Norman Black

Had a 24 year career in the US Air Force as a space systems operator. One of my military career highlights was working for NASA as a Space Shuttle Flight Controller at Johnson Space Center for four years. Retired in Aug 2001 at the rank of Colonel. Worked as a space systems engineer for two different aerospace companies. Officially retired from the rat race in May 2016. Wife and I enjoy SCUBA diving throughout the year. I help young students fly small experiments on high altitude weather balloons during the school year that reach 90,000+ feet in altitude.

I remember walking across the senior quad area during lunch as a 10th grader on a dare. I felt lucky not to get caught and stuffed into a trash can by some of the seniors. I also remember the large peace symbol that was painted on the quad and how students tried to protect it from the sand blasting crew who were hired to remove it. I enjoyed bringing my surfboard to summer school in my '57 Ford station wagon and leaving directly after school for the beach to catch a few waves before heading home.