Enchanting People of New Mexico - Sidney Gutierrez

The Fresh Chile Company Podcast

Today I’m talking about Sid Gutierrez, who had a dream and then did so much more afterwards. What he knew was that he wanted to go into space as an astronaut and that there were steps which must be taken. First was to be the top of his high school class at Valley High School in Albuquerque and get an appointment to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. There he must distinguish himself and be allowed to become a fighter pilot. Then he must get assigned to the Test Pilot School and do well. Finally, when all the pieces were in place then he could compete to become an astronaut for NASA. And friends, Sidney McNeill Gutierrez did each of those steps day by day, month by month year by year so that after logging over 4,500 flying hours in about 30 different types of airplanes he was selected by NASA in May 1984. His dream from high school took 15 hard years of work, but as you will see that work paid great dividends in 1991 with him going into space and the next 33 years as he filled several roles in NASA, in the Air Force as a Colonel and after retirement when he then used that training and experience to serve in other capacities. But first, going into space as the first Hispanic Space Shuttle Pilot was the next thing on his dream list.

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