James Keith Sowell

05-07-1954Date of Birth | Little Rock, Arkansas

PROGRAMS:

U.S. Space Shuttle Program

COMPANIES:

LOCATIONS:

England AFB, Louisiana, USA; RAF Upper Heyford, England, UK.

POSITIONS:

Aircraft Maintenance Technician

COMMENTS:

I worked on the first 3 Space Shuttles as a training and safety officer (NCOIC) for Crash Recovery in the U.S. Air Force at RAF Upper Heyford in England, UK from 1979-82. We were the alternate emergency landing facility for the primary landing site at Zaragoza, Spain.  I waited on the end of the runway 3 times until the Space Shuttle flew past our facility. After this assignment my tour was finished and I was shipped back to stateside. Prior to this assignment (1977-79) I was stationed at England AFB in Louisiana and I serviced all of the T-38 NASA trainers and knew all of the original Shuttle Astronauts personally. They all stopped for fuel while traveling from KSC to Houston for training.