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Space Shuttle Flies Over DC

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 1:56 pm
by JimPage
Hey!

This morning the space shuttle Discovery, atop its 747, flew over the District of Columbia on its way to its new home at Dulles Airport in Virginia.

Courtesy of local radio station WTOP, which has lots of photos of the event, here is a view that pretty closely approximates from I was able to see from my back deck:
Image

I had a pair of binoculars in my hands, at the ready, but when the shuttle became visible between a couple of clumps of big trees, I was too astonished to use them! The plane and the shuttle are both enormous and were flying a lot lower than I expected.

My view only lasted a couple of seconds but it was a majestic thing to see going by!

--Jim

Re: Space Shuttle Flies Over DC

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 2:07 pm
by Veenture
It's amazing that either one of those metal birds can fly, let alone piggy back! :shock:

Re: Space Shuttle Flies Over DC

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 2:10 pm
by JimPage
Paul, that is precisely what I thought as I saw them fly by.

My dad was a pilot but he never flew anything bigger than a DC-3 to my knowledge. There was a human scale to planes back in those days!

--Jim

Re: Space Shuttle Flies Over DC

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 2:44 pm
by mrmomo
Awesome!

If it weren't for physics, we probably couldn't do a lot of things! :o

Re: Space Shuttle Flies Over DC

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 5:57 pm
by dubtrub
That's about the coolest shot ever!

Re: Space Shuttle Flies Over DC

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 7:07 pm
by MOSDAN
Great photo. I watched the landing live on TV and I thought the landing was one of the most perfect landings I have ever witnessed. The pilot of that 747 really is very talented and knows his stuff. Years ago as a young man I flew a A26 for the United States Forest Service and I only wish my landings were as smooth. My hat is off to that pilot whoever he is!

Re: Space Shuttle Flies Over DC

Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 10:20 pm
by MWaldorf
Wow!

Re: Space Shuttle Flies Over DC

Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 2:07 pm
by oipunkguy
one bad thing about moving out of the wash dc area is missing events like this. I wish i could have saw it. :(