+ 1970 News Releases (7.6 Mb PDF file) - NASA

NElL ARMSTRONG PRESS CONFERENCE, 5-18-70, 2:28P NA]/1
McLEAISH All of you gentlemen have r,=ceived copies
of [he news release we put out a few minutes ago, so what
I think we'll ds is just open it to questions that you might
have of Mr. Armstrong.
QUERY Nr. Armstrong, what led you to decide to
stop flying or to close all opportunity to future space
flights
ARMSTONG You're presuming a lot. I s_!spect that when
we're both 70, we'll still be flying in space. Although it
is true that I will off active astronaut status, I intend
to keep current and maintain a flying status. I think that
it is important to the understanding of this new job.
QUERY Nell, I'm curious. Why did you decide to
take this new position
ARMSTONG Well, as you know, I've been a long-time
aviation enthusiast and have been in aeronautical research
for the majority of my career with NASA. I look forward
to this opportunity to move back into the aeronautics side
because I feel there is a great challenge in the aeronautical
industry these days. There is challenge in hypersonics,
supersonic civil aviation, in military aviation, in genera]
aviation and, prDbably most important, in the research that
leads to the new generation of aircraft that we can't even
foresee at this time .
QUERY As far as maintaining flying status is
concerned, could you explain that a little bit more
ARMSTONG I mean, place myself in a status where I
was currently flying wide variety of aircraft types. I
currently fly jet aircraft, helicopters, light aircraft,
that is general aircraft, and even sailplanes and I would
anticipate continuing doing that.
QUERY Do you feel that the 1971 fiscal budget
of 87 million is sufficient for your program
ARMSTRONG I think that there is a great deal that we
can do with the '71 budget. I won't have any difficulty,
in foreseeing how that can be used. I think we will have
an additional number of programs that we'd like to get into
that that funding will not allow but I would hope that our
programs will earn their way toward a higher priority in tile
budget in years to come.
QUERY Do you have any kind of personal predictions,
say, as to what the average citizen's connection with aviation
is going to be 20 years from now with what it: is today
Such as a personal plane or anything along those lines
ARMSTRGONG Well, prophecy is very difficult for
me but I do believe that aviation will conti_tue to be a strong
force -
END OF TAPE