Report: Drunk astronauts were allowed to fly

The Miama Herald ^ | July 26, 2007 | MARTIN MERZER

[ExSES]

Is the The Mousetrap & Satellite Lounge the one depicted in The Right Stuff where there are women swimming in a tank behind the bar (a connected pool?)?

Such a joint may have existed in the area but, I never set foot in one. Hollywood always take liberties to hype scripts! The Mousetrap and the Satellite Lounge were two watering holes several miles apart...

[Ditto]

But then, I'm pretty old-school.

LOL. I recall my Father's advice...

"Son, don't ever trust a guy who doesn't drink, smoke or swear because he's probably hiding some really terrible vice."

[GOPmember]

[Ditto]

They'd kill their grannies for a Glory Ride. That's why you have billionaires paying Russia $30M for a trip.

I'll tell you honestly... if I had $30 million to blow, I'd give it to the Russians for a ride up there. IMHO, it would be a thrill well worth the money (and the significant risk of instant death.)

But that doesn't mean I wouldn't be jumpy as a cat on launch day and if there was a watering hole near the boarding gate, I'd sure as hell have a few just to calm my nerves.

If you aren't nervous doing that, even today, you are an idiot. Way back then, you had to be way out on the edge to get on top of one of those rockets.

[CholeraJoe]

Question: Doesn't the act of cooking take out most of the alcohol via evaporation?

Ordinarily. Most cooks add the rum after baking, though.

[Grampa Dave]

The good thing about being on a US Navy Ship was the no booze rules.

So if we were not working or not on watch, we were sober or trying to get some sleep.

One time our ship had to leave port with about 1/3 of the crew on board to before a hurricane hit. A couple of cabs bought about 10 ship’s crew members from various bars, courtesy of the shore patrol. I was standing gangway watch, and all were sent below or to the mess deck to sober up. They didn’t get near anything mechanical, lines and other gear. They were some miserable puppies as we hit some of the early winds and pitching seas from the hurricane as we left port. A lot of prayers to Buick were offered in the heads in our first 24 hours at sea.

I knew a couple of Docs, who served on carriers. There was zero tolerance re alcohol and any medicine impacting CNS for pilots and skittles. I believe the Navy was the first to ground pilots if they had to take the old sedating and long acting anti histamines.

[BIGLOOK]

Just wanted to emphasize that this wasn't the norm. We basically had three flight crews rotating missions, three a day. We were limited in the number of personnel allowed in country. Only during bad weather could we expect some down time.....but that was not due to our operational capabilities. NVA and NVNAF lacked all weather capabilities.

I was on the USS King, DLG 10 for about 60 days TDY. After leaving Yankee Station with Enterprise TF headed to Hong Kong for liberty. Yippers!

We were supposed to be in port for six days but a typhoon was heading our way and the CTF set sail south after four and a half. The crew returning to their ships were pretty much in the condition you described and the as the sea conditions worsened.....bad to really bad....so did below decks. The NSG stayed in our spaces for two days rather than spend any time in berthing.

A QMCS gave us a little lesson for measuring pitch and roll. Had us tape a string with a pencil as a pendant to the bulkhead...and measure the arc with a pencil line. He told us that past 45 degrees the antennae and radar dishes would fall off. We came close a few times.

[Ditto]

He told us that past 45 degrees the antennae and radar dishes would fall off. We came close a few times.

I have lunch a few times a week with on old salt who was a fly guy in the Pacific during WWI and survived "Halsey's Typhoon."

When I saw a review of the book here on FreeRepublic, I bought it for him (I haven't had a chance to read it myself) but my old friend's review after he finished it was --- "Young'n, from what I can remember way back then, that's just the way it was. Three days of nothing to eat but crackers."

He said they had to cut the end of the flight deck off afterwords because the waves had bent it forward. This old guy is a national treasure and just as damn tough now as he was in 1944. I love talking to him.

[Ditto]

Make that WWII instead of WWI.

[BIGLOOK]

Three days of nothing to eat but crackers."

That sounds right.....but in the modern Navy during the VN conflict, the brave mess men would send out sandwiches, bologna on stale bread.......often with imprints of shoe soles on them.

Remember the old salt's prayer?

O Lord....Thy sea is so big and my boat is so small.

[Ditto]

O Lord....Thy sea is so big and my boat is so small.

Good prayer. And it don't matter how damn big your boat is. The sea is always the boss.

[Grampa Dave]

Don’t want to be on any ship doing a 45+ er. An unexpected 30+ can take out the diesils and power systems. Did that once.

[Nachoman]

Considering the safety record of the shuttle, I think I’d need a little liquid courage to get on.

[Mamzelle]

Puts a whole new meaning on the name, “Buzz”—

[r9etb]

In “The Right Stuff” the showed Grissom at a bar with the dimes he was going to take with him on the launch. It sure seemed like this was the night before the launch. I’m sure Hollywood wouldn’t mislead me!

The reason why no facts were harmed in the making of that movie is because facts had been banished from the set.

That is one movie that didn't stand the test of time -- I tried to watch it on video with my kids, but it was so bad we turned it off.

[Mamzelle]

The Johson Space Center had(has?) an on-site taxi service to transport technical personnel all over the “campus.” Some of them even worked at night. They might know a lot more about this than anyone.