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When people have asked if I'd like to go in the Shuttle, I said you don't get to fly it, except for landing, which I'd love to do. I wouldn't go unless I could command it

Wally Schirra

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Wally Schirra
Age: 84 †
Born: 1923
Born: March 12
Died: 2007
Died: May 3
Aerospace Engineer
Aircraft Pilot
Astronaut
Autobiographer
Aviator
Businessperson
Test Pilot
United States Naval Aviator
Hackensack
New Jersey
Walter 'Wally' Marty Schirra
Jr.
Walter Marty Schirra
Jr.
Except
Asked
Unless
Wouldn
Love
Like
Shuttle
People
Landing
Command

More quotes by Wally Schirra

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I played English football - soccer - instead of American football, because we couldn't afford the equipment.
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As a child I went to a circus. They had a man shot out of a cannon into a net. I became intrigued with what was going on.
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I left Earth three times and found no other place to go. Please take care of Spaceship Earth.
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Each test pilot I know considers him, or herself, now that there are women, to be the very best. It's very demeaning to step down the ladder once in a while
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I don't go along with going to Moon first to build a launch pad to go to Mars. We should go to Mars from Earth orbit. We have already been to the Moon we've already practiced.
Wally Schirra
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Some of the wives didn't keep up with the program. It started breaking apart during the Apollo days.
Wally Schirra
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I had always wanted to go to the Navy. As a young kid, I was intrigued by a Naval Officer with the beautiful brown shoes and sharp gold wings.
Wally Schirra
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John Glenn craved the publicity. I think even John would admit that. When he went into politics, that became pretty obvious! He knew how to do public relations.
Wally Schirra
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When a test pilot comes off a flight, there is typically another pilot who is going to take it up, and he believes in the debriefing. You don't keep something to yourself
Wally Schirra
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Another real problem was over putting our helmets on for re-entry, because we all had severe head colds. They couldn't come up there and make us. Houston, you have a problem!
Wally Schirra
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Kennedy had made a mess in Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. He had to do something to look good. The Apollo program of going to the Moon was quite a goal.
Wally Schirra
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Apollo was a big, unwieldy vehicle. I had a problem with the flight controllers over that. It would try to fare its way like an airplane.
Wally Schirra
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We spent a lot of time in simulators. We were going to do it right.
Wally Schirra
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A little levity is appropriate in a dangerous trade.
Wally Schirra
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I've always thought space station is a great name. It should be like a gas station where we go for service and supplies before heading further out
Wally Schirra
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When a man looks across a street, sees a pretty girl, and waves at her, that's not a rendezvous, that's a passing acquaintance. When he walks across the street and nibbles on her ear, that's a rendezvous!
Wally Schirra
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I remember seeing war hero Jimmy Doolittle fly a Gee Bee racer there. He was my childhood hero. Many years later, I was lucky enough to go hunting with him.
Wally Schirra
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Kids today don't want to get married. Too many of their friends have been married and divorced already. They just don't believe in it
Wally Schirra
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Dad went to Canada to learn how to fly with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He took me on my first airplane ride, where I could have a hand on the stick.
Wally Schirra
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Levity is the lubricant of a crisis. We resort to jokes, pranks and good natured kidding to relieve tension, stress and boredom.
Wally Schirra