The Wrong Stuff: Flying on the Edge of Disaster

by John Moore

Author John Moore is the "cat with nine lives" of the aviation fraternity. From his early days as a Naval Aviation Cadet he had a knack for flying but seemed to be in the neighborhood of disaster. Through two Korean combat tours, Navy test operations, his years as test pilot for North American Aviation, and the space program he was associated with many near and some real catastrophes.

Genres: Memoir, Aviation

214 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1989

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.

Other authors publishing under this name are:

John Moore, US SF & fantasy writer
John Moore, languages
John Moore, British author and pioneer conservationist
John Moore
John Moore, Scottish physician and writer
John Moore, English clergyman of Puritan views

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent portrayal of early jet navel aviation written not in the style of the egotistical career naval officer but from a normal human being.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cdr. John Moore was a Carrier Pilot, Test Pilot and an Aircraft Development Executive during the '40s, '50s and '60s, a "Golden Age" of Aircraft and Spacecraft lore. His account is full of derring do and quick thinking solutions to life-threatening situations. Understatement and dry humour power the book along as a pretty exciting flying life is laid out. The author starts as a Carrier pilot in late WWII, flying F6F Hellcats and then the F8 Bearcat. Soon we get Jets and Korea, the FH-1 Phantom I and the F9F Panther from Grumman. Then Moore moved to Test piloting and we get stories of the Buckeye the Cutlass, and the Vigilante, planes developed in the late 50s and early 60s. Moore was also an executive on the ill-fated Apollo I mission, and so we end with the sobering review of the testing after that disaster - where Moore used all his previous experiences to establish new protocols to avoid future problems, procedures that would allow the program to continue. Throughout, the author's understated style with ample use of dry humorous anecdotes makes for clear and pleasant sailing, even when the topics get dark. Death is everywhere in this book, as Moore impresses one with the risks,but without making the whole tone dark and depressing. Junior readers may find the constant use of pilot's jargon a challenge, but will be rewarded. Gamers/Modellers/Military enthusiasts will use this on background, for which it is good, but I am not sure if Scenarios/Dioramas will be improved.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wrong Stuff chronicles Moore’s years in the US Navy through training during the WWII years, two tours in the Korean War, his years as a test pilot at Pax River, and his years after leaving the Navy with the North American’s Apollo program.

The opening chapter details the circumstances of a freak accident onboard the USS Essex during Moore’s first Korean tour, which left Moore severely burned. Even recalling the grim moments when the skin on his face and hands burned black and peeled off, Moore retained his sense of wry humor (“The chill is normal, don’t worry about it. It comes from shock.” “I think it’s coming from my wet pants, doc.”)

Moore’s experiences held my attention throughout the entire book; however, I do think that The Wrong Stuff lacks a certain polish that would have made this really good memoir exceptional. Without a strong, central storyline, the plot meanders. It seems as though the book was written as Moore recalled his memories, but it should have been edited at least structurally to help the events flow more smoothly.

The only discernable message that tied the events of the book together was Moore’s judgments of men either having the “wrong stuff” or—as Tom Wolfe coined—the “right stuff.”

And though Moore’s self-deprecating style would have you believe he only survived his many years strapped to fighter jets by sheer dumb luck, it’s quite apparent that he has more than his share of the “right stuff.”

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Naval aviator's account of his life; especially his insights into the Mercury accident in 1967 and the Tailhook scandal of 1991. Good flying stories too.