Document Type: Presentation (Industry).

Purpose: Informational.

Authority: Author Expertise.

Scope: 25th Wings Club General Harold R. Harris "Sight" Lecture, presented May 18, 1988 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York by Neil A. Armstrong, aviator, test pilot and first human on the moon.

Contents (from the Introduction): "First let me thank the Wings Club for the privilege of delivering the 25th General Harold R. Harris 'Sight' Lecture. In rereading the General's remarks of 4 years ago, in preparation for this occasion, I was moved by the depth and breadth of his experience and associations in his 8 decades in Aeronautics. Having been a pilot myself for a mere 42 years, and having little more than half of General Harris's tenure in aviation, I felt myself at a considerable disadvantage, not only to General Harris, but to all the prior lecturers. Nevertheless, a great joy of my life has been the opportunity I have been given to meet, know, or work with so many of the great achievers in the world of flight— including most of the past 'Sight' Lecture presenters.

Knowing that many in this audience exceed my experience and knowledge in matters aeronautical, I sought a theme which would be somewhat outside the focus of the majority. I hoped to find something old that was also new, and I will admit, reduce the chances of being corrected by those in the audience who knew the facts better than I.

It is my hope, in this brief paper, to give some insight into the history and unique problems confronted in developing methods for flying a machine over the lunar surface. The challenges of safely transporting that machine from the earth to the moon are outside the scope of this paper and will not be included. The subject of lunar flying covered only one decade — marginally qualifying it for the scope of the 'Sight' Lecture. But I hope its uniqueness compensates for its brief history."