shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) (09/19/90)
I know that this is a little late, but I've just found out that the
PAO office has Hillside Viewing Area passes.
There are two ways to see the Columbia landing at Edwards AFB, listed
in order of restrictiveness of access.
1. The public viewing area on the lakebed. Take Hwy 14 to Avenue
F and follow the signs. This area is opened about 2 days
before the scheduled touchdown. The viewing area is an
unimproved area so don't expect many amenities. I think that
there are sanitary facilities and that food and drinks can be
purchased. It's suggested that you bring food and water
Nothing is required for access to this area. (I've never been
to this area, so I can't speak from personal knowledge.)
2. The hillside viewing area. This is on the hillside, just
above Ames-Dryden, and requires a special pass. This pass is
good for one vehicle, with any number of passengers. You
can't enter the Ames-Dryden complex but you can walk down the
hill to the cafeteria and the giftshop, etc. More amenities,
including radio transmissions from the Shuttle and JSC. Some
of us believe that this area has the BEST view of the landing.
To obtain a hillside pass, write to:
NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility
Attn: Ms. Cei Kratz,
Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, CA 92523-5000
Do this early, because there is a limited amount of space. If you get
these and then discover that you can't attend, please try to pass them
on to someone else who can use them. Incidently, there is _no_ charge.
Come see the Shuttle land--it's great.
Wear warm clothes!
This time of year, the low is about 60 deg F, at 0600, and the high is
in the 90s. Forget the myth that the desert is always hot, it's cool
to cold when the sun's down. If it's much warmer, it's because the
wind is blowing.
Hillside Guests will be sitting up on metal bleachers. The portions
of their anatomy in contact with the bleachers (feet and seat) may get
_real_ cold.
--
Mary Shafer shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer
NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
Of course I don't speak for NASA
"A MiG at your six is better than no MiG at all"--Unknown US fighter pilotdredick (Darrin Redick) (09/24/90)
shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) writes: > > I know that this is a little late, but I've just found out that the > PAO office has Hillside Viewing Area passes. > > There are two ways to see the Columbia landing at Edwards AFB, listed > in order of restrictiveness of access. > Late is right. That info is now moot. Columbia is grounded until next year sometime because of all the leaks plaguing the shuttle. Darrin
userDHAL@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA (David Halliwell) (09/25/90)
In article <SHAFER.90Sep18125543@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov>, shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) writes: > >I know that this is a little late, but I've just found out that the >PAO office has Hillside Viewing Area passes. > >There are two ways to see the Columbia landing at Edwards AFB, listed >in order of restrictiveness of access. > [lot's of stuff deleted] >Come see the Shuttle land--it's great. > >-- ...but then my own preference would be looking OUT from the front windows... Closest I'll ever get to this was the OmniMax film on the shuttle program. Starts off with the double (triple?) sonic boom as the shuttle descends over the Florida panhandle at the break of dawn. Looks like it's at about 30,000 feet and dropping like a bat out of hell. Film keeps switching between views of and views from the shuttle. Only complaint is that they only show the landing from outside: the last 20 seconds or so include no shots from the inside. I could have watched the whole landing over and over again for hours... Highly recommended for those of you that can't afford [to have someone else pay for] a trip on the real thing. If they have seats with seatbelts, take one. And if anyone knows of an OmniMax/IMax film on the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, or Snowbirds, let me know! Dave Halliwell - been on the ground for 8 years now, but this group is rekindling my flying urges!
wasg@oort.rice.edu (Eric Salituro) (09/27/90)
In article <1356@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA>, userDHAL@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA (David Halliwell) writes: |> In article <SHAFER.90Sep18125543@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov>, shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) writes: |> > |> >I know that this is a little late, but I've just found out that the |> >PAO office has Hillside Viewing Area passes. |> >-- |> ...but then my own preference would be looking OUT from the front |> windows... Closest I'll ever get to this was the OmniMax film on the I'll assume you mean _The Dream Is Alive_ |> shuttle program. Starts off with the double (triple?) sonic boom as the Double. |> shuttle descends over the Florida panhandle at the break of dawn. Looks Actually, it's the east coast of Central (?) Florida. |> like it's at about 30,000 feet and dropping like a bat out of hell. Film |> keeps switching between views of and views from the shuttle. Only complaint |> is that they only show the landing from outside: the last 20 seconds or so |> include no shots from the inside. I could have watched the whole landing |> over and over again for hours... That's because they never filmed the inside on a landing. The view from the "Shuttle" was actually shot from a Lear Jet, undercranked, using the same approach as the Shuttle did at the time. I've heard that the pilot flying that approach thought it was a little hairy. |> Highly recommended for those of you that can't afford [to have someone |> else pay for] a trip on the real thing. If they have seats with seatbelts, |> take one. And if anyone knows of an OmniMax/IMax film on the Blue Angels, |> Thunderbirds, or Snowbirds, let me know! One of the earliest IMAX films, _To Fly_ contains footage of the Blue Angels. They were still flying their A-4s, I believe, not the F-18s they fly now. Copyright 1990 Eric Salituro Eric Salituro @ Rice University This is not a .signature line... Houston TX 77251-1892 (713) 527-8101 x2474 Life is like a metaphor. INTERNET: wasg@rice.edu
montague@npdiss1.StPaul.NCR.COM (John Montague) (10/05/90)
In article <1990Sep27.161457.6668@rice.edu> wasg@oort.rice.edu (Eric Salituro) writes: ... >"Shuttle" was actually shot from a Lear Jet, undercranked, using the same >approach as the Shuttle did at the time. I've heard that the pilot flying that >approach thought it was a little hairy. > I've flown the Shuttle approach in the simulator and in an A-4. It IS hairy! -- John Montague NCR Network Products Division