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This is a NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project transcript of astronaut James A. McDivitt, interviewed by Doug Ward at Elk Lake, Michigan, on 29 June 1999. McDivitt talks about flying F-86s in Korea, test pilot work at Edwards, and his first class at the Aerospace Research Pilot School. He also covers turning down Dyna-soar, joining NASA in 1962 and learning to be an Apollo Program Manager. He describes the Change Board and says decisions were not second-guessed.
“Nevers”36 pages
Johnson Space Center Oral History Project James A. McDivitt 29 June 1999 12-8 WARD: Just like the Space Shuttle. MCDIVITT: Yeah, kind—well, actually it was—no, it was a lot more screwed up than anything else I’ve ever seen! As a matter of fact, it was kind of funny because a month or two before I was out there, the Secretary of Defense I guess it was, had been out there and looked at it, and told them that they had to make it into a weapon system. And it reminded me of a B-17. About the only thing they didn’t have was a side-facing window with a .50- caliber machinegun in it! I think it was really bad. WARD: But Dyna-soar really did contribute a lot to Shuttle development. MCDIVITT: Oh yeah. Well, there were a lot of programs that did. You know, it was a lifting body concept and the landing thing, but it never flew. But anyway, when I went back and told him I wasn’t interested in that, I was informed that that was the first time that an Air Force test pilot had ever turned down a premier, “premier” program that the Air Force had! I said, “Well, I’m sorry. But it isn’t going to fly.” And of course, it didn’t. So anyway, there I was, assigned to the X-15 Program, the new project officer on the F-4, and then I’d been selected to go over to France and flight test a bunch of French airplanes for about a month. And just before I left, my boss called me in and said, “Jim, there’s going to be a NASA astronaut selection here while you’re gone. Do you want us to submit your name?” “No! Absolutely not!” He says, “Why not?” I said, “Well, you know, I want to fly the X-15. I want to stay here and fly airplanes, and that’s what I want to do.” And he said, “Okay.” So, he said, “I was hoping you’d say that.” So anyway, I went over to France and spent a month flight testing a bunch of their fighters and a bomber. Then came back, and I started getting involved in the X-15
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