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Author
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Topic: Space Cover 498: Michael Adams' last flight
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Bob M
Member Posts: 1866
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 01-12-2019 07:03 AM
   
Space Cover of the Week, Week 498 (January 13, 2019) Space Cover 498: Michael Adams' Last FlightMajor Michael J. Adams (1930-1967) flew 49 combat missions in the Korean War; in 1965 was selected for the USAF Manned Orbiting Laboratory Program (MOL); then was chosen for the X-15 aerospace Program, making his first X-15 flight on October 6, 1966. He piloted seven flights, but on his seventh flight on November 15, 1967, was killed when his X-15 broke up after entering the atmosphere from an altitude of 266,000 feet — over 50 miles. Major Adams was awarded Astronaut Wings posthumously for his 266,000 foot flight and in 1991 his name was added to the Space Mirror Memorial at KSC. This week's cover marks Adams' fatal flight, which was the 65th X-15 flight in the program. The other two X-15 aircraft survived their flights and reside in museums (Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH and The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC). Major Adams was the first of the twelve X-15 pilots to die, with only Shuttle astronaut Joe Engle left of the brave and skilled cadre. |
albatron
Member Posts: 2804
From: Stuart, Florida
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 01-12-2019 09:06 AM
Very tragic event, I spoke to Bill Dana about it once, and Bill, a VERY unflappable man, became very upset describing watching him descending out of control and hit the earth while flying chase. Thanks for sharing Bob, a very poignant piece of X-15 history. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3669
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 01-12-2019 11:58 AM
Yes indeed, Bob and Al, so sad! I didn't know, Al, that Dana was his chase pilot and I just can't imagine how awful it had to be in seeing Adams losing control of the rocketplane.Do we know of any signed X-15 flight covers from any of Adams' first six flights? Wasn't there even a flown Adams' X-15 flight cover that I can recall from Barb Baker's collections? I did have a nice official NASA b/w glossy of Mike Adams pictured alongside the X-15 that he signed, not personalized, in which he added, "Major USAF." That's the only autograph item I was able to acquire of the veteran X-15 research pilot and Group 1 of the 3 chosen MOL astronaut pilot groups between 1965-67. |
Eddie Bizub
Member Posts: 132
From: Kissimmee, FL USA
Registered: Aug 2010
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posted 01-12-2019 12:27 PM
Nice cover Bob. Sure is a shame that such a successful program as the X-15 program was that it had to have such a tragedy very near the end. It does however show the skill and dedication of the crews and pilots that with such a complicated, envelope-pushing program, that there weren't more pilots killed. While I have never really collected X-15 covers, I do have the X-15 pilot signatures. Most people do not know what a Mike Adams signature looks like. Here is a stuffer card that he signed as well as the envelope it was mailed in. The return address on the envelope also appears to be written by Mike Adams.  |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1706
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 01-12-2019 12:57 PM
I was lucky enough to find an Adams autograph on a cover for his first X-15 flight (postmarked two days later) many years ago, as seen below.Steve Durst featured his Adams flown X-15 cover in SCOTW 118.  |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3669
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 01-12-2019 01:30 PM
Very good guys! My only signed photo of Adams is very consistent to your signed card, Eddie, which is no doubt absolutely genuine. Apparently, it came from the Gearhart space cover collection. He was an avid autograph collector for many years that I did have early contact with and was able to acquire some of his deceased signed astronaut covers and stamp blocks, but I never did have an opportunity to get a Mike Adams from him. |
albatron
Member Posts: 2804
From: Stuart, Florida
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 01-12-2019 02:31 PM
Hi Kenny - good to see you. Yes he certainly was one of the chase pilots. I do have one of his earlier flight covers signed by him. A lot of X-15 and XB-70 covers are sold as signed, when it's the cover servicer writing the names in cursive so it pays to be careful if you're (not you) not familiar with the signature. Sweet index card and cover guys! |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3669
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 01-12-2019 02:50 PM
Hey Al and glad to see your recent posting again. During my high school and early college years, I did correspond with pilot Bill Dana throughout the 1970's and was able to obtain from him many letters and signed items.He was a super guy and always had been very kind to me with my questions and various requests, I think overall, he was one of my favorite, most gracious, and accommodating research pilots that I've ever had the pleasure of corresponding with. Another had been Mike Love, a combat veteran of Vietnam and one of the later X-24B project pilots, that had been tragically killed while attempting an emergency RF-4C landing on Rogers Dry Lake Bed in March 1976. Both Dana and Love even carried or flew for me some of my own postal covers while test flying at Edwards AFB. I never, though, had an opportunity to meet either one of them, Al, but I am sure you knew Dana quite well, but did you know Lt. Col. Love? |
SpaceSteve
Member Posts: 440
From: San Antonio TX, USA
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted 01-12-2019 08:42 PM
Here's a scan of my X-15 cover from Adams' 22 March 1967 flight, signed by him. I got it several years ago. |
flyboycn2007
Member Posts: 17
From: china
Registered: Aug 2016
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posted 02-17-2019 07:34 AM
Thanks for Bob M's information. I like this series of souvenir covers very much. | |
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