Chris Owen Quotes - Best Lines & Interviews

Memorable Quotes from Chris Owen

2 quotes

October Sky

Classroom Dispute Over Rocket Experiment

Principal Turner In the first place, you are not a member of this classroom.

Homer Hickam Jr Neither are you, Mr. Turner.

[students chuckle]

Freida Riley Why don't you let the boy defend himself?

Turner And in the second place, this rocket proves nothing. You've already admitted having lost a number of your rockets. You cannot prove conclusively that another one of them didn't start that fire.

Hickam Yes, I can.

[starts drawing diagram of rocket trajectory]

Turner Are we to conclude, Mr. Hickam, that since leaving school, you've not only become an expert in rocket science, but in the field of trigonometry?

Hickam I didn't say that I was a rock-

Turner Obviously, you learned more in the coal mines than you did in high school.

[students chuckle again]

Riley Let the boy talk. Go ahead, Homer.

Hickam Now, that fire was near Welch, just under three miles from our launch pad. And at the time of the fire, the best that we could do was 1.2 miles which is exactly where we found that rocket, Mr. Turner. See, Mr. Turner, that rocket fell for about 14 seconds, which means that it flew to an altitude of 3,000 feet according to the equation "S" equals one-half "A" "T" squared. Where "S" is the altitude, "A" is the gravity constant or 32 and "T" is the time it took for that rocket to come back down. Velocity equals acceleration times time.

[Explains diagram; writes on blackboard]

Quentin Wilson Get him, Homer, get him.

[mutters]

Hickam Are you following this, Mr. Turner?

[students laugh again]

Turner All right, we're all duly impressed. But do you mind telling me, if you did not start that fire, who did?

October Sky

Discussion on Rocket Launch Conditions

Homer Hickam Jr Hey, was there a wind that day?

[thinks for a moment]

Quentin Wilson Uh, I don't remember.

Homer Cause if there was, the wind probably came from the west, which means that it would've pushed the rocket...'...right there.

[raises his hand to point in the relative direction, then looks and slowly smiles]

Quentin Prodigious!