After a four-year tour of duty, he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, where his instructor was his future Apollo 12 Commander, Pete Conrad.
Setelah empat tahun bertugas, ia menghadiri Sekolah Pilot Uji Coba Angkatan Laut Amerika Serikat di Lanudal Patuxent River, Maryland, di mana instrukturnya adalah Komandan Apollo 12 masa depannya, Pete Conrad.