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Space shuttle flight to Smithsonian ready for takeoff

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Interesting details on some of the flight characteristics of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft when it is mated with a shuttle orbiter. (www.spaceflightnow.com) More...

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dbaker
dbaker 9
Track it live on Tuesday @ http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NASA905
dbaker
dbaker 0
Sorry, doesn't look like we're currently receiving data on this flight. :-(
Buffalo6
Carl Darron 4
Standing on the conning tower of a WW2 Gato Class sub at Navy Yard. Watched the downwind run along the Potomac.
RobSJC
Have fun East Coasters, Expecting lots of pictures posted to FlightAware !! ( lol )
innos
andrew tobin 3
I'll be standing out on the ramp for this one. Near C2 or on taxiway EE for the landing, then move over to the A concourse ramp for the photo op. Oh the advantages of working at IAD.
cm5299
Chuck Me 3
FYI - NASA TV coverage of the flight to DC begins at 6:45am (Eastern) on Tuesday.
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html
jkudlick
Jeremy Kudlick 1
I might be able to watch after a couple hours of sleep. Thanks for the link!
porterjet
porterjet 2
good call but 923 is going to Tallahassee and left KTTS 27 minutes after the shuttle.
thisismoc
They've done a flyover at Dulles, now in the pattern and coming around for landing. Quite a site!
NSGDC
Scott Keller 1
Whoa......no downtown flyover?
cm5299
Chuck Me 1
Yeah they're out doing that now. They didn't come around for a landing.

They just said he's on his way back to the airport. 15 miles out.
cm5299
Chuck Me 1
Sounds like the tower thinks this is it. Just going to enter downwind and come land.
cm5299
Chuck Me 1
Maybe not. Looks like one more flyby at Dulles. 4 miles and gear still up.
preacher1
preacher1 1
It is a fitting end to a well traveled and famous aircraft, BUT, on one of the actual story comment it references to a blog as to why Houston didn't get one of the shuttles. Reason: City management and a city that just ASSUMES things and/or just don't care. They ASSUMED they would get a shuttle because JSC was there and didn't try and nail it down, just like they ASSUMED that the Continental corporate office would stay there because they were the dominant carrier in the merger. By there inaction 1500 or so people are or will be looking for a job. Someone down there needs to wake up. IMHO
jkudlick
Jeremy Kudlick 1
I get off of work at 6am on Tuesday, and I can see the ATC tower from my office's parking lot. Unfortunately, I have a nearly two-hour drive home and can't stick around for the arrival. Anyone else in the area, please please PLEASE get pics and post them.
airborneryder
airborneryder 1
I live right in the area. My dad saw the last one that came into Dulles. I won't be able to see it because I will be in school. I heard it was going to fly 1500FT over the beltway.
julianjim
jim garrity 1
What time? 4AM on the west coast! Oh well, I'll see the movie that is sure to come out on the "D" channel?
airborneryder
airborneryder 1
On the news they said between 10am and 11am EST over the DC area
JFoster01
James Foster 1
Does someone more familiar with Dulles than I am have any idea what runway they will likely land on?? I'll be in attendance to watch the landing and would be irate if I was on the wrong ramp looking the wrong way. The forcasted winds are outta the NW at 10-15 so would this make 1R likely choice?? Thanks in advance.
randallschrock
Most likely 1R if the winds hold steady, If you don't want to pay $15 to watch it land at Udvar Hazy, there are plenty of other places around the Rt. 28/Rt. 50 intersection to get a great view.
jkudlick
Jeremy Kudlick 1
It would be either 1R or 1C if the winds are only 10-15NW. Too much higher, and they'd have to go for RWY 30, which is a much riskier approach with its low-altitude, low-speed, high-banked left turn on final.

I received a notice today that they might do a fly-by before coming back around to land - great photo op.
ThomVBFL
Florida Today reports Discovery and the SCA will fly south to Patrick AFB, u-turn and head to DC.
bishops90
Brian Bishop 1
Props to hometown boy Henry Taylor at the stick.

"The native of Greenville, South Carolina, he spent 30 years flying as a flight simulation engineer aboard the Shuttle Training Aircraft, the Gulfstream jet modified to simulate the handling characteristics of a returning orbiter.

"I flew with everybody who ever flew the space shuttle," he recalls."

You make South Carolina proud, sir.
mclendenen
Mike Clendenen 1
Will it be visible in eastern NC?
porterjet
porterjet 1
It's been airborne about 18 minutes but NASA 905 and KTTS show nothing.
wmchurch
Bill Church 1
Just old tracks showing on http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NASA905 what gives?
porterjet
porterjet 1
They must be using a blocked or USAF callsign, there is nothing showing on KTTS or KIAD either.
hillnva
hillnva 1
Work in Old Town Alexandria Virginia. Hope to get a snap shot going up the Potomac River.
airborneryder
airborneryder 1
If I hear a very loud jet, I'm running outside LOL
wmchurch
Bill Church 1
@Kevin, good call I rotated through a few of the T38s but I guess I wasn't persistent enough. Thanks!
wmchurch
Bill Church 1
Yep, seeing that now. Looks like they've just been blacked out.
Buffalo6
Carl Darron 1
From the Washington Navy Yard. Does anyone have an approximate fix so as to calculate an ETA over Potomac River?
mattander21
Just saw this from the Washington Post about "Prime Viewing Areas" in the DC area, also the will be doing live updates starting at 9:00 AM EST
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-buzz/post/space-shuttle-discovery-flies-into-washington-at-10-am/2012/04/16/gIQADQmdNT_blog.htmlhttp:/www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-buzz/post/space-shuttle-discovery-flies-into-washington-at-10-am/2012/04/16/gIQADQmdNT_blog.html
jtcolwell
J Colwell 1
The shuttle is due at Dulels around 10AM, then flying by DC and will loop back out to Dulles for a landing. See www.WTOP.com, the DC local news station, which will also have a webcam and live feed.
porterjet
porterjet 1
Just heard Dulles tower tell somebody they couldn't bring them straight in because the shuttle was early and going to make a low approach then go to DCA then back to IAD for the landing. No word on how far out it is though.
porterjet
porterjet 1
ETA about 13:37 Z for the low pass
NSGDC
Scott Keller 1
Thanks..... Hustling down 19th street now. Keep the updates coming!

Buffalo6
Carl Darron 1
Good to get the checkin call. Somebody call tallyho when they get eyes on. Thanks!
porterjet
porterjet 1
I guess the tower doesn't have an exact time, somebody else just asked how far out it was and was told "20 to 25" minutes. Omaha 3 is doing a low level sweep south and east of Dulles at this time.
thisismoc
MSNBC has a better feed of NASA's Dulles feed -

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/47070975#47070975
porterjet
porterjet 1
Dulles tower is launching a couple of T38's (shooter 99). The shuttle is holding waiting for them.
porterjet
porterjet 1
sorry, shooter 99 is a single ship. He is airborne on a vector to the shuttle.
porterjet
porterjet 1
7 north of quantico if anybody is outside
porterjet
porterjet 1
pluto 95 heavy is the callsign
NSGDC
Scott Keller 1
I'm in position on the Memorial Bridge. Anyone have an eta update?
wmchurch
Bill Church 1
15 miles to the south of KIAD was what I just heard on Potomac approach
NSGDC
Scott Keller 1
Thanks
newsdigger
newsdigger 1
CNN has live feed up now.
n7224e
BC Hadley 1
I'm not getting any audio, though. The NASA feed will be "back momentarily", but it's taking forever.
deltax20a
Keith Danforth 1
They were using audio from KIAD's tower, you can hear that on http://www.liveatc.net/search/?icao=kiad
n7224e
BC Hadley 1
NASA feed w/ audio is coming back (or trying to).
porterjet
porterjet 1
pluto 95 Heavy is the callsign
NSGDC
Scott Keller 1
Where the heck is he? I'm listening to DCA approach and tower and they're still clearing approaches into Reagan.
newsdigger
newsdigger 1
headed for mall/downtown now
NSGDC
Scott Keller 1
Tally Ho
NSGDC
Scott Keller 1
That was pretty darn cool. Came in from the north to the south.....
andrewjets
can we track it?
porterjet
porterjet 1
no, they are using a USAF call sign instead of a NASA call sign.
porterjet
porterjet 1
IAD tower just told somebody there would be one more pass before landing. eventually.
deltax20a
Keith Danforth 1
They just reported nine miles out to IAD tower IIRC
HunterTS4
Toby Sharp 1
......Beautiful Site
kdhurne
Ken Hurne 1
CNN has some good live video for those of us not in Washington; http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream1
kdhurne
Ken Hurne 1
gear down!
cm5299
Chuck Me 1
Sounds like a T38 is a little low on gas.
spydergun45
Gary Fe 1
NASA provided excellent live HD video coverage on their website. Listening to Live ATC at the same time was awesome. CNN's anchors proved themselves to be complete morons!
howej011
Joseph Howes 1
Should be exciting for you in america. but then there is the rest of us in the U.K Europe etc. we have to watch it on the NASA website or Youtube if people film it
julianjim
jim garrity 1
What time?
chiphermes
Chip Hermes 2
Third sentence of the article:

The modified Boeing 747 jet will depart the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT), performing a series of low-altitude passes over the Space Coast beaches, Visitor Complex and spaceport before plotting a course towards the nation's capital were more flyovers are planned and an eventual landing at Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
knball
Kevin Ball -1
This was poorly planned. They should have had one last launch KTTS dct KIAD
kevinmiller55
Kevin Miller 0
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NASA923
Go figure you can track the T38 but not the SCA. Oh well should give you the same information.
kevinmiller55
Kevin Miller 2
Nevermind, just an astronaut heading home I guess.
wmchurch
Bill Church 1
Drat....
ssolomon
Steven Solomon 0
Really? No one can figure out how to tell where the aircraft are currently?
snf
Susan Freeman 0
Yea, it's top secret. What a shame!
bryantgipull
bryant gipull -1
(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

Space Shuttle Discovery, mounted on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

Space shuttle Discovery will be carried from Cape Canaveral Florida to the Washington D.C. Area on TUESDAY APRIL 17,2012.BETWEEN 10:00 AM TO 11:00 AM

HOPE YOU'LL BE THERE CAUSE I AM!!!!!:)

http://www.nasa.gov/
bryantgipull
bryant gipull -1
(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

New video:A look at the 747 Space Shuttle Carrier Aircrafts used by NASA

A look at the two 747 Aircrafts used by NASA to transport the space shuttles while on Earth. One was often used at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

You can also go to:http://www.nasa.gov/topics/nasalife/features/shuttle_museum.html
To take a look on how they put the space shuttle on the 747.BE THERE :) :) LIKE ;););)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVvXyPE86NQ

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