Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

December 1967
December 1 : General aviation (nonairline) pilots in 1966 flew 104,706 air-
craft a record 3.3 billion mi in 21 million hrs, consuming 512 million gal
of gasoline and jet fuel, FAA reported. The 10% increase in number of
active general aviation aircraft over the 95,44+2 in 1965 was largest
yearly increase since 1946. Miles flown increased by 30% and hours by
26%. Most active segment of general aviation operations was business
flying, which accounted for 33% of total hours and 46% of total miles.
(FAA Release 67-84)
* At dedication of Georgia Institute of Technology’s Space Science and Tech-
nology Center, NASA Administrator James E. Webb reviewed NASA-
Georgia Tech relationships : “In the first year of the NASA Traineeship pro-
gram, Georgia Tech was one of the ten original schools. It is one of
five schools . . . that started NASA’s new program of Systems Design
Traineeships in September. . . , Thirty-eight NASA regular trainees and
five design trainees are enrolled at Georgia Tech this fall.
“The . . . Center we are dedicating is one of 36 such facilities that
NASA has helped to build and support on university campuses . . . in a
very real sense a new and valuable kind of ‘capital asset’ that will pay
dividends to our nation-and to the states in which they are located-
for many years to come. Here . . . for example, in the past few years
NASA has invested $6.5 million for research, training, and the facility
dedicatedtoday. . . .
“Even under our reduced budget NASA is sponsoring sustaining re-
search here at a level of some $300,000 annually. . . . In project re-
search, NASA has funded a cumulative total of some $2.1 million at this
university. . . . The total picture of cooperation . . . would also in-
clude a cooperative student program . . . started with . . . NACA, in
1952. There are currently 31 Georgia Tech cooperative students at [ MSC]
and six at [LaRc] . More than 125 Georgia Tech alumni are employees of
[MSC], and 60 alumni are at [LaRC]. . . .” (Text)
* Frank J. Magliato, Special Assistant to the NASA Administrator, was ap-
pointed NASA Executive Secretary, replacing John R. Biggs, who became
Special Assistant to the Associate Administrator for Advanced Research
and Technology. (NASA Ann, 12/1/67)
* ERC Director James C. Elms announced the appointment of Dr. Richard J.
Hayes, Chief of ERC’S Space Guidance Laboratory, as ERC Assistant Di-
rector. In his new position Dr. Hayes would become one of five Assistant
Directors and would manage activities of two of the center’s nine labora-
tories. He would be responsible for research in guidance and control
of future aeronautical and space vehicles. (ERG Release 61-40)
December 2: 25th anniversary of first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear re-
action, achieved by the late Enrico Fermi at Univ. of Chicago in 1942.
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