|
Author
|
Topic: George Abbey and naval regulations
|
mecca
New Member Posts: 3
From: Pittsburgh
Registered: Jan 2023
|
posted 01-10-2023 01:33 PM
   
I was reading Michael Cassutt's book "The Astronaut Maker" about George Abbey. Abbey graduated from the Naval Academy in 1954 and took a commission in the Air Force. It was stated in the aforementioned book that he did so because naval officers had to serve 18 months to two years before they could even apply to flight school. However, Jim Lovell graduated from the Naval Academy in 1952 and started flight training in October 1952 and was designated a naval aviator in February 1954. Were the regulations changed after Lovell graduated? |
Spacepsycho
Member Posts: 891
From: Huntington Beach, Calif.
Registered: Aug 2004
|
posted 01-10-2023 02:12 PM
Donn Eisele, Ed Givens, Jim Irwin, Tom Stafford, Ted Freeman, Bill Anders and Charlie Duke graduated the Naval Academy and accepted commissions in the Air Force. I'm guessing during the Korean war and just afterwards, a lot of combat slots opened up, which meant the two year wait for flight school was waived. |
mecca
New Member Posts: 3
From: Pittsburgh
Registered: Jan 2023
|
posted 01-10-2023 02:25 PM
Thank you. Just to be more clear, as you may know, Lovell took his commission in the Navy. So did another 1952 Annapolis graduate named Paul Gillcrist. Gillcrist also went directly to flight school. |
mecca
New Member Posts: 3
From: Pittsburgh
Registered: Jan 2023
|
posted 01-10-2023 06:41 PM
Another interesting fact is that it seems that ROTC graduates were allowed to go directly into flight school. Pete Conrad graduated from Princeton in 1953 and did so. Alan Bean graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in January 1955 and did the same. |
sts205cdr
Member Posts: 741
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001
|
posted 01-10-2023 09:36 PM
Abbey's "Bubbas" tended to be Navy, and I think that's reflected in the book. Mullane went into this in Riding Rockets, as I recall. |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3546
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 01-11-2023 10:01 AM
quote:
Originally posted by mecca:
...it seems that ROTC graduates were allowed to go directly into flight school.
Ron Evans, also ROTC, graduated in June, 1956, but actually began flight school at NAS Pensacola in February, 1956. (His degree was awarded "in absentia" because he was flying over Pensacola on Graduation Day.) |
advertisement