Discovery flight

[Tom Dunlap]

Did anyone ever see the shuttle on a piggyback?

A fellow who sat next to me on a flight saw it one time. He was on the right side of the plane...with a window seat! Lucky guy.

The last flight for Discovery:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17745802

 

[AboveTheLines]

That is pretty awesome!

 

[fireaxe]

I saw it and it was amazzinggg!!! Dove over to the side of the road to take pics.

 

[Tr33Climb3r]

I knew they did this but I never saw it in person. Be one heck of a sight I would imagine.

 

[Tr33Climb3r]

In that video in your link it was cool to see the fighter jet trailing it.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

[ QUOTE ]
I knew they did this but I never saw it in person. Be one heck of a sight I would imagine.

[/ QUOTE ]

Only two more flights. One will take a shuttle to NYC, the other to Los Angeles.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=150804271

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Re: Discovery flight-pilot interview-footage

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17755597

 

[jomoco]

Re: Discovery flight-pilot interview-footage

I remember watching this space shuttle(Columbia) land for the first time in an LA restaurant in 1981.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnEnaKq57Yg

The whole restaurant exploded in wild whoops and applause!

Reminded me of the moon landing in 69 when I was ten.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_OD2V6fMLQ

America at its best.

jomoco

 

[jomoco]

Re: Discovery flight-pilot interview-footage

How the heck do they get that shuttle on top of a 747?

It's called the Mate-Demate Device(MDD).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMij5nMgcPY

I'm interested in how they're going to get Discovery off that 747 in DC? I seriousl doubt there's a MDD there.

Probably 2 or 3 very large hydrocranes working together?

A dock Gantry crane?

jomoco

 

[jomoco]

Re: Discovery flight-pilot interview-footage

Ah hah! So this is how they do it!

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/shuttleflyawaytesst.html

Two fixed boom cranes. A big one on the back, and a little one up front.

jomoco

 

[Eric_E]

Re: Discovery flight-pilot interview-footage

Back in the mid 80's I worked in Northern Virginia. Our shop was near Washington Dulles airport. One of the shuttles was brought into Dulles, before it landed they flew around DC and then circled Dulles Airport. We got to watch it from the roof of the shop and got to see it pretty close.

Also used to see the Concords frequently.