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    Neil Armstrong: Young Pilot
    Neil Armstrong: Young Pilot
    Neil Armstrong: Young Pilot
    Ebook120 pages1 hour

    Neil Armstrong: Young Pilot

    By Montrew Dunham and Meryl Henderson

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    About this ebook

    Learn about the early years of the first person to step foot on the moon, a historic feat he described as "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAladdin
    Release dateJun 30, 2008
    ISBN9781439112342
    Neil Armstrong: Young Pilot
    Author

    Montrew Dunham

    Montrew Dunham is the author of a number of historical biographies for young readers in the popular Childhood of Famous Americans series. When she isn’t writing, she loves spending time with her family, children, and grandchildren in Illinois and Texas.

    Read more from Montrew Dunham

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      Book preview

      Neil Armstrong - Montrew Dunham

      Dear Reader:

      The Childhood of famous Americans series, seventy years old in 2002, chronicles the early years of famous American men and women in an accessible manner. Each hook is faithful in spirit to the values and experiences that influenced the person’s development. History is fleshed out with fictionalized details, and conversations have been added to make the stories come alive to today’s reader, but every reasonable effort has been made to make the stories consistent with the events, ethics, and character of their subjects.

      These books reaffirm the importance of our American heritage. We hope you learn to love the heroes and heroines who helped shape this great country. And by doing so, we hope you also develop a lasting love for the nation that gave them the opportunity to make their dreams come true. It will do the same for you.

      Happy Reading!

      The Editors

      Neil Armstrong

      Young Flyer

      Illustrated by Meryl Henderson

      Neil Armstrong

      Young Flyer

      by Montrew Dunham

      ALADDIN PAPERBACKS

      First Aladdin Paperbacks edition August 1996

      Text copyright © 1996 by Montrew Dunham

      Illustrations copyright © 1996 by Meryl Henderson

      Aladdin Paperbacks

      An imprint of Simon & Schuster

      Children’s Publishing Division

      1230 Avenue of the Americas

      New York, NY 10022

      www.SimonandSchuster.com

      All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form CHILDHOOD OF FAMOUS AMERICANS is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

      ALADDIN PAPERBACKS and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

      The text of this book was set in New Caledonia

      Manufactured in the United States of America

      20 22 24 26 28 30 29 27 25 23 21 19

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Dunham, Montrew

      Neil Armstrong / Montrew Dunham.

      p. cm.—(Childhood of famous Americans series)

      Summary: Presents the childhood of the astronaut who became the first man to walk on the moon.

      ISBN-13: 978-0-689-80995-8

      ISBN-13: 978-0-689-80995-8

      eISBN-13: 978-1-439-11234-2

      ISBN-10: 0-689-80995-6

      1. Armstrong, Neil, 1930—Juvenile literature.

      2. Astronauts—United States—Biography—Juvenile literature.

      [1. Armstrong, Neil, 1930—Childhood and youth. 2. Astronauts.]

      I. Title.

      II. Series.

      TL789.85.A75D86 1996

      629.45′0092—dc20

      [B]

      96-19086

      Illustrations

      Full pages

      Neil saw the big Ford Tri-Motor on the runway.

      Neil dreamed he was floating.

      Grandmother stepped out on the front porch.

      Neil carefully put the markings on the plane.

      The boys rode their hikes over the dusty road.

      They sat around the campfire.

      Neil saw the scarlet male cardinal in the tree.

      Kotcho and Bud got a first prize of Superior.

      Neil started taking flying lessons.

      I got the scholarship, Mom!

      They saw the Agena gleaming in the sunshine.

      The astronauts spent long hours training.

      I’m at the foot of the ladder.

      The command module floated down into the Pacific Ocean.

      Numerous smaller illustrations

      Dedicated to my grandchildren

      Mackenzie, Sara, Lauren, Griffin, and Graham.

      Contents

      The Tin Goose

      The First Plane

      A Special Trip

      Great-Grandfather Koetter

      The Wolf Patrol

      Camping Out

      A Scout’s Pace

      Winner and Lessons

      Another New School

      Flying Lessons

      Airplanes to Astronauts

      Successes and Failures

      Preparations

      The First Man on the Moon

      A Hero’s Welcome Home

      Spaces Vocabulary

      The Tin Goose

      NEIL ARMSTRONG WAS six years old when he had his first airplane ride in the Ford Tri-Motor plane, but he had been interested in planes and flying long before that!

      When Neil was only two years old his father had taken him to the National Air Show to watch the airplane races at the Cleveland airport. He loved planes from that moment on.

      Neil’s father, Stephen Armstrong, worked for the state of Ohio, visiting towns to look at their financial records. He had many friends who also did this same kind of work. When they were finished in one town, they all moved on to another to begin again.

      Neil’s family lived in Cleveland when Neil was very young. While they were there, his father would often take him to the airport to watch the planes taking off and landing. Four years later the Armstrong family moved to Warren, Ohio.

      One Sunday morning in July of 1936, Mr. Armstrong said, I understand that there is a very interesting plane coming into the airport this morning.

      Viola Armstrong, Neil’s mother, was setting the breakfast out on the kitchen table. Neil and his three-year-old sister, June, were sitting at the table, and baby brother Dean was in his high chair.

      Mrs. Armstrong placed a large plate of scrambled eggs with bacon on the table and poured orange juice for the children. Mr. Armstrong served the two older children while Mrs. Armstrong placed Dean’s food on the tray of his high chair.

      Is it a small plane? Neil asked.

      No, as a matter of fact, it’s a very big plane, made of metal, his father said.

      Does it have a name?

      Yes. It’s a Ford Tri-Motor, but it’s called the Tin Goose.

      The Tin Goose? Why?

      Because some people think it looks like tin, and it’s shaped a little like a big flying goose. It’s actually made of aluminum, not tin. Aluminum is a ridged metal, and makes the plane very strong.

      How many people can go up in it at one time? Neil asked.

      About twelve passengers … perhaps even fourteen, his father said.

      How fast will it go?

      Mr. Armstrong smiled as he answered Neil’s questions. I believe about one hundred miles an hour, maybe even a little faster … one hundred and ten or so.

      Neil’s eyes widened as he thought about how fast that would be … and how exciting!

      Can we go see it? Neil asked.

      I heard that it will be taking off for Columbus, Ohio, shortly after noon. It will probably be gone by the time we get home from church, his father said.

      Mrs. Armstrong didn’t stop feeding baby Dean, but she could see Neil out of the corner of her eyes. He didn’t say anything. He just dropped his head and looked at his plate. His mouth drew down in disappointment.

      Mrs. Armstrong looked up at the clock. It’s eight o’clock. If you can be dressed by eight-thirty, you would have time to go out to the airport for nearly an hour before Sunday school and church. That is, if your father is willing to take you.

      She tightened her mouth to keep her smile from showing. She knew that Mr. Armstrong wanted to see the plane as much as Neil did.

      Can we go, Dad? Neil asked as he hopped up from the table.

      Have you finished your breakfast?

      Neil nodded.

      Get dressed, then, and we’ll go.

      Mr. Armstrong smiled at his wife. He was glad she understood how much Neil wanted to see the big plane. We’ll be back in time for church. We’ll meet you there.

      The Armstrongs went to church every Sunday, and Mrs. Armstrong taught Sunday school.

      Neil dressed quickly and ran back into the kitchen, his blue eyes shining. Can we go right now?

      His father laughed. Well, not this very minute. Let me finish my breakfast.

      Neil could hardly wait.

      All right, Neil, let’s go, his father said finally.

      As they walked onto the airfield, Neil saw the

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