Sir Patrick Moore. “I’ve met the first man to fly, the first man in space, and the first man on the Moon!”

Patrick Moore
F/Lt. RAF (Retd)

THE INCOMPARABLE PATRICK MOORE first learned to fly in Canada in 1939, in the RAF during WW2.  As the first Patron of Ufosa’s Touch The Sky Programme, helping sick, terminally ill and disabled children and their families, here he speaks about his life and career, and his meeting with the first man to fly, Orville Wright.

Patrick has been presenting The Sky At Night on the BBC for over 55 years, which makes him the world’s longest-serving TV presenter (and that’s official - it’s in The Guinness Book of Records!).  The UK’s favourite stargazer has been looking skywards since he was 6, his first published article (on the Moon) was written when he was only 14, and he has since written over 100 books including 60 on his great love, Astronomy. 

His somewhat eccentric personality has helped make him one of the UK’s best-loved personalities; and everyone knows of his musical xylophone-playing talents which were brought to fame when he appeared live on the Royal Variety Performance.  He was part of the Moon-mapping team for NASA prior to the Moon landings; an Asteroid has been named after him; and he was knighted in 2001.  Now aged 89, Patrick may not be as agile as he was, but the mind remains razor sharp.

In my totally undistinguished life, I can I think claim one distinction. There can be few people who know, or knew, the first airman, the first man in space and the first man on the Moon. Well, I met Orville Wright in 1940, Yuri Gagarin in 1961, and I have met Neil Armstrong many times since 1967, so that I feel I rather span the ages.

When war broke out I volunteered for the RAF. I admit that with regard to my age and my medical grade I was decidedly economical with the truth, but by the time that the authorities found out - in 1944 - it no longer mattered, and Flight-Lieutenant Caldwell-Moore was not even officially told that he had been a naughty boy. To be out of range of the Luftwaffe we were shuttled over to Canada for our initial training, and in the middle of the course we were given a few days’ leave. I decided to take a look at the United States, and I was lucky enough to hitch a ride in an RAF aircraft which was going there on some errand or other.

I had a second slice of luck. I had already published a few brief papers about the Moon – the first, ‘Small Craters in the Mare Crisium’, dated back to 1937, when I was fourteen - and I had joined one of the American scientific societies. They happened to be holding a meeting. I was invited to attend, and with some trepidation I accepted. On arrival I wondered whether a teenager wearing RAF uniform with a white flash in his cap would look out of place, but I need not have worried; everyone made me very welcome. It was then that I found out that the guest of honour was to be Orville Wright.

The Wright Brothers Wilbur and Orville (seated right) in 1909. Orville made the first powered flight in 1903, on 17 December.

They tossed a coin to see who would have the honour of making the first attempt. Wilbur won. He climbed into the cockpit; the engine was started - but the aeroplane failed to take off. Adjustments were made; then it was Orville’s turn. This time all went well. The aeroplane left the ground, and made a very brief, very low-altitude ‘hop’ with Orville in full control.

Other flyers followed. For some time nobody could match the Wrights, and it was some years before air travel became commonplace, but the Wrights had shown the way... Sadly, Wilbur did not see it; he died in 1912. He and Orville were in the air together only once, when they made an hour-long flight, with Orville piloting.

Read More