Robert Gibson > Quotes

“If our dreams are a reflection of our thoughts, then surely, our life is the foundation of our soul.”
― Robert Gibson

“The steering on the ground for the MiG-15 was done using differential braking and was powered by an air bottle using a brake lever on the control stick. With the rudder pedals centered, activating the brake lever applied both the right and left brakes, while depressing one rudder pedal and the brake lever resulted in only the left or right brake for ground steering. The air bottle was filled before every flight since there wasn’t an onboard air compressor, so once I started taxiing, I was gradually depleting the brake air supply. I needed to be judicious with the brakes because I needed them not only to take off, but also after landing.”
― Robert Gibson, Space Ace: A Combat Pilot’s Journey from Vietnam to Beyond Earth

“I knew the most meaningful performance debriefings emphasized what a pilot did well, and what could improve. I made it a point to do the same with my astronauts—tell them what they excelled at, and if it applied, what I wanted them to change. As a leader, you owe it to your personnel to share with them how to get better. Occasionally, this was difficult for my astronauts to hear, and it was hard on me, too.”
― Robert Gibson, Space Ace: A Combat Pilot’s Journey from Vietnam to Beyond Earth

“It still amazes me to this day that in such a small group of deeply accomplished people as our astronaut class, anyone could feel they deserved to be the first ones named to fly, rather than their peers, and I can only guess that it must have been due to inflated egos. I believe it’s important to never let your ego get in your way.”
― Robert Gibson, Space Ace: A Combat Pilot’s Journey from Vietnam to Beyond Earth