Cdr John M Moore 1923-2002

John Moore’s career in aerospace spanned thirty-two years, from WWII fighter pilot to manager of Apollo checkout operations for Rockwell at Kennedy Space Center

He was born in 1923 and joined the US Navy as an aviation cadet during WWII. He flew his first combat missions during the Korean war. As a fighter pilot he served two tours of combat and was severely injured during the first. He eventually landed in the Navy flight test program at Pax River and graduated in class IV in 1953.

Assigned to Flight Test, NATC John flew initial carrier suitability tests on four Navy airplanes, including Grumman F-11F. He was project pilot for the Navy’s flexible check landing program at NATC. As engineering test pilot and Chief, Flight Test Projects, Rockwell, Columbus , Ohio , he flew aero and structural test programs on FJ-3, FJ-4, FJ-4B and T2-J aircraft. He was active for 5 years in the development of Navy A3J-1 and RA5C Mach 2 attack and reconnaissance airplanes. John participated in aero, stability and control, electronic and armament development and demo programs on A3J, and RA5C. He performed aero and structural demos on T2B jet trainer, and was Project Pilot on rocket boost FJ-4.

He left active Navy service to enter the employ of North American Aviation as a test pilot in 1957. After many years of experimental flight, he joined North American’s Apollo program and was present for the disastrous fire that killed three astronauts in 1957. At Cape Kennedy , he was Manager Apollo checkout ops, Rockwell, from the establishment of the test team through and launch of nine Apollo spacecraft. He left North American in 1970 and went into business, then ran for and was elected Mayor of cocoa Beach, FL in 1975. He died in 2002.