Jay Honeck wrote:
Gene Roddenbery was a heck of a good pilot.

FASCINATING (as Spock would say) story, Richard. Thanks for sharing it.

What was Roddenberry called again? That "Great Bird in the Sky" -- or
something to that effect?

Merely "The Great Bird".

However a number of Trek actors are pilots, including Dorn and Nimoy.
IIRC Dorn is qualified to fly jets -- there's a clause in his
Trek contracts that restricts him from flying while shooting the
films.

And remember the complete name of NASA -- National Aeronatics and Space
Administration.