When is Discovery being ferried to Florida?

[franklin091209]

I live in central Texas and I guy I work with said that he took his son once to see a Shuttle being carried on a 747 as it landed for refuling. He said it landed at Gray Army Airfield near Ft Hood. I was wondering if it is possible to find out when that sort of sighting oportunity will happen again. I know that Discovery recently landed at Edwards and it is probably being processed for it's trip back to Florida.
Thanks in advance for any help or advise.

 

[shuttle_guy]

The ferry date depends on how the deservicing and ferry preps go as well as the weather. If all goes well the ferry would start about Sept 18th. They will probably take the same rout back as the STS-125 ferry home. They will have to make about 4 stops to re-fuel along the way.

The ferry rout depends a lot on the weather so the rout is firmed up just before ferry and often changes during the ferry as the weather changes.

 

[shuttle_guy]

The Orbiter turnaround is going well. No big issuees.

 

[Zipi]

Which SCA (shuttle carrier aircraft) they will use?

 

[shuttle_guy]

Which SCA (shuttle carrier aircraft) they will use?

Both of them are at DFRC. I do not know which one will be used. I will try to find out.

 

[franklin091209]

The ferry date depends on how the deservicing and ferry preps go as well as the weather. If all goes well the ferry would start about Sept 18th. They will probably take the same rout back as the STS-125 ferry home. They will have to make about 4 stops to re-fuel along the way.

The ferry rout depends a lot on the weather so the rout is firmed up just before ferry and often changes during the ferry as the weather changes.

Real interesting stuff. I wonder what the point of contact is for that last-minute schedule?
Sounds to me like that information will be very hard to come by and seeing the ferry would be plain luck.


Thanks for the replies folkes. This could result in a lifetime memory for my son and me.

 

[Testing]

The ferry date depends on how the deservicing and ferry preps go as well as the weather. If all goes well the ferry would start about Sept 18th. They will probably take the same rout back as the STS-125 ferry home. They will have to make about 4 stops to re-fuel along the way.

The ferry rout depends a lot on the weather so the rout is firmed up just before ferry and often changes during the ferry as the weather changes.

Real interesting stuff. I wonder what the point of contact is for that last-minute schedule?
Sounds to me like that information will be very hard to come by and seeing the ferry would be plain luck.


Thanks for the replies folkes. This could result in a lifetime memory for my son and me.

The best one we have ever had is SG.

 

[Zipi]

Real interesting stuff. I wonder what the point of contact is for that last-minute schedule?
Sounds to me like that information will be very hard to come by and seeing the ferry would be plain luck.

As soon as we know which SCA will be used and some hints about the timetable, I or somebody else will post the link to the live flight tracking web site (flightaware). You can follow SCA's route from there.

 

[CalliArcale]

There was one time when, due to extraordinary circumstances (weather was involved, IIRC), a loaded SCA (carrying Atlantis, I think) had to land at Dallas-Fort Worth airport instead of at an airbase, and spend the night there. My father-in-law was lucky enough to be assigned the detail to go help guard it. He was immensely proud, as was everyone else involved. (He's USAF.) Somebody actually printed up T-shirts to commemorate the event; that's how cool they all felt it was.

I would *so* love to see that.

 

[shuttle_guy]

The ferry date depends on how the deservicing and ferry preps go as well as the weather. If all goes well the ferry would start about Sept 18th. They will probably take the same rout back as the STS-125 ferry home. They will have to make about 4 stops to re-fuel along the way.

The ferry rout depends a lot on the weather so the rout is firmed up just before ferry and often changes during the ferry as the weather changes.

Real interesting stuff. I wonder what the point of contact is for that last-minute schedule?
Sounds to me like that information will be very hard to come by and seeing the ferry would be plain luck.


Thanks for the replies folkes. This could result in a lifetime memory for my son and me.

 

[shuttle_guy]

The ferry date depends on how the deservicing and ferry preps go as well as the weather. If all goes well the ferry would start about Sept 18th. They will probably take the same rout back as the STS-125 ferry home. They will have to make about 4 stops to re-fuel along the way.

The ferry rout depends a lot on the weather so the rout is firmed up just before ferry and often changes during the ferry as the weather changes.

Real interesting stuff. I wonder what the point of contact is for that last-minute schedule?
Sounds to me like that information will be very hard to come by and seeing the ferry would be plain luck.


Thanks for the replies folkes. This could result in a lifetime memory for my son and me.

Yes, however if you keep your ear to space.com and other space sites they will probably give the in flight updates to the landing sites. NASA does not like to widely advertise the rout and landing sites since they only fly at 15,000 ft where just about any private pilot can fly over to take a look.
If I get the tail number for you you can track it online.

 

[CalliArcale]

Sweet. ;-) It would be fun to track its progress!

I can see where they'd be worried about general aviation folks getting uncomfortably close. A laden SCA would be quite a sight to see, and in my opinion, vastly more memorable even than Air Force One. (Saw AFO once, flying into MSP with George W Bush aboard. Very pretty! But even the prettiest 747 would be improved by an Orbiter on its back! Well, improved in terms of geeky coolness; I know performance suffers pretty seriously.)

One thing I'd love to see, but never will, is the An-224 "Mryia" with Buran on its back. Heck, I'd just like to see Mriya, with or without a huge external payload. Such a beast of an aircraft.

 

[drwayne]

Some years ago, I wasdown the road in Navarre when I heard a somewhat different egine noise.
I looked up, and did a triple take - and saw the piggyback going over.

Even then, I wasn't sure I wasn't just loco, but driving into work, I saw the 747 on the tarmac at Eglin.

Wow...

Wayne

 

[tplank]

I don't remember exactly when it was, but I got to see Enterprise piggybacked. That was very cool even if it was long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. An unforgettable sight.

 

[tplank]

I don't remember exactly when it was, but I got to see Enterprise piggybacked. That was very cool even if it was long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. An unforgettable sight.

OK, Google jangled my memory. It looks like in was in Tulsa on August 11, 1979. So now I do know when it was that I saw it.

 

[boki_san]

... This could result in a lifetime memory for my son and me.

make every effort to be there, ... it is a lifetime memory.

i will never forget seeing the enterprise on top of it's 747, on landing final approach right over me.

i was were i was probably not allowed to be, but i was there, ... a couple hundred yards from the front patch of the runway.
i was on a little gravel pull-out, at the yellow arrow, and the 747 w/shuttle was landing on runway 17R.

i had been watching them circle over the air force academy stadium for the cadets' graduation ceremony,
with binoculars, from the roof of my parents house, ...

then it occurred to me what was about to happen, and how close i was,
... i almost literally jumped off the two-story roof, and drove the 4 miles out to peterson field like my trousers were on fire,
hoping to get there before the big moment

with not 60 seconds to spare, i pulled off the road, right in front of the runway.

watching with my binoculars, i was seeing it coming in, ... getting closer,
then i couldn't even fit the whole thing in the binoc's view, and i'm digging it,
... and then, .. all i can see is tiles with stenciled labels, and it's LOUD

i rip the binocs from my eyes and the piggy back monster is like literally right on top of me,
only a couple hundred feet off the deck! ... i just about popped!

she landed so very hard on the right side landing gear, i got spooked,
but it was all fine.

scope out, and think through the possibilities of viewing areas,
make a plan, and a back-up plan,
and keep your eyes peeled on the pertinent forums for route updates,
and try to be in place if you can.

it's amazing.

 

[shuttle_guy]

Sweet. ;-) It would be fun to track its progress!

I can see where they'd be worried about general aviation folks getting uncomfortably close. A laden SCA would be quite a sight to see, and in my opinion, vastly more memorable even than Air Force One. (Saw AFO once, flying into MSP with George W Bush aboard. Very pretty! But even the prettiest 747 would be improved by an Orbiter on its back! Well, improved in terms of geeky coolness; I know performance suffers pretty seriously.)

One thing I'd love to see, but never will, is the An-224 "Mryia" with Buran on its back. Heck, I'd just like to see Mriya, with or without a huge external payload. Such a beast of an aircraft.

The An-224 flies into KSC fairly often to bring in various launch vehicles and payloads. It is a neat aircraft.

 

[shuttle_guy]

I live in central Texas and I guy I work with said that he took his son once to see a Shuttle being carried on a 747 as it landed for refuling. He said it landed at Gray Army Airfield near Ft Hood. I was wondering if it is possible to find out when that sort of sighting oportunity will happen again. I know that Discovery recently landed at Edwards and it is probably being processed for it's trip back to Florida.
Thanks in advance for any help or advise.

Processing and deservicing at DFRC is going very well.

The ferry flight is currently scheduled to start Friday.

The SCA will be NASA911

 

[shuttle_guy]

... This could result in a lifetime memory for my son and me.

make every effort to be there, ... it is a lifetime memory.

with not 60 seconds to spare, i pulled off the road, right in front of the runway.

watching with my binoculars, i was seeing it coming in, ... getting closer,
then i couldn't even fit the whole thing in the binoc's view, and i'm digging it,
... and then, .. all i can see is tiles with stenciled labels, and it's LOUD

i rip the binocs from my eyes and the piggy back monster is like literally right on top of me,
only a couple hundred feet off the deck! ... i just about popped!

she landed so very hard on the right side landing gear, i got spooked,
but it was all fine.

scope out, and think through the possibilities of viewing areas,
make a plan, and a back-up plan,
and keep your eyes peeled on the pertinent forums for route updates,
and try to be in place if you can.

it's amazing.

[
You were very very lucky to see the landing !

 

[Testing]

[
You were very very lucky to see the landing

Perhaps I will call late to work Friday and make an early run to West end of Plant 42.
Tradition has it that they always make a low pass over the birthplace.

 

[CalliArcale]

The An-224 flies into KSC fairly often to bring in various launch vehicles and payloads. It is a neat aircraft.

Aw man.....as much as I love living in Minnesota and don't think I could get used to the Florida weather . . . you really really REALLY make me want to!

 

[shuttle_guy]

The DFRC work is going very well The final vehicle power down should take place in about5 hours. Ready to ferry will be Thursday night so if the weather is good I expect a take off at sun rise Friday.

FlightAware.com should have the flight plan displayed before take off.

The Tail number of the SCA is to be NASA911.

 

[MeteorWayne]

I'd suspect weather along the route will be a constraint. A nearly stationary low is causing heavy rain along most of the path near Texas-Oklahoma.

 

[Zipi]

This is probably the link where you can follow the flight when it takes off: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NASA911

 

[MeteorWayne]

As I expected:

Shuttle Discovery's ferryflight home from California to Florida won't begin until Saturday morning, a day later than originally planned due to forecast weather conditions in the southeastern United States. Takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base is targeted for daybreak.
Crews have been working to install the aerodynamic tail cone around the shuttle's engines, plus hydraulic operations to retract the landing gear and set the aerosurfaces for the flight.

Managers will meet again Friday to review the weather outlook and determine the trip's initial path across the country to intermediate refueling stops.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/s ... tatus.html