Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, 87, Now Oldest Person To Fly With U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
By Space Coast Daily // April 3, 2017
true American hero and pioneer
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, 87, the second man to walk on the moon, became the oldest person to ever fly with the U.S. Thunderbirds.
Aldrin flew with the Thunderbirds during the Air and Space Show on Sunday at the Orlando-Melbourne International Airport Sunday morning as they flew in the diamond formation over the Kennedy Space Center.
“Good to get back in the cockpit,” said Aldrin in a tweet. “I could get used to this.”
Aldrin is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and the Air Force said it was an honor to have Aldrin join the team.
“He is a true American hero and pioneer,” said the Air Force. “We are proud of his accomplishments and the legacy he represents every day.”
Since retiring from NASA and the U.S. Air Force, Aldrin, who earned a Doctorate of Science in Astronautics from MIT before being named an astronaut in 1963, has remained at the forefront of efforts to ensure America’s continued leadership in human space exploration.
The Florida Institute of Technology established the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute at the university in 2015, and Aldrin joined the faculty as a Research Professor of Aeronautics and serves as Senior Faculty Advisor for the Institute.
I could get used to this. @AFThunderbirds pic.twitter.com/Mvc8W5kgnj
— Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) April 2, 2017
