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...
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.