NBAA Mourns Passing of Famed Astronaut, Aviation Legend Jim Lovell

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) marked the passing of retired NASA astronaut, U.S. Navy pilot and industry advocate Capt. James Arthur (“Jim”) Lovell Jr. by reflecting on both the famed aviator’s legacy and his support for general aviation (GA) at a critical moment. Lovell passed away Aug. 7 at age 97.

A four-time astronaut, Lovell is best known for commanding the ill-fated Apollo 13 moon mission in April 1972. Thanks to the resourcefulness of NASA engineers, mission controllers and the three-man crew, what could have been a devastating tragedy instead resulted in one of the space agency’s finest moments.

Upon his retirement from NASA in 1973, Lovell continued to be active in the aviation community. In 2017, he lent his voice in strong support of general aviation’s objections to privatization of the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system – a concept under consideration at the time.

That year, Lovell joined fellow aerospace icons Gen. Lloyd “Fig” Newton and Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger; renowned American aerobatic pilot and aviation legend Sean Tucker; and multiplatinum artist and accomplished pilot Dierks Bentley in an NBAA video highlighting the leaders’ significant concerns over ATC privatization. View the 2017 ATC privatization video on NBAA’s YouTube channel.

ATC privatization is “a solution in search of a problem,” Lovell declared in the video, produced by NBAA in support of the GA community’s “ATC Not For Sale” advocacy campaign. Lovell later reiterated the same message at that year’s NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE).

“Jim Lovell is an American hero who represented his country and all of humanity with distinction,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “We will remember him not only for his leadership in the fight against turning over our ATC system to a monopoly, but also his powerful example in maintaining focus and strength in the face of adversity.”

After completing his naval flight training in February 1954, Lovell’s first assignment was operating the service’s earliest carrier-based jet fighters, ultimately completing 107 carrier deck landings. In January 1958, he transferred to the Naval Air Test Center (now the U.S Naval Test Pilot School) where Lovell graduated at the top of his class.

Lovell was later selected as part of NASA’s second astronaut class. His first mission was as pilot of Gemini 7, joining Commander Frank Borman on a 14-day long endurance flight that included the first on-orbit rendezvous of two U.S. spacecraft. He was later named commander of the final Gemini 12 mission.

In December 1968, Lovell served as command module pilot of Apollo 8, with Borman again commanding the flight. Along with astronaut Bill Anders, the three men were the first humans to orbit the moon.

Lovell continued to draw upon his experiences at NASA and in the military throughout his life. In addition to sharing the harrowing tale of his first-ever night carrier landing at 2017 NBAA-BACE – a lesson in resilience that would later serve him well on Apollo 13 – Lovell also discussed the importance of encouraging future generations to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace.

“There are lots of young people that are still very much interested in space technology [and] all aspects of aviation,” he told NBAA-TV in an interview held during that year’s convention. “We ought to encourage them to keep going ahead, because I think there’s a bright future still in aviation and space technology that hasn’t been explored yet.” View Lovell’s 2017 NBAA-TV interview on NBAA’s YouTube channel.