronaut? Who'd wear NASA gear who was an astronaut and would then lie about not being one?

Sheesh, if I'd know it was that easy, I could have done really well on Spring Break when I was much younger, if you know what I mean...

posted 12-10-2012 04:37 PM               

I think I have an air about me that makes others believe I know what I'm talking about. My primary hobby is historical re-enacting, and I've done public events since the age of 6. I've done plenty of public speaking over the years and done TV for various historical subjects. My wife thinks I just come across as someone who should be listened to (well, to everyone but her, that is).

I was at the Museum of Flight in Seattle about a year ago, wearing my NASA windbreaker (as seen in the photo below) and just landed their shuttle landing simulator three times flawlessly. It's not tough if you can read a HUD. Anyway, I got out and was walking away when I got cornered by a guy asking for my autograph (he said for his kid with him, but the kid didn't seem interested at all), because I had to be a real astronaut because of the jacket and it looked like I could land the shuttle in my sleep. I laughed at first but this guy wouldn't accept no for an answer. I argued that no real astronaut would come to that place, wear that jacket, then lie about not being an astronaut. I even pointed at my name on my nametape, pointed to his smart phone and asked him to google the lists of astronauts, and he won't find a single one with even my last name. He refused to see the logic there. To this day, I bet he firmly believes a real astronaut refused to sign anything for him that day.

posted 12-12-2012 01:55 PM               

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Originally posted by p51:
I laughed at first but this guy wouldn't accept no for an answer.

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posted 12-13-2012 12:44 PM               

I would equate wearing gear replicating an astronaut to wearing a school letterman jacket without earning a letter. Some things are just not done. Also, anybody wearing that around here (KSC/CCAFS) would be constantly pestered.

posted 12-13-2012 01:25 PM               

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Originally posted by Jim Behling:
I would equate wearing gear replicating an astronaut to wearing a school letterman jacket without earning a letter. Some things are just not done.

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And when you buy said sports jersey, how many people ask you if you're really a baseball or football player based on that alone? Not many, I'd bet.

For something that is, "not done," there sure is a large industry associated with it.

posted 12-13-2012 02:06 PM               

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Originally posted by p51:
What difference is it between that and being able to buy a replica jersey at a sports arena?

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posted 12-13-2012 02:11 PM               

While I'm comfortable wearing it at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and around Space Camp, I would never feel comfortable donning it in Houston. Those in blue flight jackets are the bona fide astronauts. (Although there is a local company that dresses their employees in the same shade blue overalls that look a lot like flight suits from a distance.)

posted 12-13-2012 02:31 PM               

All my experiences of being confused with an astronaut occur ed in the Seattle/Portland area, a place where you do normally encounter astronauts outside of the special events at the Museum of Flight. And just wearing t-shirts with general logos like my 40th anniversary Apollo shirt had me giving a guided tour of the suits at the JSC visitor center, and I doubt anyone thought I was really anything other than a fan, then. I thought it was just odd that a group of people latched onto me and started asking questions like I worked there when I was NOT dressed as if I did.

posted 12-13-2012 02:55 PM               

The day he was to go, he wore his blue flight suit. I cautioned him not to, and he very humbly said he didn't mind people approaching him.

I tried to explain that it wasn't that, but that Delaware North dresses the bulk of their employees in the BFS's and people would approach him wanting to know where the bathrooms were.

True enough, he was approached all day by folks wanting information.

However, it was related to me that while he was in the IMAX theatre with the auction winners watching the ISS Movie, some young child turned around and did a double take and started whispering "there's the guy in the movie!!!"

He ended up graciously signing autographs for some time.

posted 12-13-2012 02:56 PM               

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Originally posted by p51:
I've met astronauts while wearing my NASA jacket and none had any problems with it (I've only gotten smiles as an initial reaction, not one sneer from any of them). Tom Jones (STS-59, 68, 80 and 98) said he really liked it.

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Indeed, when Ron Garan saw me in my NASA HQ polo, he said, "Nice shirt."

As for high school letters, I have a story about that. My extracurricular activities were DECA and the newspaper, nothing to letter in.

However, I did get a letter - albeit unofficially. My high school name begins with a B and one summer when I was working in the front office, one of the ladies found a letter and gave it to me, saying, "Here, a B for Ben - " which is my middle name.

posted 12-13-2012 06:32 PM               

When I was an Army officer, I never had a problem with a kid wearing a BDU or field jacket. If he thought it was cool and wasn't trying to pretend he was in the Army, I took it as flattery that a kid still think the military is as cool as I thought it was at that age.

Frankly, I don't get the level of backlash at all (and clearly I'm not the only one). I don't get offended or irritated if someone thinks I'm an astronaut. Frankly, it's a compliment to me in that I did try to become one for real but my medical history stopped that dream cold. The only silly part is when someone asks if I an astronaut, I say no and they refuse to believe it. That is downright silly to me. Nobody would lie about not being one if they were, while wearing NASA gear, it's simple logic.

And I really don't see where people asking me questions about the space suits at JSC for example when I'm just wearing an Apollo T-shirt (clearly, a fan item) and not passing myself off as a NASA anything is me doing anything incorrect by any sane standard. And if NASA really had an issue with someone wearing a jacket that at a distance looks like the shuttle crew ones (a program, we all have to remember, no longer exists), they sure wouldn't allow them to be sold in the gift shops at their visitor centers.

posted 12-13-2012 08:23 PM               

The closest I've come to an experience such as you relate came a few years ago when my mother and I were touring the NASA/ART traveling exhibit, at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. I went Full Geek for that one: Wore a NASA ballcap and my "I Need My Space" t-shirt. Along with that, I was telling Mom what I knew about the various artworks, the artists, and their subjects, and before long, enough other visitors had overheard me and started asking their own questions that I'd become an impromptu tour guide. So I know a bit of that feeling

posted 12-14-2012 10:41 PM               

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Originally posted by GoesTo11:
The closest I've come to an experience such as you relate came a few years ago when my mother and I were touring the NASA/ART traveling exhibit...

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I always wondered what they must have thought... who we were, why weren't THEY getting into the car instead of waiting for their TWA bus, etc.

When I see people walking around with NASA gear on, I always try to stop them and ask them what their connection with NASA is, if any, and I always get a story. One guy I talked to, had on a vintage aircraft shirt and we talked for a good half-hour about his dad, who worked in the industry in California, complete with foil-lined hat, etc. (that is all I want to describe about his story), but it was fascinating.

And, of course, when at an air show at Grissom AFB, I "had" to ask the guy with the "FEB2062" plate on his car WHO "he" was... and he also did not hesitate to tell me!

I quit chasing down drivers from Auglaize County, Ohio license plates on their cars, however. There's no chance it's going to be our friend Neil anymore.

posted 12-15-2012 10:41 AM               

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Originally posted by spaceman1953:
I quit chasing down drivers from Auglaize County, Ohio license plates on their cars, however. There's no chance it's going to be our friend Neil anymore.

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posted 12-19-2012 02:52 PM               

I've walked through the National Air and Space Museum with several Apollo astronauts without them ever being recognized, and that includes standing right next to Columbia with Buzz Aldrin. No one was the wiser.

Young is not a very recognizable astronaut, especially his older self. He hasn't made regular public appearances in years. And when he did attend events, I know some space history enthusiasts who didn't recognize him until someone else pointed him out.

posted 12-19-2012 04:59 PM               

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
That some random museum-goers recognized someone who looked like Young could be considered unusual; that anyone working security in the museum would also recognize Young (or any other astronaut for that matter) is outright odd. (And that's to say nothing of the museum goers not accepting a mistaken identity to the point of causing a commotion.).

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I agree that astronauts often don't look like their photos. I once sat right next to Al Worden at an event for him, and only recognized him once I noticed his gold astonaut pin!

posted 12-21-2012 05:09 PM               

In the early/mid '90s I bought a powder blue NASA flight suit - NASA meatball on right chest, NASA worm on right shoulder. I customized it by moving the meatball to slightly lower left chest, putting a leather name tag above it (silver lettering: NASA worm, my name, JSC-Houston), putting the Shuttle Escape Team Member on the right chest, and a Shuttle Chase Team patch below the NASA worm.

George Nelson was opening a new Target in Menlo Park, and I wore the suit to his signing. I asked one of the people working there where Nelson would be. They started to answer me, stopped, stared and asked, "Are you Pinky?"

posted 12-26-2012 09:23 PM               

I would drive along highway 405 to the Space Camp facility just before the KSC badging station which is now the Astronaut Hall of Fame (where incidentally I spoke to Alan Shepard as he was about to ride his 3G trainer simulator). I was in my mid twenties then, and for whatever reason I kept a high and tight haircut. Can't tell you how many times at a red light I would look over to see tourists waving and snapping photos. I kinda felt stupid but always smiled and waved.

I loved the facility and spent so much time walking through on my own time after the graduation ceremonies. So many times I was asked if I was an astronaut, Without pause I always said "I wish - they are my heroes" and would tell them I worked there as a Space Camp instructor.