Posts: 269
From: Boca Raton, FL
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 04-02-2004 03:20 PM               

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A very good family friend of mine, Dick Scoles, just wrote an autobiography. He has a great aviation past of which I've enclosed a brief background. Dick knows a lot of the past astronauts and always has some interesting stories to tell. I just received his book, so haven't had a chance to read it yet, although I did read the foreword written by Armstrong. If anyone is interested in ordering a copy, please email me.

He received his Navy wings in May of 1945, got out of the Navy in December and entered the Univ of Michigan. In the summer of 1948 he went to the London Olympics as spectator, than into Germany as a cameraman. Unable to get out of Europe in time for school, he returned home to California. He re-met his wife to be, married and graduated from USC with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He went to work with the Crane Co in the heating dept. then took a job in oil fields with UPRR. In the early 1950’s he joined the Navy Reserves, flew Hellcats, Corsairs, and then jets – F2H Banshees & F9F-7 Cougars. He left the oil business and took a Flight Test Engineer job at Edwards AFB with the intent of finding a test pilot job. He succeeded and joined General Electric in jet engine fight test in 1955. He flew the Air Force F-86, F-101, F-102, F-104, B-66, T-38 & Navy XF4D, F-11F, F4H and then Airline Convair 880 and Sud Caravelle. In the Reserves he switched to DC-4 & DC-6 prop transports. Next, he transferred to GE’s Space Division in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania as astronaut liaison on the MOL (Manned Orbital Lab) program. When that program was cancelled he became chief pilot of GE’s executive fleet flying the Gulfstream 1 and 2, and the Falcon. He enjoyed the jets, but disliked the “Hurry Up & Wait.” So he transferred to the GE jet engine headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio and managed ‘Airline Operations-Pilot & Crew Support’. He now checked out in the Airbus A300, Boeing 757, 767, and 747. Then he was promoted to manage the Dayton (WPAFB) sales office. His final transfer was to Tel Aviv to head the Israel office. Two years there, including the Gulf War, were most interesting. He retired and moved to Hot Springs Village in Arkansas in 1990. During his career he logged over 8000 pilot hours in more than 75 different type airplanes.

Posts: 339
From: Houston, Texas, USA
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 03-20-2008 09:19 PM            

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quote:

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Originally posted by 767FO:
If anyone is interested in ordering a copy, please email me.

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John, can I still get a copy of this autobiography? Thanks!

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John Charles
Houston, Texas

Posts: 1255
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 03-20-2008 10:10 PM               

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John,

Is it you that is coming to MIT in a few weeks.

Larry McGlynn

Posts: 339
From: Houston, Texas, USA
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 03-21-2008 09:02 PM            

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quote:

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Originally posted by Larry McGlynn:
Is it you that is coming to MIT in a few weeks?

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Yes. I will be discussing prospects for in-flight biomedical research now and in the future, at the invitation of Prof. Larry Young.

Uh-oh...is there already advanced publicity?

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John Charles
Houston, Texas

Posts: 1255
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Jul 2003