There is a lot being written about Neil Armstrong this week.  Everyone is familiar with his role in the Apollo moon landings, some are familiar with his pioneering work as a test pilot (including a number of remarkable flights in the X-15 rocket plane reaching speeds of Mach 5.74 and altitudes in excess of 200,000 feet), fewer are aware of his service in the Navy as a jet fighter pilot (flying 78 combat missions in F9 Panther jets.)

But did you know that Neil Armstrong was also an enthusiastic glider pilot?

Neil Armstrong first flew in gliders at Inyokern in the 1960’s. He received a recertification endorsement in 2005 at the age of 75.  He owned several gliders, including a Schweizer 1-26 that is rumored to reside here in Washington State.  It’s interesting to think that one of the most storied pilots in aviation history, someone who had logged time in hundreds of different high performance aircraft, chose to fly gliders for fun.

Thanks, Neil, for your many contributions to aviation, science, and human kind.