Topic: Apollo 11: Astronauts' post-flight world tour
fabfivefreddy Member
Posts: 1067 From: Leawood, Kansas USA Registered: Oct 2003
posted 12-29-2007 04:41 PM
The Apollo 11 crew take Air Force One to London and are greeted by Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen's goodwill message which remains on the lunar surface today reads:
On behalf of the British people I salute the skill and courage which have brought man to the moon. May this endeavour increase the knowledge and well-being of mankind.
FFrench Member
Posts: 3165 From: San Diego Registered: Feb 2002
posted 12-29-2007 04:52 PM
Very nice - I love those old Pathe newsreels. (One minor nitpick - unless the President is personally aboard, the plane is not called Air Force One).
In Paul Haney's foreword to our book "Into That Silent Sea," he recounts an amusing story from this visit with the Queen - the "Queen Gotcha" - that you might enjoy...
fabfivefreddy Member
Posts: 1067 From: Leawood, Kansas USA Registered: Oct 2003
posted 12-30-2007 03:51 PM
Thanks for the correction, Francis. I should have said, "the president's plane."
carl walker Member
Posts: 366 From: Netherlands Registered: Feb 2006
posted 08-17-2015 06:53 AM
The full tour details are given here.
Jonnyed Member
Posts: 408 From: Dumfries, VA, USA Registered: Aug 2014
posted 08-17-2015 09:28 PM
Was there ever talk of putting a British (or any ally for that matter) astronaut into a Apollo landing crew during later missions?
ea757grrl Member
Posts: 732 From: South Carolina Registered: Jul 2006
posted 08-18-2015 04:31 AM
quote:Originally posted by fabfivefreddy: Thanks for the correction, Francis. I should have said, "the president's plane."
As an aside, that aircraft, SAM 970 (58-6970), is now on display at the Museum of Flight near Seattle. Although SAM 970 had often carried the President, by 1969 it was a backup for the larger/newer 707 (SAM 26000) that served as the primary Presidential aircraft.
SAM 970 was outfitted with a very nice VIP interior, which it still has today. If you're ever at Museum of Flight, go aboard for a look. It definitely was not a bad way at all to fly around the world.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3160 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 08-18-2015 04:53 PM
quote:Originally posted by Jonnyed: Was there ever talk of putting a British (or any ally for that matter) astronaut into a Apollo landing crew during later missions?
Good grief! It was hard enough getting an (American) geologist on to a crew.
moonguyron Member
Posts: 191 From: Trinity, FL USA Registered: Jan 2011
posted 08-24-2015 03:46 PM
I had the pleasure a few years ago to be the dinner guest of Dr. William Carpentier and his charming wife "Willie" at their home. He accompanied the Apollo 11 astronauts and their wives on their world tour as a traveling flight surgeon. He spent the evening recalling events of the trip too numerous to mention here but for one.
They were overnighting in Rome and at the end of that day's schedule found it was still early enough that "Buzz" Aldrin decided to make use of a phone number he had and called his friend, the actress Gina Lollobrigida. Turns out she was hosting a party at the time and invited everyone over. So the 7 of them found themselves at her party. As the night progressed it was decided that they all must say their goodbyes as the grueling schedule demanded an early start to the next day. All except "Buzz" who refused to leave. All returned to the hotel without him and I don't know if anyone ever found out when he decided to return.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 43576 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-24-2015 04:02 PM
Just so no one thinks Dr. Carpentier was speaking out of turn: Aldrin describes the same in one of his autobiographies. He said he was "in the doghouse" the next day.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3324 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 09-19-2019 10:31 AM
quote:Originally posted by carl walker: The full tour details are given here.
The Apollo 11 astronauts also visited Canada in 1969: Ottawa on December 2 and Montreal on December 3.
apollo16uvc Member
Posts: 142 From: Next to LEM, Descartes Highlands, Moon Registered: Jan 2017
posted 09-19-2019 03:18 PM
I got a private super8 recording of what appears to be engineers working on the flown Apollo 11 CM, hatch open and several things taken out that we normally see closed on museum displays.
Also what appears to be the Apollo 11 crew flying down by helicopter and giving a speech. Unfortunately the recording is without sound. Greeted by banners display "Welcome Apollo 11 crew!" or something along those lines.
Another reel in my collection I ought to get digitized...
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3324 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 09-19-2019 04:02 PM
That sounds like it might be the post-flight visit to North American Rockwell by the Apollo 11 crew.
posted 12-29-2007 04:41 PM
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