Passing of a legend

[Robert Whitley]

Chris Kraft who ran NASA’ s mission control for decades passed away yesterday.
At least he lived long enough to have the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo eleven moon landing happen in his very full lifetime.

[Dick Tyndall]

   My Mother worked with Chris Kraft at NACA at Langley Field, Virginia in the mid to late '40's. My Mom is 93 and remembers him from back then.  She was friends with NACA Test Pilot Bob Champine's first wife. Bob Champine was the 4th or 5th person to break the sound barrier ( I checked the online bio. He was the 6th man ) after Chuck Yeager did it  in the X-1. I flew at a lot of Free Flight contests back in the '70's and early '80's in Virginia where Bob Champine was a contestant. My Dad knew him well for years. I had no idea who he really was until years later. You can find a biography about him online which was written by his second wife. Interesting reading!

            Dick Tyndall