Box office hit ‘First Man’ has local connections
Longtime Lewes resident William Ayrey, has worked at ILC Dover in Frederica for 40 years as a specialist in quality control, testing space suits used by NASA.
He began working at ILC seven years after Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, yet Ayrey recalls the worldwide interest in Armstrong’s mission.
“I was just a teenager when I was able to watch Neil Armstrong take those first steps on the moon, and experiencing something like that is life-changing. Little did I know that I would have a great opportunity to work for the company that helped contribute technology and protective measures surrounding the space suits that were used on that mission, and to this day as technology continues to change,” Ayrey said.
“Not many people are aware of the types of momentous projects we work on at such a diversified company like ILC, and how Delaware has a little connection to space right in our backyard,” he said.
Still, even Ayrey was surprised when he received a phone call from veteran Universal Studios sound engineer Frank Montano, who needed access to an Apollo-era space suit for an upcoming movie.
Ayrey was thrilled at the opportunity to help.
Universal’s Montano and Alex Knickerbocker traveled to ILC to research sounds for the movie “First Man.” Museums were not at liberty to allow for sound testing of their suits, but ILC was.
Ayrey said Montano and his co-worker arrived on a Saturday to record for more than eight hours, capturing sounds of the helmet, gloves and gas connectors going on the suit; as well as the sound of air flowing into the suit.
All these sounds were recorded, engineered and used in the movie, which recently opened at the box office. But on Oct. 5, William attended an exclusive premiere in Hollywood at the Alfred Hitchcock Theater, right on the Universal Studios Lot.
“It was such an honor to be involved in such a unique process, and to see it come together on screen was amazing.
“The movie was very authentic and factual regarding Neil Armstrong and the event, making sure to collaborate with his sons and the author of the book, ‘First Man,’ and many others to be as accurate as possible,” he said.
As the 50th anniversary of Armstrong’s 1969 mission approaches, and with private companies now planning space travel, Ayrey said he has been contacted by other directors and historians because of ILC’s work with the space program.
Ayrey said for him, the most important thing is to educate younger people about how far technology has come, so they do not forget the humble beginnings of those who came before.
