There's No Question That All The Generations

The First Plane Ride Was In A Homemade Glider My Buddy And I Built. Unfortunately We Didn't Get More Than Four Feet Off The Ground, Because It Crashed.

Then There Was The Challenge To Keep Doing Better And Better, To Fly The Best Test Flight That Anybody Had Ever Flown. That Led To My Being Recognized As One Of The More Experienced Test Pilots, And That Led To The Astronaut Business.

You Know, Being A Test Pilot Isn't Always The Healthiest Business In The World.

We Had Some Adverse Conditions In The '60s, In The '70s And The '80s. The Agency Has Risen Above That In The Past And Will Rise Above That Again.

The Excitement Really Didn't Start To Build Until The Trailer - Which Was Carrying Me, With A Space Suit With Ventilation And All That Sort Of Stuff - Pulled Up To The Launch Pad.