John Elmer Blaha (born August 26, 1942, in San Antonio, Texas) is an engineer, retired United States Air Force Colonel and a former NASA astronaut. Married to the former Brenda I. Walters of St. Louis, Missouri, they have three grown children and two grandchildren.
Blaha graduated from Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1960; received a bachelor of science in engineering science from the United States Air Force Academy in 1965 and a mast...
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John Elmer Blaha (born August 26, 1942, in San Antonio, Texas) is an engineer, retired United States Air Force Colonel and a former NASA astronaut. Married to the former Brenda I. Walters of St. Louis, Missouri, they have three grown children and two grandchildren.
Blaha graduated from Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1960; received a bachelor of science in engineering science from the United States Air Force Academy in 1965 and a master of science in astronautical engineering from Purdue University in 1966.
Blaha received his pilot wings at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, in 1967. He was subsequently assigned as an operational pilot flying F-4, F-102, F-106, and A-37 aircraft (completing 361 combat missions in Vietnam). He attended the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in 1971, and piloted the NF-104 research aircraft to 104,400 feet. Following graduation, he served as an F-104 instructor pilot at the test pilot school, teaching...
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