Space Shuttle Endeavour arrives in LA (pics)
 

In the process of putting up a gallery now, but my CNN report is at http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-844999

A couple previews


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Awesome dude! :thumbsup :thumbsup

I didn't wake up in time for their flyby in the Bay Area this morning, but the pix are spectacular:

http://media.masslive.com/republican...6-standard.jpg

:smilie_we

ADG

Awesome pics Baddog!

Its was cool to see it fly by :thumbsup

Nice captures Llyod!

I was at Venice Beach. Was sorry to find that there is some dust on my camera's image sensor so I got some crappy artifacts on my images. But it was great to see Endeavor in the air.

It's also really nice to be surrounded by people who are in awe.


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Good riddance. IMO

I knew you were going to get some good pics Baddog!

Was it escorted by fighter jets the whole way? And where did it come from?

Fighter jets are to deter what exactly ?

I reckon some rogue private pilot could have gone wild and tried to mess with the plane.

Ah yes the IRS giving the post office a run for their crazy.

No one expected more from you.

Thanks, I had a little issue last night that made me wonder if my camera was even going to work, but we fixed it. :thumbsup

This morning it left Edwards, the day before I think it was in Houston (somewhere in TX)

Probably out of respect if nothing else.


I have all my pics up at http://www.gotbaddog.com/space-shutt...eavour-photos/


http://www.gotbaddog.com/wp-content/...avour_6748.jpg


http://www.gotbaddog.com/wp-content/...avour_6761.jpg



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I don't know if they are armed, but I believe the chase planes are to capture photo/video.

Those are T38 talons I believe and they do NOT carry arms. Most likely the armed escort dropped back shortly before .

The T38 is a rocket with a seat strapped on.

great photos

That would be cool to see,nice pix

Stilll blows my mind how they can piggyback that massive shuttle on top of the jumbo...and make the whole rig fly.

Thanks for the pics. :thumbsup

Cool pics :thumbsup

I shot this at Rose Avenue and Ocean Front Walk, Venice Beach...

http://www.littlegrayguy.com/gfy/ss_02.jpg

Thanks everyone. It was a pretty cool experience and it was obvious that I was not the only one that felt that way. Thousands of people, all getting very excited every time it came into view; and yeah, the size was pretty incredible

Nice shot; I wish I had a zoom lens

WTF why ?

Nice pictures BD - it must have been really thrilling to see it.

And fuck the waste of tax payer resources that piece of shit, not to mention the entire shuttle program, represents.

Not that I really expected more than a one line, half assed, response from you.

The fact that you see no value in the space program actually speaks volumes about your ignorance. Why would I waste more than a line or two on a response to you?

Good job BD.

I was having lunch today @ Santa Monica Pier when it came by. Snapped a few with my iPhone.

http://deancapture.com/pics/shuttle1.jpg

http://deancapture.com/pics/shuttle2.jpg

Boy, you sure eat lunch early. :winkwink:

Just for shits & giggles...
I shot the first 2 shuttle launches in 1981 for NASA, and these are from Columbia's 2nd launch Nov '81.
Shot from the edge of the lake in front of the countdown clock.
Note the external tank is white, not "rust" colored...it was that way on the first 2 launches only...then someone figured out how much $$$ they'd save, and WEIGHT they'd save, by not painting it! LOL!

http://www.fitzmulti.com/shuttle1181-1.jpg

http://www.fitzmulti.com/shuttle1181-2.jpg

Never know when Arabs with box cutters are going to seize a plane. :winkwink:


:thumbsup

Good pics. I saw Discovery lift off many years ago. It was incredible. As you are aware because you've been there, the delay on the sound and how loud it gets is just awesome. Never forget it. Also never forget the traffic jam getting in and out. Nightmare.

Now there's something you don't see everyday. Pretty spectacular pics!

Amazing pics, wish I could have seen a launch or even the return at somepoint, the same as Concorde. I mean the sonic booms of Concorde as it went out were great and are missed. Am I the only one who thinks we're going backwards?

I was in the middle of a shoot with Melody Jordan, and we decided to take a break and walk to the beach to watch the Shuttle fly over... so I brought my 5D MkII and a good lens.

http://www.littlegrayguy.com/gfy/melody_01.jpg


Melody looks even better naked...

http://www.littlegrayguy.com/gfy/melody_02.jpg

What lens is that?

:2 cents:

Awesome pics. Thanks for sharing them.

As someone whom lived on the space coast almost all my life I can tell you that is a crazy site to see in person, when the shuttle is flying piggy back like that.

I was driving up A1A one day and was just in front of Patrick Airforce base (back when they used to have the old rockets out front) Then all of the sudden the Shuttle flys right by us on the back of it's transport jet right up the coast line.

They were doing a flyby of Patrick AFB on the way back to Kennedy AFB. I don't think I'll ever forget seeing that, much the same as watching the Challenger blow up from the window of my history class room, which was rather ironic.

The space program brought a lot of jobs to to this country and the tech advances made because of it are invaluable, for those that see no benefit.

Just a random tidbit, one of my uncles used to work at the press room at Kennedy AFB and I watched every single shuttle launch at the cape from the first til the 21th when I was a kid thanks to always getting viewer passes. My step father also used to work on the recovery team, so he used to help the astronauts get into their space suits and always flew out to the salt flats when it was expected to land out there.

I used to have a shit load of space memorabilia as you can imagine, every thing from early shuttle concept pictures to autographs of the guys that flew it. Sadly it was all lost in a fire.

I think I heard it was in a museum in NYC

thanks for sharing, great pics

Nice pictures! Thanks for sharing :thumbsup

I used the f4 24-105mm L Series lens: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...4L_IS_USM.html

There is/was more than one Space Shuttle..

Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavour as well as the little known Enterprise & Explorer.

Columbia & Challenger were of course both lost but the other remaining went to different locations around the country. Enterprise was the first shuttle and used for a test orbiter with no engines used for landing & flying tests. Explorer was a full scale mock up.


Atlantis is at Kennedy Space center in FL

Discovery is at the Smithsonian Institution in VA

Endeavour went to Cali

Enterprise is at NY

Explorer is at Johnson Space center in TX

hmmm, I used the same lens . . . . it must have been a lot closer to you.

I understand not everyone knows everything about NASA and the space programs, but how can you not know what a chase plane is....

That is really exciting!

Only one person on GFY (that I'm aware of) who actually used to work for NASA.

They are called chase planes and are usually piloted by other astronauts and are used to help spot for the shuttle on re-entry. They fly up and meet the shuttle as it gets close to landing and for the most part check it out for damage prior to landing and help guide it in.

They are also used as trainer aircraft for the astronauts..

Fixed . . . I hate that spellcheck does not work on IE and I constantly spell that wrong. I need to figure out a way to remember ei
\
thanks